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Tuesday, 26 November 2024
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Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-05-21Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Parl't ratifies UN PactThe Parliament Plenum ratified on Wednesday, with the votes of the majority deputies, of the main opposition PASOK party and of the Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) party, the bill by which the UN Pact against Corruption is sanctioned, with arrangements that also adjust existing legislation to the Pact.On the occasion of the retification of the Pact, the opposition accused the government of "indifference over transparency, if not of undermining it consciously, in the face of the head of the Authority against the legalisation of illicit money, George Zorbas." Justice Minister Sotiris Hatzigakis said in response that he is very proud of both himself and the government because "we speak the language of the people and we are carrying out in practice what the citizen wants." [02] KKE wants framework law blockedThe Communist Party of Greece (KKE) on Wednesday called on university staff members to block implementation of a series of laws passed by the government last year to reform the country's sluggish tertiary education sector.The communist party charged that reforms "will unconditionally surrender tertiary education to investors." In a lengthy statement, KKE underlined that the local academic community is "fully aware of the fact that new measures ... do not meet the expectations and needs for free and high-quality tertiary education." Meanwhile, a group of college students, mostly affiliated with far-leftist groupings within the university system, held a rally in downtown Athens on Wednesday to protest against implementation of the reforms, especially against the right for each student to vote in faculty elections, including the election of university rectors. The development came after ballots were seized at a university in Crete, part of efforts by dissenting students to allow a broad-based election process. Up until last year, votes were not cast by individual students but by representatives of student groups, with the latter mostly affiliated with political parties. The level of each group's representation in such faculty elections was based on results garnered in separate student elections. A constitution ban on the establishment and operation of non-state universities remains in effect in the east Mediterranean country, although the current Karamanlis government has repeated voiced its volition to revise the specific provision. Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Secretary General Aleka Papariga. [03] Social tourism programmeTourism Development Minister Aris Spiliotopoulos presented the "Social Tourism Programme 2008-2009" at a Citizens' Service Centre (KEP) in the Peristeri district of west Athens on Wednesday, where he announced that eligible beneficiaries can be apply via KEP offices nationwide. The social tourism programme, dubbed "Tourism for All", is directed at roughly 105,000 beneficiaries, offering affordable yet high-quality holidays in Greece.Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Tourism Development Minister Aris Spiliotopoulos. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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