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Antenna News in English 090996
News in English, of 09/09/1996
TITLES
- The prime minister opens the Thessaloniki trade
fair.
- Miltiades Evert continues to hit the government over the
economy.
- And, Michael Dukakis visits Greece.
SIMITIS THESS
It was a week of major political speeches, as the
party leaders traded blows and explained their
election platforms to the people.
It was also the week when the annual international trade fair
began. Prime minister Kostas Simtis opened the event with his
keynote speech Friday
night.
SIMITIS/SPEECH
On the anniversary of the founding of Pasok on
September third, prime minister Kostas Simitis told the party's
national congress that the task before
Pasok is to lead Greece into the 21st century.
After paying tribute to what the party has achieved
since 1974, the prime minister outlined his
plans to guide Greece safely and prosperously
through the uncharted waters of a new era.
SIMITIS/ECON.PLANS
New Democracy leader Miltiades Evert came out of
the campaign gate fast last week, promising tax breaks to ease
the problems of the nation's farmers and small businesses as soon
as he's elected.
Prime minister Kostas Simitis countered Evert this week, saying
long-term strategies are needed to solve the countries economic
problems and raise living standards.
Mr Simitis told the nation his opponent's one-off
offers of help are intended merely to win votes.
EVERT/RESP.ECON.
In that speech, Mr Simitis also promised to abolish
the so-called objective tax criteria when he can.
Those unpopular tax rules tax people according to
things like shop size rather than on decleared
income.
New Democracy leader Miltiades Evert is promising to
abolish the objective criteria immediately if
elected.
Evert responded to the prime minister's speech,
saying Kostas Simitis is hiding behind vague
promises, just days after he told the Greek people he wouldn't be
making any campaign promises at all.
EVERT/FOR.POL.
This week, Miltiades Evert also told voters how he would handle
defence and foreign policy if elected.
DUKAKIS
Former American presidental candidate, Greek-American Michael
Doukakis, was in Athens this week. Dukakis has always been a
defender of Greece's interests.
Referring to the Cyprus issue, Doukakis predicted
that it will be resolved within 1997, as long as
Bill Clinton is re-elected, for two reasons : the
current political situation in Turkey, where
Islamicists are in power, and the imminent entry of
Cyprus into the European Union.
The Greek-American politician said Bill Clinton
will exercise pressure on Turkey to improve its
relations with Greece. He also expressed American
worries over closer ties between Turkey and Iran. Their natural
gas agreement, said Dukakis,
violates the embargo on Iran.
In a press conference Monday, Dukakis apologized for his "bad"
greek, but no one was bothered.
Dukakis met with president Kostis leaders, a president Kostis
Stefanopoulos.
© ANT1-Radio 1996
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