Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-07-17

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM says conditions ripe for consensual seeking of election system

[02] Seven sports test events to take place at Olympic Games installations

[03] Athens municipality to get 180-mil-euro loan in view of the Olympic

[04] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks end down, depressed by markets abroad

[05] Civil servants turn down government's pay offer

[06] Foreign Exchange Rates - Friday

[07] Weather Forecast: Hot and sunny on Friday

[01] PM says conditions ripe for consensual seeking of election system

Prime Minister Costas Simitis, speaking at the end of a six-hour inner cabinet meeting on the election system on Thursday, said conditions were ripe for the consensual seeking of an election system and called on political parties to accept a public dialogue.

''The election system as part of a wider chain, which also includes the administrative and developmental structure, constitutes an object of initiative and dialogue for an extensive change and for strengthening progressive governance,'' he said.

Simitis reminded that all election campaigns (with the exception of the 1989-1990 period) took place with the reinforced proportional representation system.

He added that this system, which provided governmental stability, has presented malfunctions and mentioned in this respect that parliamentary candidates work under conditions of intensifying competition and personal contrasts and with high election expenditures which create the possibility of dependence.

''Consequently, conditions are ripe for the consensual seeking of an election system which (as the constitution stresses) will be applied after the next elections (elections in 2004 will be held with the existing election system). Today we are preparing our future for the renewal of the terms of political competition and the strengthening of transparency and the restriction of the influence of interests,'' Simitis said.

The prime minister said the government's criterion is respect for three principles:citizens to participate in elections with a free will and genuine representativeness, elections should provide governmental stability and the political system's transparency should be consolidated.

[02] Seven sports test events to take place at Olympic Games installations in August

Seven sports test events, a contractual obligation for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games Organising Committee (ATHOC), will be taking place between August 6-28.

The test events are a unique opportunity for every Organising Committee to try its plans, systems and human potential and note mistakes or omissions, which will be analysed and avoided during the Olympic Games.

A total of 40 test events have been scheduled for the Athens Olympic Games, whose preparation has begun since September 2002, in cooperation with international federations.

The test events will take place at Olympic Games installations with the fullest possible composition of Installations Groups and in accordance with the Olympic Games Administration Formation.

[03] Athens municipality to get 180-mil-euro loan in view of the Olympic Games

The Athens municipality council on Thursday approved a proposal put forward by Mayor Dora Bakoyianni for getting a 180-million-euro loan toward the municipality's investment programme in view of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.

The money from the loan will be used for social activity programmes, including new child care centres, disabled accessibility projects and new areas of green.

[04] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks end down, depressed by markets abroad

The Athens bourse finished lower on Thursday with sentiment depressed by a decline in markets abroad, traders said.

The general share index shed 1.04 percent to end at 2,063.78 points. Turnover was 281.4 million euros, with around 40 percent of the total representing block trades in Football Pools Organisation.

The FTSE/ASE-20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks ended 0.94 percent down; the FTSE/ASE-40 for medium capitalisation paper 0.85 percent lower; and the FTSE/ASE-80 for small cap equities finished with losses of 0.81 percent.

Of stocks traded, declines led advances at 192 to 136 with 40 issues remaining unchanged.

[05] Civil servants turn down government's pay offer

Civil servants on Thursday rejected an offer by the government on a new payscale that is due to go into effect on January 1, 2004.

The two sides have scheduled a fresh meeting for Friday, the ADEDY union said in a statement.

Salaries had been eroded by years of austerity in incomes policy, and the government's proposal of what were in effect nominal increases failed to boost staff's purchasing power, the statement said.

Among their demands, civil servants want a starting salary of 1,050 euros, it added.

[06] Foreign Exchange Rates - Friday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.132

Pound sterling 0.710

Danish kroner 7.495

Swedish kroner 9.277

Japanese yen 134.3

Swiss franc 1.548

Norwegian kroner 8.415

Cyprus pound 0.592

Canadian dollar 1.576

Australian dollar 1.728

[07] Weather Forecast: Hot and sunny on Friday

Sunny weather is forecast in all parts of the country, with the likelihood of isolated storms in the centre and north from early evening. Winds north-northwesterly, light to moderate. In the north, temperatures will range from 18C to 37C; on the rest of the mainland from 20C to 39C; and in the islands from 23C to 36C. Temperatures in Athens will range between 25C and 39C; and in Thessaloniki from 23C to 37C.

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