Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 08-01-21

Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Karamanlis urges Youth Parliament delegates to struggle for ideals

[02] Papandreou, Venizelos address PASOK pre-congress meeting

[03] Former leftist party leader on current political developments

[04] Poll indicates ND lead in voters' preference

[05] Infamous outlaw arrested

[06] Police arrest cross-border drug trafficking suspects

[07] Athenians stage bicycle protest

[08] Car belonging to honorary consul torched

[09] Patras Carnival 2008

[10] 'Big 3' stay in championship hunt

[11] Cloudy on Monday

[12] The Sunday edition of Athens' dailies at a glance Politics

[01] Karamanlis urges Youth Parliament delegates to struggle for ideals

After welcoming them to "the heart of Democracy" and thanking them for their participation in the annual sessions, the Greek prime minister said he listened carefully to their main observations at the plenum and stressed that the institution of the Youth Parliament is of heightened importance.

The two-day annual Youth Parliament concluded in Athens on Sunday, with Parliament President Dimitris Sioufas assuring the 300 young parliamentarians from schools throughout Greece, Cyprus and ethnic Greek communities around the world that their positions and statements "will not be lost in the minutes of Parliament", but instead the state will listen to and consider the concerns and observations they raised.

Sioufas extended the greetings of all wings of parliament to the young parliamentarians, who he said had been given the opportunity to perceive the principles of Democracy "which functions with freedom but also rules, which are set out in the Rules of Parliament".

"You realised the value of dialogue through rules. There is no Democracy without freedom of speech, but also without restrictions for the sake of the other person's freedom", Sioufas said.

During a two-day session attended by President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias, Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, main opposition PASOK leader George Papandreou, Popular Orthodox Rally (LA.OS) leader George Karatzaferis, ministers, deputy ministers and representatives of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA), the young MPs expressed their concerns and worries over the major issues of the country, and issues concerning the young people, and also put forward proposals and demanded solutions.

Items on the agenda included education, the problem of narcotics, road accidents, unemployment, environmental protection, public administration, woman's position, migration, the health system, the Cyprus issue, and neighbouring EU candidate Turkey's adherence to European standards and principles.

[02] Papandreou, Venizelos address PASOK pre-congress meeting

Papandreou also launched a scathing attack against the ruling New Democracy (ND) government and Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, while he further warned party members that the PASOK congress should not be seen as a "battle of officials".

The PASOK leader said the country was going through a crisis (a reference to the Zachopoulos affair) undermining the institutions, while he referred to an abuse of authority, deification of wealth, prevalence of the law of the powerful, and the buy-off of consciences.

He accused the government of leading the country on a decline, with its conservative policy, which would not stop unless the conservative policy was overturned, and accused the prime minister personally of "serving the powerful

He further accused the premier of not fighting corruption.

Papandreou also charged that "no one today knows who's governing the country", questioning whether the country was being run by the elected prime minister, "the opaque interests that back him, or those with whom he was engaged in 'mutual coercion'."

One thing was certain, he added, "it is not the Greek people who are governing".

Turning to the stance of the other left-wing parties, Papandreou accused them of "levelling rationales" for vote-grabbing reasons.

Papandreou further criticised the prime minister for deciding to visit Ankara at a time when "the ND government has lost its negotiating strength vis-�-vis Turkey.

The PASOK leader said that the Karamanlis visit could have one of two possible results, both of which were dangerous: "Either Greece will be pressured for even more concessions on its sovereign rights, or the government will aspire only to communication benefits".

"The government's desire for the prime minister to go to Turkey is due to its inability to tackle domestic problems, and not to solve the external ones," he said.

In his own address, high-ranking MP Costas Skandalidis referred to a crisis of governance and a crisis in the representation of the political system, and stressed the need for deep-rooted changes to the political system and transition to a qualitative system of governance.

Venizelos

Former minister Evangelos Venizelos, in turn, said he was in agreement with the basic policy positions set out by Papandreou for a change of the political system, but he criticised other aspects of PASOK's policy as well as internal party issues, pointing to the issue of internal party democracy, as he said.

Venizelos said he agreed with Papandreou that the Nov. 11 party leadership election -- where he and Skandalidis were also candidates for the PASOK helm -- was "history", as was the Sept. 16 general election. "But those dates determine, to a great degree, the present and future of the party and the country", he said, adding that commitments undertaken ahead of the Nov. 11 party election "are still valid".

Venizelos said he respected the outcome of the internal party election, but stressed that he was giving Papandreou "space" to unfold his choices and implement his policy, without setting out is own participation in the implementation of the policy selected by the party. He added that the commitment he had undertaken concerned his participation in pre-congress dialogue and contacts with the grass roots.

Finally, he called for the postponement of Karamanlis' visit to Ankara for a later date, charging that the premier "does not have the moral or spiritual strength to deal with such issues".

[03] Former leftist party leader on current political developments

"It is time for initiatives to be taken that will directly question collapsing two-party rule, and to dynamically claim a restructuring of the entire political system," he said.

Referring to the so-called "Venizelos trend" within the main opposition PASOK party, Constantopoulos said "the question is whether procedures can be scheduled for the creation of a new party that will seek to express, with modern terms, a large section of Greek society that has been determined historically as the anti-right section and, of course, one that concerns many more than those found in the existing political groupings, whatever they are named."

[04] Poll indicates ND lead in voters' preference

According to results, ND garnered 30.2 percent of voters' preference, as opposed to 28 percent for PASOK, followed by 8.2 percent for the Communist Party of Greece (KKE); 8.1 percent for the Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) parliamentary group led by the Coalition of the Left party (Synaspismos), and 3.8 percent for the Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) party. Four percent of the respondents opted for other parties, whereas "no reply" responses reached 14.6 percent.

Roughly 72 percent of respondents said they believe main opposition PASOK was not heading in the right direction, with 39.6 percent of all respondents, and 38.1 percent of PASOK voters, believing that the so-called 'trend' within the party, headed by recent leadership contender and former minister Evangelos Venizelos was gaining in strength, while 46.1 percent of respondents believe the opposite.

In reference to the ongoing and heated Zachopoulos affair, 87.4 percent of respondents said they believe that corruption is a long-standing problem in the country, while 66.2 percent believe that nothing can be done to contain the problem -- with 32.7 percent holding the opposite view.

Also, 52.8 percent of respondents believe corruption is a political issue; 26.2 percent that it is a social issue, and 19.2 percent that it is a financial issue.

Furthermore, an overwhelming 78.8 percent of respondents criticised the stance maintained on the Zachopoulos affair by both ND and PASOK, while positions of other parties were also deemed as negative: KKE (62.8 percent), SYRIZA (55.9 percent), LA.OS (60.2 percent), reporters (69.7 percent), media owners (74.2 percent), and judicial officials (51.6 percent).

Additionally, 42 percent of respondents said a government under Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis can better tackle problems faced by citizens, whereas 32.9 percent believe this holds true of a PASOK government led by Papandreou.

The telephone poll was conducted by MRB polling firm between Jan. 16-17 on a sample of 1,002 respondents, and published by the "Eleftheros Typos" daily.

General News

[05] Infamous outlaw arrested

Police spotted the fugitive by the time he was leaving his house and arrested him without any resistance.

Stefanakos topped the West Attica's periphery most wanted list with 44 outstanding arrest warrants. He was accused of moral instigation in the murder of Themis Kalapotharakos on July 2000 in the coastal, near Athens, town of Nea Makri, oil and tobacco smuggling, blackmail, attacks resulting in bodily harms and other crimes.

In December 2006 he was convicted in absentia to 14 years imprisonment but he managed to issue police ID card with the help of two police officers of the West Attica police station.

The most important is that Stefanakos, according to police was one of the organisers of the spectacular helicopter escape of infamous Greek outlaw Vassilis Paleokostas and Albanian Alket Rijai in June 2006 from Korydallos prison.

Stefanakos is also being investigated on charges of moral instigation in a series of underworld killings in the past year in an ongoing gang war in Western Attica.

Stefanakos remanded in custody and will be taken before a public prosecutor.

[06] Police arrest cross-border drug trafficking suspects

Two of the suspects were arrested on Saturday near the northwest city of Ioannina after more than 55 kilos of hashish, believed to have been smuggled into the country from Albania, was found in the Albanian national's vehicle.

Another man was arrested in Athens.

[07] Athenians stage bicycle protest

Bicyclists gathered Sunday morning at central Syntagma Square, from where they rode their bicycles to the former airport, via Vouliagmenis Avenue.

The bicycle 'march' was based on an idea by the Southern Suburbs Residents' Initiative, which was quickly adopted by the bicyclist organisations and clubs of Attica Prefecture, whose members staged Sunday's demonstration.

The protestors also rode their bicycles a lap inside the former airport's expanse, concluding their demonstration with a symbolic tree-planting.

[08] Car belonging to honorary consul torched

An anonymous caller to an Athens daily later claimed responsibility for the incident, reportedly citing "solidarity" for indigenous peoples in the South American country.

Police said a make-shift incendiary device comprised of camping gas canisters was used in the attack.

[09] Patras Carnival 2008

The opening night included an impressive laser show and fireworks, marking the beginning of nearly six weeks of flamboyant festivity and tireless merrymaking.

The Carnival will culminate on March 9, with the traditional grand parade of hand-crafted floats and the burning of the Carnival King.

The end of Carnival on Sunday, March 9, marks the start of the Orthodox Lent on Clean Monday.

Soccer

[10] 'Big 3' stay in championship hunt

In other action over the weekend:

Aris Thessaloniki - Apollon Kalamaria 2-2

Asteras Tripoli - Xanthi 0-0

Veria - Larissa 1-0

Levadiakos Livadia - Panionios Athens 1-0

Iraklis Thessaloniki - PAOK Thessaloniki 1-0

Standings after 17 weeks of play:

AEK 39 points

Olympiakos 38

Panathinaikos 37

Asteras 30

Aris 29

PAOK 23

Panionios 22

Xanthi 22

Atromitos 21

Levadiakos 18

Iraklis 18

Veria 17

Larissa 16

OFI 15

Apollon 15

Ergotelis 12

Weather Forecast

[11] Cloudy on Monday

[12] The Sunday edition of Athens' dailies at a glance

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "Who's turn is it for a salte mortale (Italian phrase for death leap)?".

APOGEVMATINI: "The final arrangements for the unification of social insurance funds - Government unwavering on creation of small number of (larger) social insurance funds".

AVGHI: "Disgust over the corruption - Government 'sinking' from the revelations - Hope from Coalition of Radical Left (SYRIZA) alternative proposal".

AVRIANI: "Crash, with 50 percent losses for ND (ruling New Democracy) and PASOK (main opposition) parties - Opinion polls".

CHORA: "Home loans to military personnel with beneficial terms - What is changing with the new national defence ministry bill".

ELEFTHERI ORA: "The Spy who came in from Hell".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "The citizens feel anger and shape - The morbid Zachopoulos affair is seen by the electorate as a crisis in the authorities - MRB opinion poll".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "Clearing up of accounts - Fear in government over the threatening domino effect of the new charges and depositions".

ETHNOS: "Full attack on all the social insurance funds - Exclusive: The new plan".

KATHIMERINI: "The entire spectrum of coercion revealed, with new evidence - The faces and judicial developments in the Zachopoulos affair".

LOGOS: "Karamanlis visit to TUrkey of 'high interest', although government is cultivating climate of 'low expectations' ".

PROTO THEMA (weekly): "EYP (national information service) knew about the sex DVD - Mystery secret document arrived in Zachopoulos' hands a few weeks before he jumped (off a fourth-floor balcony the day after his resignation from the post of culture ministry secretary general )".

RIZOSPASTIS: "Rally on January 22 for social insurace funds and collective labour agreements".

TO VIMA: "The truth about the DVD-gate - The protagonists, the behind-the-scenes, and the collusion - What the examining magistrate is investigating - What the government fears".

VRADYNI: "9 lies and 5 truths - Zachopoulos affair - The blackmailiers pointed to by Karamanlis - What terrorises the government".

36, TSOCHA ST. ATHENS 115 21 GREECE * TEL: 64.00.560-63 * FAX: 64.00.581-2 INTERNET ADDRESS: http://www.ana-mpa.gr * e-mail: anabul@ana gr * GENERAL DIRECTOR: GEORGE TAMBAKOPOULOS

Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article