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Antenna News in English 310596Antenna Radio News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Antenna Radio <http://www.antenna.gr> - email: [email protected]News in English, of 31/05/1996TITLES
PAPANDREOU/POLITICALPasok president Andreas Papandreou made his first television appearance since leaving an Athens hospital several months ago.Mr Papandreou met with Pasok MPs Wednesday night. He has had other political meetings in recent weeks, but only photographs were released following those contacts. Andreas Papandreou met with the leaders of Pasok's parliamentary group Wednesday, showing that he's still a political part of things, even though illness forced him to resign as prime minister in January, and his long convalescence has kept him shut up at home. The meeting was an emotional one. Nikos Akritides, secretary of the parliamentary group, told Mr Papandreou, "We're moved to see you again". Mr Papandreou said he was equally moved. Mr Papandreou's political contacts started a few weeks ago, and is expected to meet with other Pasok members. Mr Papandreou's political activity has many party members feeling confident that he intends to take part in the party's congress this June. That congress will choose a vice president to help Mr Papandreou run the party, and is a source of dissension within Pasok ranks. Some people feel Mr Simitis should be pegged to help and eventually succeed Mr Papandreou at the helm of the party. Others say Mr Simitis is prime minister, and that's enough - someone else should be party leader. The issue at the core of it all is party unity - how to preserve it. Mr Simitis's supporters believe one person needs to be at the top, otherwise, the government's credibility will be undermined, and the next national election end in a disaster for the party. Mr Simitis's opponents argue that the best way to preserve party unity is by putting a number of Pasok's top members in key positions. At Wednesday's meeting, Akritides told Mr Papandreou that the MPs will do whatever they can to preserve Pasok's unity. Unity was also a key word for the party president. After the meeting, Akritides said that Mr Papandreou is sending a message: that he continues to be important to party unity and continuity. A number of party MPs expressed satisfaction at Mr Papanddreou's political appearance. They also say that the party leader will be the one to decide whether or not he will participate in the party congress this summer. Pasok secretary Kostas Skandalides says Mr Papandreou will carve out his own role, adding that as party leader he is the guarantor of party unity. PAPANDREOU HEALTHAndreas Papandreou, Pasok's founder and leader, is still seen as the symbol of party unity. But his political future depends on biological factors: how well he recovers from the pneumonia and kidney failure that hospitalised him last winter.Antenna has tried to piece together the answer to the questions surrounding Mr Papandreou's health, based on discussions with his doctors and people close to him. One of the most interesting bits of information to emanate from Andreas Papandreou's circles is that doctors have scheduled a kidney dialysis treatment for him on June 27th - the same day Pasok's all-important party congress begins. Doctors qualified that for Antenna, telling the station that Mr Papandreou may not need the treatment, if his health shows significant improvement in the meantime. One other possibility is hooking Mr Papandreou up to an artificial kidney after the congress starts. But doctors express reservations about the Pasok president attending what would be an emotional gathering for him. One person close to Mr Papandareou told Antenna that it's impossible to say right now whether or not he'll be at the congress. Another element of interest Antenna has culled from its investigations is that Mr Papanadreou spends most of his time listening and asking questions during his political meetings, and takes no position on party developments. There are two spins put on that. One is optimistic: that Mr Papandreou is simply trying to avoid making comments that will be open to different interpretations. The pessimistic view is that the party president spends so much time listening because he doesn't have the energy to do much else. Despite his general reluctance to take clear stands on party issues, he is reported to have said that since the party wants a vice president, let them choose one, maybe I do need some help. Some observers interpret that as indicating his reluctant acceptance of a vice president. Mr Papandreou speaks on the telephone only rarely, and is said to have poor short-term memory, but exceptional recall of events that happened many years ago. One doctor told Antenna that Pasok's founder is easily moved emotionally. Mr Papandreou's daily regimen includes physiotherapy, and he takes wine with his light meals. The question most people are asking themselves is, "Will the therapy make him well enough to actively lead Pasok again?". SIMITIS/FINANCEPrime minister Kostas Simitis is calling a revamped public sector pay plan, functional, simple, fair, and productive. The government is moving to incorporate special allowances regularly meted out to workers into their salaries, and tax them on the extra payments they get for things like travel expenses.Mr Simitis discussed public sector pay with his economy ministers. The committee handling the pay deal is expected to wrap up its work in September, whereupon parliament will be presented with a bill to vote on. The government wants to readjust basic wages and institute changes to family allowance plans and bonuses paid to workers for working in border areas. It also wants to improve public sector pension plans, and abolish productivity bonuses. ARSENISGreek president Kostis Stefanopoulos was briefed on national security issues by the defence minister Thursday. The meeting follows another incident provoked by Turkey near the island of Imia this week.A Turkish boat turned and hit a Greek coast guard vessel which was ordering it to leave Greek waters. Following his meeting with the president, Gerasimos Arsenis was asked if there's any truth in rumours that Turkey might touch off another Aegean incident. Arsenis denied the rumours, saying "We should be sparing in our statements". He added that his meeting with Mr Stephanopoulos was routine, and not connected with this week's episode near Imia. ALBANIAOppostion parties in Albania say they're boycotting the second round of elections in that country. President Sali Berisha's Democratic Party won a landslide victory in the first round last Sunday, picking up 67.8 per cent of the vote, and 95 of the 140 parliamentary seats.The second round is a run-off to see which parties will get most of the remaining seats. But seven opposition parties, including the Greek minority's party, and international observers, are charging election fraud. Albanian president Sali Berisha is celebrating his big victory with promises of a free second round of voting. But it's not a promise anyone's interested in, following intimidation and violent repression by the authorities during and after last Sunday's balloting. The elections results were announced three days late, amid ongoing protests. The socialist party, which charges fraud at the ballot box, won 5 seats in parliament, and the Greek minority party 2 seats. The remaining seats will be decided in the second round of voting next Sunday. But the opposition has announced that it won't be taking part in the second round. And the socialists and the Greek minority say they won't take the seats they've already won. The socialists presented more photos Wednesday, showing acts of police brutality during a protest over the rigged elections in Tirane. Marit Bjornflaten, a Norwegian election observer with the Organisation for Cooperation and Security in Europe, witnessed the bloody episodes at the demonstration. "It was the most loathsome thing I've seen in my life", he said. "They hit old people, old women. Policemen hit them with clubs and dragged them into their vans. It was hair- raising". In an attempt to push back the wave of anger, Mr Berisha has ordered an investigation of the police brutality against the demonstrators and foreign journalists. AGIA SOFIAMuslim fundamentalists protested in front of the church of Agia Sofia in Constantinople Wednesday. They want the Christian temple turned into a mosque.The protest coincided with the anniversary of the fall of Constantinople to the Turks in 1453. The date is marked with a re-enactment of the battle. The byzantine church of Agia Sofia was turned into a mosque in 1453 by the Ottoman Sultan. In 1934, it was turned into a museum by Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the modern Turkish state. SPORTSIn sports, and premier division soccer, Panathinaikos popped the champagne bottle corks Wednesday night. And why not, for the second straight year, Pao is the national soccer champion.Pao wins the title on the final day of the season, picking up three points with a 3-1 win at home against Edessaikos. The victory ensured that Pao stayed ahead of Aek after the dust settled on the season. Pao and Aek ran neck-and-neck at the top of the standings all season. Pao pulled ahead several weeks ago, but Aek narrowed the margin again, and it all came down to the final day of the season. © ANT1-Radio 1996Antenna Radio News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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