Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-02-06

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

CONTENTS

[01] Papandreou calls for ministers' resignation

[02] Cold front again sweeps through Greece

[01] Papandreou calls for ministers' resignation

"In any well-governed state this is the least that would have been done, namely, for responsible ministers to resign," Papandreou told high-ranking PASOK cadres and members of his party's political council, which convened in a seaside town southeast of Athens.

The phone-tapping conspiracy, which targeted Greece's top political leadership, including Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, was disclosed by a trio of ministers on Thursday after an initial 11-month probe into the affair. A same-day front-page article in the Athens daily "Ta Nea" preceded the government's announcement. Charges, against "unknown persons", have already been filed by a relevant prosecutor, while the judicial probe will also consider felony espionage charges.

Turning to other political fronts, Papandreou, the former foreign minister, emphasised that differences between ruling New Democracy and PASOK's policies are now clear two years after the March 2004 election.

Among others, he charged that the government is attempting to slash wage-earners' real incomes and to establish a "medieval labour regime", as he called it. Along those lines, he said the country's developmental prospects are not based on low labour costs, "poverty and depravation, but rather, on social solidarity and citizens' security".

Earlier, several top PASOK cadres covered issues ranging from the party's strategy for upcoming municipal and prefectural elections, analyses of recent opinion polls, the main opposition's positions on constitutional revision and various organisational issues.

Dismissing main opposition criticism regarding the recently-disclosed phone-tap affair as "a bid to overcome its internal problems through sensationalist moves", government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos on Monday called on PASOK leader George Papandreou to get his own house in order and to put PASOK members criticising public prosecutor Dimitris Papangelopoulos "in their place".

"Mr. Papandreou and PASOK, unused to procedures of transparency, are trying to escape their internal party problems through sensationalist moves. What is it that bothers them? That all the facts were made public or that justice is carrying out its role without interference. Or perhaps both?" he said.

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[02] Cold front again sweeps through Greece

A series of mostly transport-related problems were reported throughout the north, including the closing of the east-west Egnatia Highway, flight cancellations and sporadic power outages, especially on the remote northeastern island of Samothrace.

Conversely, Thessaloniki's Macedonia Airport was operating without problems.

Most schools in the Macedonia and Thrace regions, as well as in the greater Thessaloniki, remained closed on Monday, whereas authorities cautioned motorists to use snow chains or tires on roadways.

Temperatures dropped to -5C in Halkidiki prefecture and the town of Kozani. Greece's coldest temperature was recorded, expectedly, in the Nevrokopi township of Drama prefecture, -10C.

In the greater Athens area, meanwhile, continuous rainfall caused flash flooding in the congested Greek capital, while snow blanketed the mountains around the city.

ANA-MPA Copyright © 2004-2005 All rights reserved.

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