Antenna News in English 220896

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From: Antenna Radio <http://www.antenna.gr> - email: [email protected]

News in English, of 22/08/1996

TITLES

• A September election date soon to be announced.
• Miltiades Evert visits the homes of Greek-Cypriot youths murdered by the Turks.
• And, Pontian Greeks keep their heritage alive. Report

ELECTIONS

After meeting with the prime minister, health minister Anastasios Peponis said that Mr Simitis has gauged the political situation, and decided it's time for elections. Peponis didn't say whether he's for against early balloting, just that he thinks the decision to go to the people early should be unanimously accepted by the cabinet.

The cabinet meets Thursday, and the election date will be announced officially Friday or Saturday. Not everyone in Pasok is for early elections, because of the tension in Greek-Turkish relations, and because Pasok has said in the past that it will complete its four-year term, which ends in October 1997.

But most Pasok members appear to accept the logic of early elections. Education minister Giorgos Papandreou told Antenna that it's better to have a short, one-month pre-election period, rather than one lasting until the end of Pasok's term.

Development minister Vasso Papandreou favours elections now. "Just as we needed clear leadership solutions in Pasok", she said, referring to Mr Simitis's successful bid to become both prime minister and party president, "so Greece needs clear solutions, so we can deal with the country's problems".

A number of Pasok MPs agree with the idea that a popular mandate will give the government the backing it needs to tackle tough problems.

There are practical problems arising from snap elections. Many in Pasok wonder if the party will be able to get its candidate lists ready in time.

Labour minister Evangelos Yiannopoulos thinks the 29th of September would be a better balloting date, giving Pasok more time to take care of pre- election business.

The overriding feeling may be that Pasok is in a good position to win an election now, with Mr Simitis's personal popularity much higher than that of his rival, New Democracy's Miltiades Evert.

Pasok MP Giorgos Katsibardis quipped, "New Democracy is in the habit of changing leaders every three years. We're helping them this time".

The suggestion there is that another New Democracy defeat would be the end of Evert's stay at the party helm.

ELECTIONS REACTION

He's confident the opposition party can beat PASOK. Pasok's new government, he says, is calling elections now so that it doesn't have to win voters' support next year, when things won't be going well for it.

CYPRUS

I spoke with him about Solomos's heroism.

Santer told Evert, "I was in Vietnam", said Santer, "I know about heroism".

Evert said, "When you climb up the Turkish flagpole with a cigarette in your mouth, as Solomou did, it means you're looking for immortality. He will live on in Greek memories." I understand your pain," Evert added when talking to Solomou's family, "but without people like him, there would be no Hellenism.

With all our problems, there are still people like him, determined to raise the Greek flag".

Evert also visited the family of Tassos Isaak, the 24-year-old Greek-Cypriot clubbed to death by a Turkish mob as he tried to return to free Cyprus from the buffer zone during a peaecful protest on August 11th.

The New Democracy leader told Isaak's wife, 8 months pregnant, that her child will have the problems that come with not having a father, but also the blessings that come with being the child of a hero.

He added that her baby will belong not only to her, but to all of Hellenism.

PONTS

Ethnic Greeks living in the town of Tonia, on the Black Sea coast in Turkey, are fighting to keep their Greek heritage alive.

It's not an easy struggle. But despite the atmosphere of terror created by the Turkish security forces, they've succeeded in keeping their Greek dialect alive in the region.

Many are open about their Greek orthodox roots. Others keep their heritage hidden. It is believed that several thousand clandestine orthodox Christians live in the area.

The ethnic Greeks stick together against the Turkish authorities. "Welcome brothers": with those words the Greeks of Tonia welcomed Pontian Greeks touring the lands where Hellenism once flourished.

Intellectuals, artists, and representatives of Pontian associations from Australia, the US, and Europe met with their fellow Pontians in Tonia, speaking in pont, the language of their ancestors.

Not even the watchful video eye of the Turkish police could prevent the Pontian celebration.

BENOS

Culture minister Stavros Benos says around a thousand archeologists, architects and antique restorers will be hired to work in 52 cultural heritage services departments all over Greece.

Each of the new service departments will have three archeological offices, dealing with the classical and pre-classical, Byzantine and post- Byzantine, and modern periods.

The government also intends to increase funding of cultural projects.

© ANT1-Radio 1996

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