From: "Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa" Subject: A.N.A. Bulletin 23/1/95 Athens News Agency Bulletin --------------------------- (Apo to Ellnviko Grafeio Tupou kai Plnroforiwv, Ottaba, Kavadas E-Mail Address: grnewsca@sympatico.ca) * PM to chair PASOK Executive Bureau presidential election debate * Venizelos: All should respect presidential institution, President * Prosecutors to ask Special Court drop charges against former PM * Geitonas back from Le Havre bridge ceremony * Greece not to seek deferring FYROM retortion court case * Skopje TV channel apology to former FM over Karamanlis report * Mangakis to attend EU General Affairs Council meeting * Venizelos off to Brussels meeting * Spata local bodies, residents protest 'build the airport' decision PM to chair PASOK Executive Bureau presidential election debate --------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 23/01/1995 (ANA): The issue of electing a new president of the republic in April is stepping into high gear this week, as ruling Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) Executive Bureau meets for a debate tomorrow, to be chaired by Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou. The premier has recently stated that PASOK's nominee would be selected by the party's top body, and it is the first time that the issue will be the subject of an internal party debate at such high level. Top party cadres have stated recently that Parliament can elect a new president. New Democracy main opposition leader Miltiades Evert said yesterday he would not support a presidential candidate nominated by the prime minister. "We (New Democracy party) will not support any candidate affiliated to PASOK or proposed by its leader. We will not give a vote of confidence to Mr. Papandreou," Mr. Evert said upon arrival in Thessaloniki, northern Greece. However, he watered down his recent insistence that New Democracy would push for elections for a new House over the issue, saying "the party has been ready for elections for a long time, but this does not necessarily mean holding elections". In a written statement distributed later, Mr. Evert said ongoing widespread speculation about the upcoming presidential election drew public opinion attention away from major national issues, economic and social problems. He reiterated that his party will deal with the issue of whom it will nominate as candidate for president of the republic when constitutional procedures for his election are initiated. "Until then, we will focus attention on major problems facing the nation, and will not contribute to the policy of misinformation conducted by PASOK," he said. Meanwhile, New Democracy deputy leader Ioannis Varvitsiotis struck a different note at a press conference yesterday, saying although the party would not support a candidate nominated by the ruling party, fresh elections were needed as the present government was 'harmful' to the nation. Political Spring party leader Antonis Samaras noted in an interview with the Athens Sunday newspaper 'To Ethnos' yesterday that his party might be prepared to back the candidacy of a personality with no particular party affiliation, even if proposed by PASOK, linking the issue to government policy on the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Venizelos: All should respect presidential institution, President ----------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 23/01/1995 (ANA): "We must all show respect for both the institution of the Presidency and the President of the Republic," Press and Media Minister and government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said in Thessaloniki Saturday, Mr. Venizelos also flatly denied press reports claiming relations between President Constantine Karamanlis and Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou had cooled, and the President was dissatisfied with Mr. Papandreou's initiative to have the Constitution amended. The Minister pointed out the initiative for amending the Constitution rested with Parliament, with a majority as laid down in all cases. "PASOK will activate the amendment process only after the House elects a new President," he noted. Prosecutors to ask Special Court drop charges against former PM --------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 23/01/1995 (ANA): A 13-member special supreme court convenes today to try former New Democracy Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis for involvement in a phone-tapping scandal, but prosecutors attending the session will request that the case be dropped, judicial sources said Saturday. They added the three prosecutors would table the motion following Parliament's decision last week to drop criminal charges against Mr. Mitsotakis, prime minister from 1990 to 1993. Parliament indicted Mr. Mitsotakis in July on charges of instigating a scheme to have the phones of his political foes tapped between 1988 and 1991. He was also ordered by Parliament to stand trial before a special court on charges of receiving more than 20 million dollars in kick-backs, to expedite the sale of Greece's biggest state-owned cement company AGET-HERACLES to Italy's Calcestruzzi cement producers. "The court is expected to rule the case inadmissible when it convenes Monday (today)," judicial sources said. Socialist Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou announced his intention to waive criminal charges against his long-time political rival in a New Year's Eve message to the Greek people. He said his move was prompted by the need to "break away with such a past" and focus on more pressing problems facing the nation at present. New Democracy disagreed, claiming scrapping charges against Mr. Mitsotakis would leave his reputation tarnished. The special supreme court has convened only twice in the past 50 years to hear as many cases. They include the case of leading Greek officials tried for involvement in a scheme to sell-off Yugoslav maize as Greek, and a major bank embezzlement scandal. Geitonas back from Le Havre bridge ceremony ------------------------------------------- Paris, 23/01/1995 (ANA - G. Zitouniati): Environment, Town Planning and Public Works Alternate Minister Costas Geitonas wrapped up a visit to Le Havre Saturday, where he represented the Greek government at the inauguration of the new Normandy bridge by Prime Minister Eduard Balladur. During his visit, Mr. Geitonas had unofficial contacts with Mr. Balladur, Interior Minister Charles Pasqua, Justice Minister Pierre Menierit, former Prime Minister Laurent Fabius and former Sports Minister Frederic Breden. The Normandy bridge, considered as one of the most important achievements of the century in this sector, is 2,141 metres long and 23 metres wide. It rests on two 214 metre high land-based pylons, and has no intermediate supports. About 200,000 tonnes of cement and 5,600 tonnes of steel were used. Construction started in 1988, in the days of Jacques Chirac, and the total cost amounted to 2,752,000,000 French francs (about 135 billion dr.), covered primarily by local funding, without state expenditure. Greece not to seek deferring FYROM retortion court case ------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 23/01/1995 (ANA): Greece does not intend to ask for a postponement of the European Court hearing on the economic retortion measures against the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), scheduled for February 1, and there is no question of lifting them at present, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos told reporters Saturday. The diplomatic front with FYROM is much broader, and not centred on issues related to the hearing only. "The specific subject of this hearing may be the Greek retortion measures imposed on February 16, 1994, based on international law and Article 224 of the European Community Treaty, but the major legal and political problem posed concerns the limits of foreign policy and national sovereignty of all European Union member-states. It also lies at the heart of the discussion on Intergovernmental Conference of 1996, and is a key issue for many member-states, and of greater concern to their public opinion than to Greece's," he stated. He added there was nothing at present warranting a meeting of political leaders. Referring to other issues, he particularly welcomed the recent Russian Foreign Ministry statement to the effect that all countries had the discretionary power to determine the extent of their territorial waters, adding that it was in accord with long-standing Greek positions. Skopje TV channel apology to former FM over Karamanlis report ------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 23/01/1995 (ANA): In an exclusive statement to the Athens News Agency (ANA), Skopje private Channel A1 reporter Atanas (Sakis) Kirovski said a channel report of former New Democracy foreign minister Michael Papaconstantinou's alleged reference to President Constantine Karamanlis "bears no relation to reality." "Being the reporter who took the interview from Mr. Papaconstantinou, I wish to state that anything contained in a broadcast in Skopje by Channel A1 TV yesterday (Friday) of alleged reference to President of the Republic Constantine Karamanlis, bears no relation to reality," Mr. Kirovski said. "The former foreign minister did not mention Mr. Karamanlis' name at the interview. Reference to the name of the President of the Republic by Skopjan TV is evidently due to an error in translation which escaped notice of the TV channel's editor on duty, " he added. In his statement, Mr. Kirovski apologised to Mr. Papaconstantinou for the issue created, adding hope the error would not lead to a problem in relations between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) whose improvement he had always championed. In addition, the administration of Channel A1 TV network has already sent Mr. Papaconstantinou a fax advising him an error in translation had been made, and apologised to him. According to the exact text of Mr. Papaconstantinou's interview with A1 TV network, Mr. Papaconstantinou said the dispute between Greece and FYROM would have been resolved long ago, had PASOK not won elections in Greece (in October 1993). He also said that out of the 25 points included in an agreement drawn up by Cyrus Vance and David Owen accord had been reached on 20. In his exclusive interview, Mr. Papaconstantinou had said the Greek embargo against FYROM was a mistake and would not produce results. In off the record remarks to A1 TV network, Mr. Papaconstantinou had said he believed the present Greek government would handle the problem after presidential elections were held in Greece (in spring), predicting the "status quo" would be maintained in the conflict until a new president was elected. Mangakis to attend EU General Affairs Council meeting ---------------------------------------------------- Athens, 23/01/1995 (ANA): European Affairs Minister George-Alexandros Mangakis flew to Brussels yesterday to attend a meeting of the European Union General Affairs Council. The meeting will focus on the priorities and targets of the EU during the six-month French presidency which began this month. Current political developments and EU relations with the United States and Japan will be raised at the meeting. Venizelos off to Brussels meeting --------------------------------- Athens, 23/01/1995 (ANA): Press and Mass Media Minister Evangelos Venizelos flies to Brussels today to attend a meeting of the European Parliament Socialist Group, a government announcement said Saturday. It said Mr. Venizelos will participate in the meeting on behalf of Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou. The meeting will focus on the elaboration of the European Socialist Party's positions in relation to the Intergovernmental Conference in 1996. Spata local bodies, residents protest 'build the airport' decision ----------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 23/01/1995 (ANA): Local government officials, environmental organisations and Spata residents yesterday protested over the construction of a new international airport at the Attica suburb. "With this project, the environment, civilisation, even inhabitants of the Spata community are at stake," Spata mayor Leonidas Liggos said. He was speaking at the Spata Cultural centre, where scores of local government officials, parliamentarians, businessmen and environmentalists met to discuss repercussions of one of the biggest construction projects in Greece. Greece's government awarded the German group Hochtief the contract to build a multi-billion dollar airport at Spata, east of Athens. The contract is due to be tabled in parliament this week for ratification. Hochtief was chosen over the French Societe Auxiare group after presenting a revised bid curbing the cost of construction by 50 million ECUs. Spata residents, who attended the meeting, urged local government officials to "take advantage" of the state's decision to build a new international airport near their homes, requesting "compensation".