From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Tue, 18 Oct 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, October 18, 1994 --------------------------------------------- * 253 city councils, 37 prefectures to be decided at second round Sunday * Athens run-off * Prefectural run-offs * Gov't inquiry into no-shows * PASOK statement * Greece, China sign judicial agreement * ANA sponsors conference on press, blood donation * Pangalos calls for consensus on four 'crucial' issues for Athens * Greece hopes for change in Gligorov stance after FYROM vote * Venizelos congratulates Kohl on win * Vartholomeos begins Greek visit * Kranidiotis meets with Italian counterpart on Essen summit * Foreign MPs take part in anti-occupation march 253 city councils, 37 prefectures to be decided at second round Sunday ----------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 18/10/1994 (ANA): With results in from more than half of the 21,000 polling stations throughout the country from Sunday's concurrent prefectural and municipal elections, Panhellenic Socialist Movement-supported prefectural candidates seemed to have a clear lead. Nine PASOK-supported prefects and five New Democracy prefects have been elected so far to the country's 51 prefectures. In municipal election results, PASOK-supported mayors were elected outright to 93 of the country's municipalities while New Democracy supported candidates have gained 75. Run-off elections will take place next Sunday in the remaining 37 prefectures and 253 municipalities. Sunday's polls were marked by high abstention rates -- 34.5 per cent in Athens, 31.5 per cent in Piraeus and 22.8 per cent in Thessaloniki -- as well as non-shows of judicial representatives in 84 polling stations in the Attica prefecture, which meant that polling stations were unable to open. As a result of the non-shows, the poll in those 84 stations -- 72 in Athens, one in Piraeus and 11 in Nikaia -- will take place tomorrow. The government said it would ask parliament yesterday to allow voting to take place on a weekday, in addition to Sunday. The results of tomorrow's extraordinary poll will be announced immediately, so as to enable the run-offs to take place as scheduled on Sunday, Interior Minister Constantine Skandalides said. Athens run-off -------------- Athens, 18/10/1994 (ANA): Run-off municipal elections will take place Sunday in Athens, Piraeus, Patras and 250 other municipalities around the country, while Thessaloniki and 180 other municipalities elected mayors in the first round. In Athens, the run-off will be between PASOK-supported candidate Theodoros Pangalos and New Democracy-backed Dimitris Avramopoulos. According to the latest count, Mr. Avramopoulos' ticket was leading with 43.91 per cent and 10 seats on the Municipal Council, followed by Mr. Pangalos with 32.60 per cent and 7 seats, Maria Damanaki, backed by the Coalition of the Left and Progress, with 11.17 per cent and three seats, and Communist Party of Greece (KKE) candidate Leon Avdis with 6.14 per cent and one seat. Political Spring candidate Andreas Lentakis was bringing up the rear with 3.88 per cent and no seats. In Piraeus, the run-off will be between the incumbent Stelios Logothetis, backed by PASOK and the Coalition of the Left and Progress and ND and Political Spring candidate Haralambos Kefalas. Mr. Logothetis was leading with 32.96 per cent and 7 seats, followed by Mr. Kefalas with 26.59 per cent and 5 seats, independent PASOK candidate Yannis Papaspyrou with 15.95 per cent and 3 seats, independent ND candidate Christos Agrapidis with 14.72 per cent and 3 seats, and KKE candidate Panayotis Salpeas with 9.56 per cent and 2 seats. Thessaloniki re-elected mayor New Democracy-supported Constantine Kosmopoulos with 52.33 per cent and 24 seats. PASOK candidate Nikos Akritidis polled 32.31 per cent and 11 seats, followed by KKE candidate Athanassios Yannoussis with 5.56 per cent and 2 seats and Coalition candidate Stelios Nestor with 5.35 per cent and 2 seats. Run-offs will also be held in the port city of Patras between current mayor Andreas Karavolas, the PASOK candidate who was also backed by the Coalition, and New Democracy candidate Andreas Zaimis. Mr. Karavolas led with 44.32 per cent and 10 seats, followed by Mr. Zaimis with 29.84 per cent and 6 seats, and KKE candidate Panayotis Kossionis with 19.8 per cent and 4 seats. Of the 93 PASOK-supported mayors, 31 were elected autonomously, 36 with the backing of the Coalition of the Left and Progress, eight with the backing of Political Spring, and nine with the backing of both the Coalition and Political Spring. In addition, two were independent PASOK candidates, two were non-aligned independents backed by PASOK and the Coalition, one was an independent backed by PASOK, Political Spring and the Coalition, and one was an independent backed by PASOK, the KKE and the Coalition. Also, one was a Coalition candidate backed by PASOK. Of the 75 New Democracy-supported mayors, 52 were elected autonomously, 10 with the backing of Political Spring, and four were independent ND candidates. In addition, three were non-aligned independents backed by New Democracy and Political Spring, two were independents backed by New Democracy and the Coalition, two were independents backed by New Democracy, Political Spring and the Coalition, and two we re independent backed by New Democracy and the KKE. The KKE, the Coalition and Political Spring did not autonomously elect mayors, but one non-aligned candidate was elected with the backing of Political Spring, two independent with the backing of the Coalition, and two non-aligned independents were elected with the joint backing of Political Spring and the Coalition. Finally, smaller parties elected mayors in seven municipalities. Prefectural run-offs -------------------- Athens, 18/10/1994 (ANA): Run-off prefectural elections will be held Sunday in 37 prefectures, including for the greater Athens-Piraeus Prefectural Council. Separate prefects will be elected in Athens and Piraeus in a combined ballot, which is headed by a candidate who will serve as president of the greater prefectural council. The run-off will be between the PASOK-backed candidate for president of the greater Athens-Piraeus Prefectural Council, Evangelos Kouloumbis, and the candidate backed jointly by New Democracy and Political Spring, Theodoros Katrivanos. Under the Kouloumbis ballot, Dimitris Efstathiadis would be elected prefect of Athens and Christos Fotiou prefect of Piraeus, while under the Katrivanos ballot Dimitris Mathiopoulos would be elected prefect of Athens and Michalis Nikolarakos prefect of Piraeus. In Sunday's poll, Mr. Katrivanos led with 43 per cent of the vote followed by Mr. Kouloumbis with 38.5 per cent, KKE-backed Spyros Halvatzis with 10.1 per cent and Coalition-backed Yannis Dragassakis with 8.4 per cent. Run-offs will also be held for the two other extended prefectural councils -- both between the PASOK-backed and New Democracy-backed candidates -- in the wider regions of Rodopi-Evros and Drama-Kavala-Xanthi. Run-offs for simple prefectural councils will take place in another 34 prefectures. In Sunday's poll, PASOK-supported prefects in nine prefectures (three autonomously and six with the backing of the Coalition of the Left and Progress) and New Democracy in four. PASOK autonomously elected prefects in the prefectures of Achaia, the Dodecannese, and Rethymno (Crete), and with the backing of the Coalition in the prefectures of Boeotia, Heraklion (Crete), Corfu, Kozani, the Cyclades, and Lassithi (Crete). New Democracy elected prefects autonomously in the prefectures of Evrytania, Kastoria, Lakonia and Serres. Gov't inquiry into no-shows --------------------------- Athens, 18/10/1994 (ANA): The government yesterday ordered inquiries following problems caused in nation-wide municipal elections Sunday when many polling stations remained closed after election officials failed to turn up. The absence of the officials meant that the poll at 84 stations -- 72 in Athens, one in Piraeus and 11 in Nikaia -- will take place tomorrow. Separate inquiries have been ordered by Interior Minister Constantine Skandalides and Justice Minister George Kouvelakis. Both ministers on Sunday offered their resignations which were not accepted by Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou. Replying to questions yesterday, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said that the resignations had not been accepted because although "objectively" the government bore the political responsibility for the problems which arose on Sunday, the prime minister considered that Mr. Skandalides and Mr. Kouvelakis were not individually responsible. The spokesman described Sunday's events as "unprecedented, absurd and suspicious". Mr. Kouvelakis yesterday submitted anew his resignation to the prime minister, but Mr. Papandreou reiterated his full confidence in the minister's person and work, urging him not to insist on his resignation. In an interview with a radio station, Mr Kouvelakis said that following the premier's support he would not insist on resigning further. Meanwhile, Interior Minister Constantine Skandalides, in an exclusive statement to the ANA, said that if, at the end of the government's inquiry, he was found to be responsible in any way, "it is self-evident, that there is grounds for my resignation". He denied, however, that he had sent a second letter of resignation to the prime minister. Meanwhile, Supreme Court prosecutor Athanasios Sioulas ordered proceedings to be initiated against the election officials who failed to turn up at their designated polling stations Sunday. Commenting on results after the first round, former prime minister Constantine Mitsotakis told reporters yesterday that "the (institution of) local administration won (the elections)", that PASOK "was deprecated in the big urban centres" and that New Democracy "has no doubt recovered, compared to the results of the Euroelections." In reference to New Democracy, which has suffered from internal feuds since it was voted out of government last October, Mr. Mitsotakis said the party "did not face a unity problem." He said that an internal unity problem was facing PASOK, which was undergoing "dissolution". PASOK statement --------------- Athens, 18/10/1994 (ANA): In a statement yesterday, the Executive Bureau of PASOK's Central Committee called for the formation of broader alliances with the Coalition of the Left and Progress in the second round of municipal and prefectural elections on Sunday, that will guarantee , especially, the success of the new institution of prefectural local government. Greece, China sign judicial agreement ------------------------------------- Athens, 18/10/1994 (ANA): Greece and China yesterday signed a judicial assistance agreement following talks between the delegations of the two countries headed by Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias and visiting Chinese Vice-President Zhu Rongji. Zhu Rongji, who arrived in Greece on Saturday for an official visit, will have separate talks tomorrow with President Constantine Karamanlis and Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou. Earlier yesterday, Zhu Rongji had talks with Minister to the Prime Minister's Office Anastasios Peponis and today was scheduled to meet with Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis and National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou. He will return to Beijing tomorrow evening. ANA sponsors conference on press, blood donation ------------------------------------------------ Athens, 18/10/1994 (ANA): A one-day conference on the subject of "the mass media and blood donation", organised by the Health and Social Security Ministry and the Athens News Agency, will be held at the Athens Union of Journalists (ESHEA) on October 25. Topics of discussion will be the state of the system of blood donation in Greece and Europe and the role the media can play. Special subjects, such as safety in the transfusion of blood and its derivatives will also be covered. Pangalos calls for consensus on four 'crucial' issues for Athens ---------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 18/10/1994 (ANA): Socialist candidate for Mayor of Athens Theodoros Pangalos yesterday said he would convene a meeting of all political party leaders to get their support for four crucial issues regarding the municipality of Athens, before run-offs for mayor due to be held this week. But the Political Spring party and the Communist Party of Greece said that they would not support him or his New Democracy-backed opponent, Dimitris Avramopoulos. The Coalition of the Left and Progress will meet tomorrow night to discuss its stance on the second round. Results from Sunday's poll showed Mr. Avramopoulos leading Mr. Pangalos by approximately 11 percentage points. However, Interior Ministry results showed than none of the candidates for mayor achieved the 50 per cent cut-off point that would enable a clear-cut majority. An announcement from the Political Spring party yesterday said it would not support either of the two candidates for the mayoral seat. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) also withheld its support for either of the two. The KKE, which fielded Leon Avdis for mayor, said it would call on voters to cast a blank or invalid ballot paper, adding it would not support candidates that appeared to be the "end-result of the policies of privatisation and austerity". The party's central committee said that KKE was increasing its strength, adding that the rising trend was more clearly shown in the prefectural elections. Meanwhile, the Coalition of the Left and Progress' central committee, announced yesterday that it would come together tomorrow evening to discuss its stance concerning the second round. The party's political secretariat meeting last night deemed the results of Sunday's poll "positive". Speaking at a press conference, Mr. Pangalos said he was convinced that the numbers could be reversed and improved upon. "The 42 per cent (polled for Mr. Avramopoulos) as a percentage is not enough for one to proclaim oneself mayor," Mr. Pangalos said, adding that one in three Athenians did not vote and invalid or blank votes meant, in practice, that almost one in two did not vote. He denied claims that the performance of his ticket was a rebuff to the ruling Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK). "I am not a candidate for PASOK but for the ticket," he said. He said he wanted consensus on four important issues: that the dues self-employed professionals would pay to the municipality be reduced from five to one per cent but would be extended to other sectors, bringing the municipality 4 - 4.5 billion drachmas rather than the present 2 - 2.5 billion; that the municipality receive 40 billion drachmas every four years from a state public investment budget; that a new garbage dump be found to replace the overflowing Nea Liosia site; and that an industrial area be zoned for pollutant industries. Greece hopes for change in Gligorov stance after FYROM vote ----------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 18/10/1994 (ANA): Greece yesterday expressed the hope that incumbent Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) president Kiro Gligorov would back down from his intransigent stance if he is re-elected in national elections in Skopje. "The government hopes that Mr. Gligorov will back down from his intransigent stance after the present electoral period and realise the responsibility he himself has for stability in the region," government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said. The spokesman added that Greece was participating in the UN process to find a settlement to the dispute between Athens and Skopje "with proposals made in good faith". Mr. Venizelos reiterated that Greece would not recognise the neighbouring country under the name 'Macedonia'. Venizelos congratulates Kohl on win ----------------------------------- Athens, 18/10/1994 (ANA): Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos yesterday extended the government's congratulations to German Chancellor Helmut Kohl on his election victory in Sunday's polls in Germany, stressing the hope that Germany will show solidarity in the framework of the European Union. Vartholomeos begins Greek visit ------------------------------- Istanbul, 18/10/1994 (ANA): Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos departed yesterday on an official visit to the Dodecannese where he will tour the metropolis of the Ecumenical Throne and the Patriarchal Exarchate of the Holy Isle of Patmos. President of the Republic Constantine Karamanlis sent a message to the Patriarch expressing the "affection and happiness" of the Greek people at his arrival in Greece. Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou will meet with the Patriarch on the island of Kos on October 21. Kranidiotis meets with Italian counterpart on Essen summit ---------------------------------------------------------- Rome, 18/10/1994 (ANA/L. Hatzikyriakos): Foreign Under-Secretary Yiannos Kranidiotis met with his Italian counterpart Mr. Caputo yesterday, in the context of consultations in view of the upcoming European Union summit conference in Essen. Mr. Kranidiotis stated that, as with Spain previously, he found convergence of views with Italy on three issues, namely the EU's Mediterranean policy, the accession of Cyprus and Malta to the Union, and the opening of the EU to Central and Eastern Europe. Greece and Italy have set up two working groups to prepare their positions for the Essen summit, the common characteristic of which will be their opposition to a two-speed Europe and the equitable participation in the building of the EU. The two will also ask that the EU's opening towards Eastern Europe does not take place at the expense of the Mediterranean dimension. Concerning Greek-Albanian relations, Mr. Kranidiotis reiterated that the release of the six ethnic Greek Albanians recently convicted on charges of espionage and illegal arms possession would open the way to dialogue between the two countries and the unblocking of European Union aid to Albania. Mr. Caputo said he would relay this position to Tirana. Mr. Kranidiotis also briefed Mr. Caputo on Greek relations with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey, and its position on Cyprus. Mr. Kranidiotis is leaving for Paris tomorrow, for a meeting with French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe. He is planning to have met all EU foreign ministers by the end of the month. Foreign MPs take part in anti-occupation march ---------------------------------------------- Nicosia, 18/10/1994 (ANA/CNA): Thousands of refugees from the Turkish-occupied north-western town of Morphou staged a protest march on Sunday against the Turkish occupation of their town and the island's northern third. Taking part in the anti-occupation march were foreign MPs and Euro-MPs, who had arrived especially for this purpose. The Greek Cypriot refugees from Morphou tried to break human chains formed by Cypriot policemen and UN peacekeepers near the UN-controlled buffer zone. Police had placed barbed wire to prevent marchers from entering the no-man's land. Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37 per cent of its territory. Turkish troops have forcibly uprooted some 200,000 Greek Cypriots, one third of the island's population, from their homes. Parents showed their homes to their children in a bid to keep alive the dream of return to their homeland, until a just and lasting settlement of the Cyprus problem is reached. The event started early Sunday morning with a mass and a vigil for those who died fighting against the Turkish invasion force twenty years ago. In a message read out at the gathering at the village of Astromeritis, Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides stressed that the withdrawal of Turkish forces and settlers from the island's occupied part, together with the return of all refugees to their homes under conditions of security, remained the firm target of his government. He said the Greek Cypriot side was ready for a compromise but there was a safety line which the island's Hellenism were not inclined to step over and all interested parties should realise this. House of Representatives President Alexis Galanos told the gathering that the Greek Cypriot side had made many concessions during the peace process and it was about time all those involved in these efforts realised that they should not expect any more concessions from the Greek Cypriots. "One more step back means national suicide," Mr. Galanos added. The British President of the Socialist Group of the European Parliament, Pauline Green, expressed her firm support to the efforts for justice in Cyprus. She assured refugees that she would work hard for Cyprus' entry into the European Union. She said there would be no reason for any EU member to obstruct Cyprus' admission to the EU, after the re-examination of its application scheduled for January 1995. She said the next months would be crucial for Cyprus entry into the EU. She added the island's economic recovery immediately after the 1974 Turkish invasion and in general the efforts of all its governments since then should be rewarded by the Union, which should accept it as a full member. British MP Ian Twinn criticised his government because it followed the US policy on the Cyprus problem without meeting its obligations as Cyprus' guarantor power.