Antenna: News in English, 96-11-08

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

News in English, of 08/11/1996

TITLES

• New Democracy's leader lashes out at his in-house critics.
• The navy locates the ship sunk in this week's sea tragedy.
• And, inoperable heart patients may saved by a laser.

US ELECTION

The bit of good news after the election was over came from White House spokesman Mike McKerry, who said Clinton will show a strong interest in the Aegean region.

"In the southern flank we've seen many conflicts, there's sometimes ethnic tensions such as in the Balkans, there's sometimes conflict between two close friends - Greece and Turkey - so having spent time in this campaign talking about that issue, he will certainly work very very hard, not only to resolve the questions related to cyprus but also to promote close relations between our two close Nato allies Greece and Turkey".

The government of Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis hopes that the US will work at upholding international law when it comes to Turkey's claims on Greece in the Aegean. It also hopes that pressure will be brought to bear on Turkey to get its troops out of Cyprus at last.

EVERT

Miltiades Evert took on his opponents once again, telling local party leaders he cannot allow new local party elections, as his opponents want.

The existing officials were elected in keeping with the party charter, he said, and that's that.

The local officials are calling on Evert to take steps against those who question his leadership or try to violate the party charter.

But Evert's political foes say elections would give the party's local organisations a more representative face, and make next year's party congress more representative too.

Behind the issue of local party elections lies a much bigger issue: that of who should be party leader. It is at the congress that everyone expects that issue to be decided once and for all.

The New Democracy president says the most important thing is to preserve party unity, and that he's always put the party above himself.

Evert didn't say Thursday whether or not he intends to stand as a candidate for the leadership again at the congress. He resigned after the party's defeat in September's general election, but was promptly re-elected by the party's MPs, over Giorgos Souflias.

But Souflias and others who oppose Evert aren't letting the issue die, and so it will be redecided at the congress.

Evert says that he decided to run for the leadership again just days after resigning in September because the top party members were unable to agree on another leader.

The party leader also said two of his main opponents - were partly to blame for the September election defeat. Mitsotakis and Stephanos Manos, he hinted, had made comment that guaranteed a poor result at the polls for New Democracy.

Mitsotakis repaid Evert's with shots of his own. "I see an intentional effort to create a climate of tension", he said, reacting to the party leader's comments. "He's going crazy".

Souflias said Evert's comments pushed the party toward a split, not toward unity.

Party vice president Ioannis Varvitsiotis was also busy Thursday. He met with a delegation of the 22 party MPs, who are asking the top 8 party members to work out some sort of arrangement to keep things running smoothely until the congress.

Varvitsiotis called their initiative positive, adding that it expresses the desire of the rank and file in the party to see a solution found.

MP Giorgos Sourlas said members expect unity at the top of the party.

MITSOTAKI BIOGRAPHY

Mitsotakis, who preceded Evert as party leader, is known as a tough broker who doesn't mince words, and he is sure to have his say before the leadership issue is finally settled.

Mitsotakis is the subject of a new book by Left Coalition MP and author Nitsa LoulE.

At the biography launch Mitsotakis called himself "uncompromising". And he added, "The uncompromising man is the bad guy, while the man who makes compromises is seen as the easy-going guy....Appreciation of the uncomprising man comes late, if it comes at all", he added.

Mitstotakis was prime minister of Greece from 1990 to 1993.

PENSIONERS

They're tired of being told a financial boost is on the way, but not getting the kind of raise they need to make a difference.

The retirees want the lowest pension to be brought up to 20 days' pay of an unskilled labourer.

They also want the income tax threshold raised to 8 thousand dollars a year. It is currently half that.

And they want the state to cover 90 per cent of the cost of their medicines, instead of 75 per cent as it does now.

Pensioners met with the economy minister Thursday. He told them the social solidarity the government's promised will be provided for in next year's budget.

The minister also promised the pensioners that talks aimed at working out their problems will start by the beginning of next year.

None of that left the pensioners happy. They say they'll keep fighting to get their demands met.

And they're in a fighting mood up and down the country. There were protests in Thessaloniki on Thursday, where retirees from all over northern Greece gathered.

Pensioners from the Peloponese rallied in Patra, protesting the government's miserly approach to pensions. One protestor said "We've had enough".

Back up north in Kavala, protesting pensioners handed the county prefect a petition enumerating their demands.

NAVAL

Four of the 38 crewmembers are still missing. Hopes are virtually nil that they will be found.

The Kostakos, which sank in just 15 minutes, rests at a depth of 150 metres, about a kilometre off the coast of the island of Samos.

The navy is now charting the seabed around the ship.

When a clear picture of the lie of the underwater land has been put together, divers will be sent in to search for the bodies of the four missing sailors.

SPORTS

Bad news for Olympiakos, also in the European championship, also on the road. Olympiakos loses a nail-biter to Berlin's Alba, 62-61.

© ANT1- Radio 1996

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