After five months of technocratic government in the midst of a crippling financial crisis, the stage is set for Greece's most important national election in nearly 40 years.
The last poll taken before the ballot was announced shows a record 10 parties may end up in the Greek parliament, with voters expected to turn their backs on the two traditional factions: the center-right New Democracy party, and its socialist opponent, PASOK.
"The two political parties that dominated Greece have failed because they all had majority governments, and they have been unable to govern effectively," said Associate Professor Vrasidas Karalis from Sydney University's Department of Modern Greek.
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"They created a system of clientelism, of political favouritism... which has destroyed the reliability of Greece and the credibility of the Greek state."
WATCH INTERVIEW WITH VRASIDAS KARALIS, SYDNEY UNIVERSITY:
Between them they're expected to garner around 50 per cent of the vote, compared to around 80 per cent in previous elections.
One outcome may see them join forces to form a coalition government, similar to what they've been doing the past five months under interim Prime Minister Lucas Papademos. Though with so many other parties at play, Greece's future remains uncertain to say the least.
Its economic mismanagement over the past four decades has left Greece no choice but to pass a series of massive austerity cuts in exchange for international bailouts.
The Greek diaspora - including here in Australia - is all too familiar with the political squabbles inside parliament, and the regular protests taking place outside.
Greek law doesn't allow expatriates to vote in national elections.
But at least one Greek official based in Melbourne (home to one of the biggest Hellenic diasporas in the world) hopes that will change.
"(Two years ago) there was a law that wasn't passed through the Greek parliament because there were too many amendments," said Eleni Lianidou, Greece's Consul General in Melbourne.
"I think this is the right of Greek expatriates and we should certainly seek a solution.
"We're very close, I'd say it's a matter of months or a year for the new parliament... to have the law that will allow Greeks all over the world to vote."
WATCH INTERVIEW WITH ELENI LIANIDOU, MELBOURNE GREEK CONSUL GENERAL:
But if they could, would it be a help or a hindrance?
Spokesmen from the Melbourne branches of Greece's two major parties remain divided.
"There's 11 million people in Greece and 8 million Greeks living abroad," explains PASOK's Angelo Haritou.
"If we take that eight million into account, they will set the course for Greece. Isn't that unreasonable?
"Greeks live there, so it's their responsibility to decide who gets to form government."
New Democracy disagrees, and has even promised to try and change the policy if it wins.
"Greeks living abroad make up a very big, strong number," says Costas Alaveras. "It's not just the government, but all the parties in amongst it, to allow Greeks living abroad to vote in the future."
To do so Greece will need to redesign several elements of its political process.
Associate Professor Karalis says these kinds of changes are inevitable, but they won't happen for a while yet.
"I think it's too early and Greeks in Australia in particular don't really have a clear view of the political processes as they happen in Greece at this very moment," he said.
"In the future, yes, when communications are more frequent, and we'll have more direct contact through media and social networking."
In the meantime, he hopes Sunday's vote will forge an effective focus group of parties who will take Greece in a new direction.
To achieve this, he says, they must repudiate the policies of the past and focus solely on rebuilding its credibility - both at home and abroad.
