Subject: A.N.A. Bulletin 15/9/93 From: miltos@nfl2.irc.nrc.ca Athens News Agency Bulletin, September 15, 1993 =============================================== Athens, 15/9/1993 (ANA) - The government yesterday lauded the signing of the historic agreement on Palestinian autonomy in the occupied territories, describing it as "a great step forward" for peace. Government spokesman Vassilis Manginas said that Greece "supports the necessity for peace in the Middle East and the Balkans, where it has undertaken many initiatives". "The world in moving forward", Mr. Manginas said, "and this is encouraging and joyful news". Athens, 15/9/1993 (ANA) - National Economy and Finance Minister Stephanos Manos said yesterday that main opposition leader Andreas Papandreou's commitment not to devalue the drachma reaffirmed the correctness of the government's currency policy. "I am happy that Mr. Papandreou, under pressure from me, was forced to take a stance and admit that the positions taken at times by [former Panhellenic Socialist Movement finance and economy ministers] Messrs. Arsenis and Simitis regarding the overvalued drachma undermined our economy", Mr. Manos said. "I hope he is being honest. His commitment that he would not devalue to drachma reaffirms the correctness of our policy", he added. In an interview with a private radio station earlier yesterday, Mr. Papandreou flatly rejected devaluation of the drachma as part of his party's proposed economic policies. "The devaluation issue is closed", said Mr. Papandreou, an economist and former chairman of the economics department at Berkeley University in the United States. Costas Simitis and Gerasimos Arsenis are both senior opposition party members who served as economics or finance ministers under Mr. Papandreou's two consecutive PASOK governments from 1981 to 1989. Commenting on the economic plank of PASOK's platform in the October 10 elections, Mr. Manos said the opposition leader had not clarified whether his party would raise taxes. "Unanswered remains the question of whether PASOK's programme foresees new taxes in place of [revenues from] privatisations we have planned. I await [Mr. Papandreou's] response on his issue as well as do the Greek people. PASOK voters in particular should be informed as to whether they will be voting for new taxes or new, tougher austerity", Mr. Manos added. Athens, 15/9/1993 (ANA) - Four ministers were sworn in yesterday in the presence of President Constantine Karamanlis and Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis to take up key posts in the run-up to the October 10 general elections. Ioannis Georgakis was sworn in as Interior Minister, Dimitris Manikas as Public Order Minister, George Playianakos as Justices Minister and George Kontogeorgis as Press Under-secretary to the Prime Minister's Office. None of the four are career politicians: Mr. Georgakis is a former president of the Onassis Foundation and currently president of the Hellenic Cultural Foundation. Mr. Manikas is a retired general, Mr. Playianakos is a Supreme Court judge and Mr. Kontogeorgis is the dean of the Panteios School of Political Sciences. Following the swearing - in ceremony and brief talks with Mr. Karamanlis, Mr. Mitsotakis told reporters that the new Cabinet would meet today, after which he would make statements on the way in which the government will organise "fair and unimpeachable" elections. Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis yesterday expressed his conviction that the government would be elected to a second four-year term on October 10. "The Greek people are being called upon to decide whether Greece will move forward, investing in the future with a free-market economy and a strong Greece that is respected in Europe, or whether it will return to state controlled socialism, consumption fuelled by deficits and dangerous "Third World adventures", Mr. Mitsotakis told reporters after a meeting of the ruling New Democracy party's campaign strategy committee. The premier said Greece could not "afford the luxury" of moving backwards "towards outdated ideas ... and false promises" at a time when "the entire world is moving forward". "The Greek people will not allow their sacrifices to be wasted", Mr. Mitsotakis added. Kicking off his re-election campaign last weekend in Thessaloniki, the prime minister said he would travel through Greece to bring his party's message to the Greek people. Greece's opposition parties will also launch their election campaigns in Thessaloniki. Main opposition Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) leader Andreas Papandreou is scheduled to address a rally there on Saturday, while Coalition of the Left and Progress leader Maria Damanaki, Democratic Renewal (DHANA) leader Kostis Stephanopoulos and Political Spring leader Antonis Samaras are all expected to make speeches in Thessaloniki this week. Meanwhile Communist Party of Greece (KKE) leader Aleka Paparriga, who began a two-day visit to the northern Greek capital yesterday, said the KKE would be the third largest party in parliament after the October 10 elections. Ms. Paparriga also ruled out any co-operation during the elections with the Coalition because of the "deep ideological differences" between the two parties. The Coalition on the Left and Progress was formed by the Greek Left, Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and a host of smaller parties to contest the 1989 elections; the KKE subsequently withdrew. The Democratic Renewal party (DHANA) will not participate in the October 10 general elections, following a decision taken by the party's executive yesterday. The announcement said the decision was taken because DHANA's participation was considered difficult at this juncture in time. The number of young people who will be voting for the first time in the October 10 general elections is 650,371 , following the registration of 195,055 this year, 135,286 in 1992, 134,278 in 1991 and 185,752 in 1990, according to figures released by the Interior Ministry. The ministry said that the number of people registered to vote in elections next month was 8,456,513 compared with 8,335,513 in 1992, 8,277,890 in 1991 , 8,242,333 in 1990 and 8,050,658 in 1989 . The real increase in the size of the electorate however is 405,855, since 244,516 voters were struck off the voting registers in the period 1989-1993 due to death and other reasons. Of the total electorate this year, 4,134,373 are men and 4,322,140 women. Athens, 15/9/1993 (ANA) - Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev yesterday hailed the historic peace agreement between Israel and the PLO and called on both sides to uphold their deal, despite opposition by Israeli and Palestinian extremists. "I hail this great development. Compromise has not winners or losers", Mr. Gorbachev said. "But both sides must stand by their decision, against the cries of extremists", he told a news conference on the second day of his private visit to Greece. Israel's Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and senior PLO official Abu Mazen signed a historic accord in Washington Monday, giving Palestinians limited self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza strip. Representing Russia, which cosponsored the Middle East peace talks, was Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev. Mr. Gorbachev attributed much of the success of the Middle East peace talks to the end of the cold war, saying it contributed to the resolution of many regional conflicts. "It could have never happened without the end of the cold war that helped un-tie many knots, many conflicts in the world", he said, citing the cases of Afghanistan, Cambodia and Nicaragua. Asked about the on-going conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Mr. Gorbachev backed the Vance-Owen peace plan but conceded that there was still room for improvement. "The Vance-Owen plan is ideal, but I am willing to present ideas and proposals that could perfect it", the Nobel Peace Prize winner said without further elaboration. Mr. Gorbachev also voiced support for Greece's positions over its name dispute with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and said he backed a solution that would favour all parties to the 19-year - old Cyprus dispute. Mr. Gorbachev, accompanied by his wife Raisa, arrived in Athens Monday to be awarded an honorary doctorate by the School of Political Science at Panteios University. His schedule includes meetings with the Greek government and political party leaders, and an Aegean cruise. No official comment was made on the reasons for his not meeting Communist Party of Greece Secretary General Aleka Paparriga, who applauded the attempted coup against the former Soviet president in August 1991. Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis hosted a luncheon for Mr. Gorbachev and his wife yesterday after meeting with the former Soviet leader briefly. Mr. Gorbachev also met yesterday with main opposition PASOK party Andreas Papandreou. During the meeting, Mr. Gorbachev and Mr. Papandreou agreed that the ties between the peoples of Greece and Russia were unbreakable. Mr. Papandreou thanked Mr. Gorbachev for his positive positions on the Cyprus and the Skopje issues. Mr. Gorbachev expressed his gratitude to the Greek press and to all the Greeks and made special reference to the President of the Republic Constantine Karamanlis, the government and the party leaders. He also met with Coalition of the Left and Progress leader Maria Damanaki to discuss developments in the former Soviet Union, the situation in the Balkans and the Cyprus problem. Following the meeting, Ms. Damanaki said Mr. Gorbachev "has played a leading part in one of the most tumultuous periods in history". "He is a philehellene, in the sense that he refers in a positive manner to the Greek positions on international problems, which is important and we should utilise it", she said. Istanbul, 15/9/1993 (ANA) - Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos has postponed his official visits to the prefecture of the Dodecannese and the Church of Greece, the Holy Synod and the Patriarchate announced here yesterday. The visit, originally scheduled for September 18-22 , was cancelled so as not to coincide with the pre elections period, the announcement said. The Patriarch's visits will be postponed for a "more suitable time", the announcement said. Foreign Minister Michalis Papaconstantinou yesterday met with an inter-party delegation of British MPs to brief them on Greece's stance on Balkans issues, with particular emphasis on the issue of Skopje and the ethnic Greek minority in Albania. Mr. Papaconstantinou also outlined developments in the Cyprus issue and in Greek-Turkish relations.