A.N.A. Bulletin, 17/01/96

From: "Greek Press & Information Office, Ottawa Canada" <[email protected]>

Athens News Agency Directory

ATHENS NEWS AGENCY BULLETIN (No 789), January 17, 1996

Greek Press & Information Office

Ottawa, Canada

E-Mail Address: [email protected]

CONTENTS

[1] Ruling PASOK begins 'crucial' meeting today, MPs decide on new prime minister tomorrow

There were rapid developments yesterday in the replacement of Andreas Papandreou as prime minister, with two members of PASOK officially announcing they would stand for the position, and the signing of the presidential decree officially setting in motion the procedures for the election of a new prime minister.

Late last night, a meeting of the presidium of the PASOK parliamentary group and the executive bureau decided PASOK deputies would convene at 11am tomorrow to elect the new premier.

Yiannis Haralambopoulos, a former deputy prime minister, who announced his candidacy some time ago, was joined by Gerassimos Arsenis, the national defense minister, and Costas Simitis, a former industry minister, in the race for the position.

Press reports say Akis Tsohatzopoulos, the interior minister, and Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis will announce their candidacies today.

The deadline for submission of candidacies will expire at 10am tomorrow. The election of a new prime minister will be held by secret ballot.

Following the news of the prime minister's resignation on Monday night, and in view of the need to speed up procedures, the executive bureau decided to bring forward the Central Committee meeting, scheduled for the weekend, to today at 11am.

During the PASOK parliamentary group's presidium meeting yesterday, disagreements emerged on how many rounds of voting should be held and other issues such as how candidacies should be put forward.

Two members of the presidium, deputies Yiannis Glavinas and Lazaros Lotidis, were in favor of successive rounds of voting, with the candidate receiving the least number of votes being eliminated from the next round until just two candidates remained. Group secretary Dimitris Beis, Theodoros Kotsonis and Dimitris Reppas were in favor of two rounds of voting.

After two hours of fruitless efforts to reach agreement, the presidium decided to refer the issue to a new joint meeting with the party's executive bureau today.

The bureau meeting - at 10am today, an hour prior to the beginning of the Central Committee meeting - is also expected to approve the final draft of a proposal to the Central Committee, drafted at yesterday's Executive Bureau meeting "to define the political framework of procedures, and set the date for an extraordinary party congress, most likely at the beginning of June."

Approval of the proposal, drafted by party secretary Costas Skandalidis, as well as succession procedures, were the focus of the Executive Bureau meeting yesterday.

The meeting also decided that it propose the election of a party Vice-President to deputize for party president Andreas Papandreou, thus filling a 'gap' in the party's charter, emphasized by the former premier's prolonged illness.

According to sources, the 76-year-old Papandreou will retain the position of party leader for life but the bureau meeting also discussed whether a new party president should also be prime minister, as well as whether the new prime minister to be elected should hold the position on a temporary basis. "This will be the first time the Central Committee will convene in the absence of Papandreou," Mr. Skandalidis said, calling today's meeting "critical and important".

According to reports, party members and Executive Bureau officials said the issue of election procedures must be put forward to PASOK's Parliamentary Group.

[2] Simitis, Arsenis announce candidacies

Dispelling months of press speculation, National Defense Minister Gerassimos Arsenis and former industry minister Costas Simitis yesterday officially announced they would stand for the post of prime minister.

Mr. Simitis also left open the possibility of running for the presidency of the party at PASOK's new congress.

"This is something I shall look at after the Parliamentary Group meeting together with all my colleagues and comrades in PASOK," Mr. Simitis said.

He described Mr. Papandreou's decision to resign as "courageous" and said he had "done his duty with respect to his history, the people and PASOK."

Mr. Simitis stressed that PASOK cadres had a duty "to the history, contribution and accomplishments of Andreas Papandreou" to keep the party united and work together to safeguard its future and its prospects."

Later in the day, Mr. Arsenis officially announced he would run for the position.

"The country needs a government of victory and prospects which will ensure continuity, stability, development, social solidarity and will decisively and responsibly deal with our national issues," Mr. Arsenis said. "And this is the government that it is going to get." "We will operate without exclusions," he added.

The minister described Mr. Papandreou's decision to clear the way for the election of a new prime minister as "great, historic and brave" in line with the actions of "a leader and symbol of an epoch." "Now, the time has come for us to assume our historic responsibility," he added.

Regarding procedures to elect the prime minister, Mr. Arsenis said a minimum number of rounds "is better and more democratic," adding that the decision will be made during the Parliamentary Group's meeting.

He added, however, that "if there will be two rounds, there will be two candidates."

Asked whether he would participate in a government under any other prime minister, Mr. Arsenis said that all candidates would accept and support the results of the election.

He added, however, that "the PASOK government will finish its four-year mandate."

"There are no prospects for early elections," he said.

Mr. Arsenis said that the new prime minister would focus his priorities on national issues and economy, the policy of which will still be in line with achieving convergence with the EU and economic stability.

In statements yesterday, PASOK deputy and former EU commissioner Vasso Papandreou said the ruling party's opponents were not within the party, but could be found "in the conservative faction and in conservative choices."

Commenting on Mr. Papandreou's letter of resignation Monday night, she urged PASOK party officials to proceed towards "consistency, unity, renewal and victory."

"Andreas Papandreou, our leader, survived this ordeal and has done his historic duty," Ms Papandreou said.

She added that PASOK cadres were now called on "to prove that his (Papandreou's) withdrawal from the premier's position does not signal a beginning of the end of our ideas and our dreams, but a new beginning to the democratic movement's course; a course which must proceed on other terms, and for a Greece we deserve."

[3] President postpones trip

President Kostis Stephanopoulos has postponed a visit to Strasbourg scheduled for January 22 and 23 where he was scheduled to address the Council of Europe, a presidential office announcement said yesterday.

The announcement did not clarify the reasons for the postponement but it is clear that it is due to the current developments following the resignation of Andreas Papandreou as prime minister.

The president held successive meetings at midday yesterday with Mr. Haralambopoulos and with Transport and Communications Minister Evangelos Venizelos.

Mr. Venizelos said after the meeting he was received by the president in all three of his capacities, that is, deputy and minister, a member of PASOK's Executive Bureau, and a constitutional law professor.

"Andreas Papandreou's initiative is historic, and constitutionally impeccable," he added.

"All relevant formal details have been taken care of," he said.

[4] Papandreou's health

Yesterday's Onassion Hospital medical bulletin said that doctors would try to remove the fluid which has accumulated in Mr. Papandreou's chest using the puncture method.

His physicians believe it is unlikely that dialysis, which lasted five hours on Monday, is capable of removing the approximately one-and-a-half litre of fluid.

Following yesterday's efforts to remove the fluid, American pulmonary specialist Dr. R. Light would attempt to introduce hardening substances into the patient's thorax to prevent fresh accumulation of fluid between the ribs and the lungs.

[5] Tributes from abroad to Papandreou mark the end of an era

Tributes to former prime minister Andreas Papandreou flowed in from around the world yesterday, hours after news of his resignation on Monday night broke.

A White House statement issued yesterday evening on Mr. Papandreou's resignation read:

"Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou has decided to resign from office as he continues to struggle against a serious illness. President Clinton sent the Prime Minister a get-well message shortly after he became ill, and we continue to hope he makes a full and speedy recovery."

The statement adds:

"Prime Minister Papandreou has been one of the most prominent leaders in modern Greek history and worked tirelessly to ensure the victory of democracy in the country of its birth. During his current term in office, he renewed his former association with the United States and was instrumental in further deepening the warm ties that exist between our two countries. He also played a key role as a statesman in striving to improve relations between Greece and its neighbors to the north, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Albania. He leaves behind a formidable legacy of accomplishment that will continue to inspire his countrymen."

"We are saddened to hear of the resignation for health reasons of Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou...," said State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns.

"...Many Americans know Andreas Papandreou not only as a Greek leader, but also knew him personally during the years he spent in the United States as a student and educator. We know they would join us today in wishing the Prime Minister a full and speed y recovery," he concluded.

European Parliament President Klaus Hensch commented on Mr. Papandreou's massive contribution to Greece's history and the European Union after news of the premier's resignation reached Strasbourg.

"During this very important period in Greek history Greece has successfully completed the transition from a dictatorship to a democracy and has assumed its place as a full member of the European Union.

"During Andreas Papandreou's premiership, Greece has played a vital role in Europe, but Europe also became more sensitive to its responsibilities toward Mediterranean nations," the Europarliament president added.

[6] French reaction

French foreign ministry spokesman Jacques Rummelhardt sent his nation's wishes for Mr. Papandreou's speedy recovery yesterday.

"I do not want to comment on Greece's domestic political situation. I hope Andreas Papandreou's health is restored, and we are sure that bilateral relations of friendship and co-operation, of which Mr. Papandreou has co-operated with many French governments, will continue productively," he said.

[7] Cyprus: Papandreou's decision to resign 'a brave act'

The Cyprus government described yesterday Mr. Papandreou's decision to resign a "courageous act, on a par with his history".

The government's position was set out by its spokesman Yiannakis Cassoulides, who said the island's government "is in agony over the developments in Greece".

The spokesman said "we consider the decision of the premier to submit his resignation as a brave act on a par with the history of Andreas Papandreou, which we are sure he took for the benefit of Greece and the nation in general.

"We wish the parliamentary group of the PASOK party elect the best as the new prime minister of Greece," he added.

Asked to what extent Mr. Papandreou's resignation would affect the Cyprus problem, Mr. Cassoulides said Mr. Papandreou's experience was particularly useful and wished him a speedy recovery so that he would be able to offer his advice from another post.

On the other hand, he continued, having a new Greek prime minister will be helpful during the deliberations and the efforts that will be made for a Cyprus settlement.

Asked if Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides will visit Athens to meet the new premier, the spokesman said once the new Greek premier is elected and gets a vote of confidence from the parliament, then the Cypriot president might need to visit Athens.

[8] Germany

A diplomatic source in Bonn said he would not comment of Mr. Papandreou's resignation "since it strictly concerns a domestic affair for Greece."

However, he said the issue of Andreas Papandreou's succession caused Bonn's "strong interest."

Greco-German Parliamentary Group President and SPD Deputy Siegrid Skarpelis-Sperk wished Andreas Papandreou a speedy recovery, terming his resignation as prime minister "expected and unfortunately unavoidable."

In a statement to the Greek programme of Deutsche Welle, she wished the "brother party" of PASOK "good luck" in processes to follow for the election of a new prime minister, saying that all the candidates "are experienced politicians of international prestige."

Christian Democrat Deputy and Vice-President of the Greco-German Parliamentary Group Friedbert Pfluger expressed, on behalf of his party, the wish for Andreas Papandreou's speedy recovery, adding that the Christian Union parties, namely the Christian Democrat Union (CDU) and the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU), "hope Papandreou's successor will prove to be a reliable friend and partner of Germany and Europe."

Mr. Pfluger said "with Papandreou's resignation the stage of great democratic leading personalities in Greece irreversibly ends", including Constantine Karamanlis, George Rallis and Constantine Mitsotakis.

"All of them have a substantive share in the restoration and stabilization of democracy," he said.

In an announcement (entitled: "Papandreou - a great leader - and difficult partner"), Mr. Pfluger said, among other points, that "Papandreou was often a difficult partner who caused polarization in both domestic and foreign policy as nobody else did", adding that "despite this he is a great Greek and European leader" and noting that in his present last term of office "he followed, unlike the 80s, a purely pro-European and pro-American policy."

[9] Turkey refuses comment

Turkish government officials believe the change of prime minister in Greece will not affect Greek-Turkish relations, but avoided commenting on internal developments in Greece.

"Whoever the prime minister in Greece may be, there will be no substantial change in Athens' policy towards Turkey," a Turkish official told the Anatolian news agency, adding that "although the Greek conservatives, compared to the socialists, have a war mer stance towards Turkey, no change occurred either with Karamanlis, or Papandreou or Mitsotakis."

[10] Australia hails Papandreou as 'father of postwar democracy'

Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating is away on an official visit to Malaysia and, consequently, a statement on behalf of the Australian government was made by Immigration Minister Senator Nikos Bolkus, a politician of Greek origin, who called on the entire Australian people to express their esteem for the great personality of the Greek political scene.

"Andreas Papandreou will go down in history as the father of democracy in postwar Greece," he said. Mr. Bolkus expressed profound regret over the state of Mr. Papandreou's health which, he said, obliged him to resign. He said Greek expatriates, regardless of political affiliation, recognized his important achievements.

"Andreas Papandreou's decision to resign as prime minister means that the country can follow its course dynamically. I hope PASOK will select his successor soon and Greece will confront all challenges both inside and outside the European Union. There are candidates who have the qualifications," he said.

[11] Hytiris, Kremastinos reveal the backdrop to the resignation letter

Government spokesman Telemahos Hytiris and Health Minister Dimitris Kremastinos yesterday provided an account of events leading to the prime minister's signing of his resignation during a Flash radio station programme.

Mr. Hytiris said:

"I was involved from the first moment. Of course, I was not the only one. Those who played a decisive role were mainly (Minister of State to the Prime Minister) Antonis Livanis, and my colleague here at the ministry, (Press Under-secretary) Nikos Athanasakis. Discussions and meetings during this period took place with the premier himself, as well as his wife, who also contributed decisively.

"(Education Minister) George Papandreou, as his son, also contributed to efforts, independently of us.

"The premier's briefing began gradually. In the last 10 to 15 days his health improved, and this enabled us from the first moment to say that we should have his own view too. Yesterday (Monday) morning we held another such meeting, in the presence of hi s wife and Mr. Livanis, where we asked for his view and instructions, as we have always done with Andreas Papandreou. After he listened to us, he asked us to prepare the text (of resignation).

Question: "Did he wish to avoid the word 'resignation'?"

Answer: "It was us who didn't want it".

"The main author of the text was Mr. Nikos Athanasakis. Besides Mr. Livanis and myself, also present in the Monday night meeting with the premier were Mr. Tsohatzopoulos, Mr. Laliotis, his (Papandreou's) wife, George Papandreou, Mr. Kremastinos, and prominent members of the medical team attending him...

"I read the text to him, and asked him if he had any observations to make or wanted any changes to it... He said, "No, I think it's very good, just what it should be". And he asked to sign it.

"He then told us he was happy that PASOK did have those cadres who were able to carry the heavy burden".

Mr. Kremastinos said among other things:

"At least from the medical point of view, for such a historic event I would not allow any thing to happen that was not done in full transparency. Although I had been convinced from dialogues with him of what roughly the president would do, in this particular event I wanted the doctors of the basic specialties to be present...

"He reached this decision himself. This does not mean that Mrs. Papandreou or all the others did not contribute to the right decision, but it was one hundred percent a decision which Andreas Papandreou reached himself".

[12] Papandreou will retain parliamentary seat, Hytiris says

Government spokesman Telemahos Hytiris clarified yesterday that Andreas Papandreou would retain his seat in parliament and remained president of PASOK "and therefore the party leader."

Asked whether the government wanted early general elections, Mr. Hytiris replied that this was the "opportunist" position of the opposition, not PASOK. He added that Mr. Papandreou's wife, Dimitra, had contributed to his decision to resign. He added that Mr. Papandreou's letter of resignation had been drafted by the Press and Media Under-secretary Nikos Athanasakis with the assistance of himself and Minister of State to the Prime Minister's Office Antonis Livanis.

Speaking on Flash radio station, Mr. Hytiris said Mr. Papandreou's return to the premiership was a theoretical possibility, as he remained president of the party.

"Mr. Papandreou himself wondered, in our presence, how he would be able to cope with the role of president, which he considers very responsible and demanding. And, of course, the doctors told him he would get better, and we expect him to be soon with us again," he said.

"We hope he does not resign (as president of the party) ...You know how important it is to us to have his political voice," he added.

[13] Evert calls for new premier to present policy statements within the coming week

Main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert yesterday called on the new prime minister to be sworn in "to appear in Parliament for the policy statements and votes of confidence in his government, within the coming week, in order to put an end to the lack of government."

Mr. Evert made the statement after a 30-minute meeting with President Kostis Stephanopoulos.

The ND leader further called on the new premier not to exhaust Parliamentary regulations which stipulate that he must appear before the House within fifteen days.

Underlining that his party's positions aimed only at safeguarding the country's interests and were devoid of any political expediency, Mr. Evert nevertheless reiterated his call for early general elections saying that "nothing will change with the government's new face."

Mr. Evert said that Mr. Papandreou's decision to resign had been the result of "the institutional initiatives of New Democracy and the pressure it exerted as a responsible party which respects the institutions, the efforts of the mass media, the pressure from public opinion and a small section of PASOK..."

During a speech last evening to ND's youth group, the main opposition leader called for general elections.

"I want to believe that we will have a premier in a few days with the election of a new prime minister by PASOK's Parliamentary Group. But with sadness I note that an image is conveyed of the transience of the prime ministerial position, with the way Mr. Papandreou resigned.

"We are definitely not interested in who is PASOK's president. It is their issue. One thing that does interest us is for Greece to have a permanent premier. And one thing is certain, that Greece will acquire a permanent prime minister with elections, which the Greek people must fall back on shortly."

Meanwhile, former prime minister and honorary main opposition New Democracy president Constantine Mitsotakis called Mr. Papandreou's letter to PASOK's Central Committee "a positive development."

He said the letter frees up the process for election of a new premier, adding: "...a political indecision, which was unacceptable and dangerous for the nation, is over."

Mr. Mitsotakis said ND had contributed to this development.

"It is not a matter of personalities, but the country's direction is a political issue."

The honorary ND president said he believed a PASOK government will be formed, but projected that other developments will occur.

"The problems will grow mainly in foreign policy and in the economy, and that is where the new government will be judged," he said.

[14] Samaras statements

Political Spring leader Antonis Samaras called for new elections after a meeting of his party's executive committee yesterday.

He said although Mr. Papandreou had provided a solution, "other problems remain fluid."

Mr. Samaras once again forwarded his opinion on collusion between the two major parties, PASOK and ND, and said any new premier would follow the same policy, "that is why the times require development and courageous reformation with the people's choice. "

[15] Coalition reaction

Coalition of the Left and Progress President Nikos Constantopoulos said the premier's resignation was needed and called for the start to a new political beginning.

"Andreas Papandreou's departure was necessary a long time ago. It became inevitable with PASOK's own responsibility as all of Greece reached its limits. Even delayed, it is an event which marks the end of an era and the need for a new direction needed b y the nation," Mr. Constantopoulos said.

"In the political scene today different realities dominate, that stemmed from the 1993 elections," he said.

"Besides a prime minister, the nation needs changes in policy and the political scene."

[16] Greek, FYROM liaison offices open doors today

The formal operation of the Athens and Skopje diplomatic liaison offices will begin today.

The head of the Greek office in Skopje will be Alexandros Mallias, who previously had served as the director of Greece's regional office in Sofia, which covered Bulgaria and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

The head of Skopje's office in Athens has not been announced as yet.

The raising of Greece's flag is scheduled for 11am today at its Skopje office.

According to reports, the previous system of visa issuance will be used for a short period.

[17] Petrol station owners call strike for next week

The Panhellenic Union of Petroleum Retailers (PEEP) yesterday called a 48-hour strike starting January 22 to protest against Law 2008/92, which they claim is creating problems.

President of the PEEP action committee, Mr. Tountas, said that "unfortunately for us, the state passes legislation without holding discussions with our sector and without caring about the 30,000 families who depend on the sector."

According to Mr. Tountas, the law has created the problem of fuel smuggling, which has caused a deficit of over one trillion drachmas, according to a Piraeus appeals court report from January 12, 1996.

In order to combat smuggling, PEEP suggests the changing of customs employees, the coloring of transit petrol, which will only be available from distilleries, the sealing of petrol station tankers and stricter penalties for smuggling.

Mr. Tountas referred to the problem created by the National Roads Fund demanding between 150,000 and 400,000 drachmas from each petrol station on the national roads. "This demand can only be characterized as being off the mark," he stated, adding "this specific problem can only be solved by the local unions and prefectures, taking into account the survival problems of these petrol stations, as the average hourly traffic on these roads has decreased."

[18] IOBE report says local industry hurt by structural problems

The latest study by the Economic and Industrial Research Institute (IOBE) said that, despite positive developments in the Greek economy considerable obstacles still remained for the smooth functioning of local enterprises. The problems, the report said, were primarily due to a delay in tackling multiple structural problems, resulting in low-level competitiveness of Greek products.

The study, prepared by Vassilis Patsouratis, is entitled "Obstacles to the improvement of Greek industry's competitiveness."

The study claims that instead of the government reconsidering and modernizing development incentives, hoping to strengthen investment activity and competitiveness in this way, it should probably give priority to the elimination of existing counter-incentives rendering business activity ineffectual.

Proposals include tax relief for production cost, the simplification and codification of legislation, the further reduction of loan interest rates and a reduction in lending costs (through a reduction in the time required for a loan to be approved and t he abolition of EFTE), the labor market becoming more flexible and the improvement of telecommunications and road transport.

[19] OECD delegation confers with Tzoumakas

An OECD delegation visited Labor and Social Security Minister Stephanos Tzoumakas yesterday as part of its task to accumulate information on Greek market and labor issues. The OECD group, led by Odile Sallard, will subsequently submit a report on the situation in Greece.

Among others, Mr. Tzoumakas highlighted what he said was the nation's stable political framework for economic prospects and social support, as well as the economy's structural problems. Isabelle Joumard and Pavlos Milonas also participated in the OECD delegation.

[20] Siemens Hellas announce record export figures

The Siemens group in Greece announced record exports totaling 14.5 billion drachmas in 1995, primarily to European countries and comprising over 25 per cent of the country's total exports of electrical, technical and electronic products.

The group's total sales in Greece last year totaled 70.6 billion drachmas, decreasing slightly against 1994 (72 billion drachmas), while profits edged up to 2.5 billion drachmas from 2.3 billion drachmas in 1994.

The German company has invested over eight billion drachmas in the past five years at the Siemens Tileviomichaniki S.A. factory in Thessaloniki and its subsidiary EBIOP-TEMPO in Evia. However, it reduced its staff in Greece by 40 people in 1995 as part of internal restructuring measures.

The company's managing consultant Mr. Dobek said Siemens had received important orders such as the procurement of six electric locomotives for the Greek Railways Organization (OSE), but expressed regret over the delay in the Hellenic Telecommunications Organization's (OTE) modernization programme.

The company's board did not rule out the possibility of dismissals at the Thessaloniki factory in spring unless the OTE programme went ahead (about 75 per cent of Siemens Tileviomichaniki's revenues concern procurements by OTE).

However, the German company expressed optimism that it would participate in various infrastructure projects, apart from the modernization of the Greek railway network, and indeed at the new Athens airport at Spata.

The group employs 1,649 people and is the biggest foreign employer in Greece.

[21] Marathon runner says Greece must host Olympiad

Swiss-American marathon runner Gabriella Andersen yesterday gave her support to Greece's candidacy to host an Olympiad.

"The staging of an Olympiad must be assigned to Greece, either through direct assignment, or through a candidacy file. The Olympic idea was born here and all athletes have been enlightened from here," she told a press conference in the Panhellenic Sport s Writers' Association's (PSAT) offices.

Ms Andersen, best known for her performance in the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics, was in Greece to attend an award ceremony for the best Greek athletes of 1995.

She thanked the PSAT for the invitation, stressing it was the first time since Los Angeles that she had received such an honor from a country. Referring to the race in 1984, she stated it was her duty to finish, despite suffering from dehydration.

"The Olympic spirit with which I was inspired forced me to finish. It was my duty. Besides, what counts is taking part and finishing. Medals and distinctions are of secondary importance," stated the 51-year-old, who held the Swiss marathon record for two years.

The municipality of Maroussi is to honor Ms Andersen today by awarding her a laurel wreath and the municipality's medal.

[22] Olympic Games stamps on exhibit

The International Exhibition of Olympic - Sports Stamps "Athens 1896-1996" was officially opened by Transport and Communications Undersecretary Dimitris Sarris yesterday.

The exhibition is taking place within the framework of events for the centenary of the first modern Olympics and is organized by the transport and communications ministry, the Greek Post Offices Organization (ELTA) and the Greek Company of Olympic - Sports Philotelism.

The exhibition will be held in the Zappeion Hall from March 25 to April 6. It is comprised of two parts, the first being of a competitive nature with a panel judging international stamp collections dating from 1896, while the second will display stamps of great historical value regarding the Olympic Games between 1896 and 1996.

End of English language section.