Stavros Theodorakis, the leader of centrist To Potami (The River) is heading to the Greek coast this weekend with a campaign aimed at informing beachgoers about the party’s stand regarding the government’s new draft bill for coastal development.

The newly-created party’s members – or volunteers as they are called – will take off their political suits and shuffle through the sand handing out leaflets to prospective voters about the cons of the bill. The leaflets are just as useful as they are informative because they contain a disposable ashtray.

The party leader himself – or “head” as he is called – will drive from beach to beach on his motorcycle to meet with as many people as possible.

The bill

There is fear that the draft bill submitted by the Ministry of Finance could limit the public’s right to access Greece’s shoreline and see private hotels sprawling all the way to the sea. The bill will lift restrictions on erecting umbrellas, loungers and refreshment stands on the foreshore and reference to the right of access to the beachside has also been lifted. Opponents say that the bill no longer ensures that the shoreline is a common good.