Athens News Agency: News in English, 09-09-21

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM accuses PASOK of 'irresponsible populism'

[02] Cliff Diving World Series final showdown at Vouliagmeni Lake

[03] KKE vote strengthens workers

[04] ASE opening: Small decline

[05] Greek Superleague results

[06] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] PM accuses PASOK of 'irresponsible populism'

Karamanlis sharply criticised main opposition PASOK party leader George Papandreou, accusing him of "unreliability", regarding the latter's proposals on the economy and the national issues.

"The path that we have paved in the past years cannot be intercepted. It will not stop. It cannot stop. We are continuing the struggle together. We are struggling for Greece which is optimistic. Greece that wants and can. Greece of the future," the prime minister said.

"The endurances of the economy are at stake. We want the citizens to know all the truth about the measures that must be taken and serve one aim to enable us to emerge stronger from the crisis," he added.

Referring to the economy, Karamanlis said that he chose "the difficult path and not the easy one of PASOK's populism," without taking political cost into consideration "because I am thinking of our children's future, that is my criterion, the future of our country and the national interest above all."

The prime minister also commented on the energy agreements that his government has signed and that have placed the country, as he said, on the global energy map, referring in particular to the Burgas-Alexandroupoli pipeline, which he termed an agreement of national importance that all are realising, "except for the leading group of PASOK and this is inconceivable" and pointing out that by "placing obstacles for the agreement, national interests are not being served."

Karamanlis accused PASOK of "irresponsible populism", saying that it "is attempting to deceive the citizens and is sharing out promises" and adding that "we are saying come to the elections all of you, vote en masse, your vote is a decision of responsibility, think of the next day."

Criticising Papandreou over national issues, Karamanlis also said "think of our national issues: Remember your experiences from the recent past. The pressures on the Greek Cypriots by the leader of PASOK on the Annan Plan, PASOK's peculiar recent positions on Skopje (the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia). Our decisive position in Bucharest. A position of national responsibility and pride."

Lastly, Karamanlis stated that "we have a national obligation to dare today, not tomorrow, considerable structural changes to create new structures. With difficult decisions, today, we shall be with the winners on the day after the crisis."

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis

[02] Cliff Diving World Series final showdown at Vouliagmeni Lake

The final showdown ended with Duque and Hunt tied at 127 points each, with Duque ending the series in the first position and Hunt in second position, after their breathtaking dives at Vouliagmeni from a board mounted 26 meters high.

The World Series began in May, in La Rochelle France, and continued in Rotterdam (Netherlands), Dubrovnik (Croatia), Polignano a Mare (Italy), Antalya (Turkey), Hamburg (German), and Sisikon (Switzerland), before the Vouliagmeni final.

The final standings after the last leg in Vouliagmeni are as follows: 1) Orlando Duque (Colombia, 127 pts.), 2) Gary Hunt (Britain, 127 pts) 3) Artem Silchenko (Russia, 111 pts.), 4) Andrey Ignatenko (Ukraine, 83 pts), 5) Hassan Mouti (France, 54 pts), 6) Steve Black (Australia, 51 pts), 7) Michal Navratil (Czech Republic, 45 pts), 8) Slava Polyeshchuk (Ukraine, 43 pts) and Kent de Mond (USA, 43 pts), 10) Cyrille Oumedjkane (France, 38 pts), 11) Alain Kohl (Luxembourg, 27 points) and 12) Eber Pava (Colombia, 22 pts, following injury after stop 5). ANA-MPA/MARGARITA KIAOU

[03] KKE vote strengthens workers

"KKE is not the unknown 'X' factor, nor an unpredictable factor in developments and support for its election ticket will on the day after the elections be converted to a strengthening of the popular struggle, a unifying, radical and popular trend of struggle and political opposition," she said in statements to the press from KKE's headquarters in Perissos.

Papariga said that a vote for KKE would ensure that October 4 brought the emergence of a "trend that does not submit to extortionist dilemmas, that has steadfast positions on issues of post-electoral cooperation, that has a clear and specific policy and adapts to the new without changing course."

She addressed her message to labouring classes that had voted for New Democracy in the previous elections and PASOK voters, especially "left-wing, progressive and radical voters that had found themselves fighting alongside KKE in the 70s and 80s but later parted ways".

KKE's leader also warned against the 'trap' of absention, saying that this essentiall supported conservative policies.

"Though the opening of the ballot box lasts only a minute, its consequences last several years, since the goal of plutocracy and the parties that serve it (ND and PASOK) is a recovery from the crisis by intensifying the degree of exploitation of the workers," she stressed.

Caption: Communist Party of Greece (KKE) General Secretary Aleka Papariga speaking during a press conference held at KKE headquarters in Perissos on Saturday. ANA-MPA - Manolis Pakias.

[04] ASE opening: Small decline

Individual sector indices were mixed, with the biggest gains in Food & Beverage, up 1.51 percent; Public Utilities up 1.28 percent; and Commerce, up 0.93 percent.

The biggest losses were in Health, down 2.59 percent; Travel & Recreation, down 1.63 percent; and Telecoms, down 1.61 percent.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks was down 0.47 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index was down 0.23 percent, and the FTSE/ASE-80 small cap index was up 0.09 percent.

Of the stocks moved, 35 were up, 36 were down, and 28 were unchanged.

[05] Greek Superleague results

In other action:

Kavala-Atromitos Athens 2-1

Panionios Athens-Asteras Tripoli 1-3

Iraklis Thessaloniki-Larissa 2-1

Levadiakos Livadia-Ergotelis Crete 2-2

Xanthi-Panthrakikos Komotini 1-0

Standings after four weeks of play:

1. Panathinaikos 12 points

2. Asteras 8

3. Aris 7

4. Kavala 7

5. Iraklis 7

6. AEK 7*

7. Olympiakos 7*

8. PAS Yiannina 5

9. Ergotelis 5

10. PAOK 4*

11. Levadiakos 4

12. Xanthi 4

13. Larissa 2

14. Panionios 1*

15. Atromitos 1

16. Panthrakikos 0

Note: AEK, Olympiakos, Panionios and PAOK each have a game less.

Caption: Panathinaikos' defender Costas Spyropoulos and Aris Thessaloniki forward Sergio Koke fight for the ball during the match Panathinaikos-Aris at the Olympic Stadium of Athens on Sunday 20 September 2009. ANA-MPA/Dimitris Birdahas

[06] Athens Newspaper Headlines

ANA-MPA/Ruling New Democracy's and main opposition PASOK's announcement of their State MP tickets, Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis speeches in the cities of Larissa, Ioannina and Messolonghi and prevailing optimism in PASOK for the October 4 election results, and the political leaders' TV debate scheduled for Monday evening, dominated the headlines on Monday in Athens' newspapers.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "Stern queries to PASOK leader - Karamanlis' speeches in the provinces were fiery and numerous".

APOGEVMATINI: "Change of the political climate in the provinces - Positive messages from Larissa, Ioannina and Messolonghi".

AVRIANI: "Why all the parties have stopped speaking about the SIEMENS case - Do they think we are stupid and do not know what has happened?"

CHORA: "Game over - Karamanlis hands over the governance".

ELEFTHERI ORA: "The debate and State MPs ticket are ND's only hope for a turnabout".

ELEFTHEROS: "Karamanlis, Papandreou in TV 'arena' - The most critical 48 hours in the elections battle".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "ND's, PASOK's state MP tickets are indicative of the parties' priorities".

ETHNOS: "George (Papandreou) put his mark on PASOK's State MPs ticket".

TA NEA: "Papandreou won the renewal wager - Fresh blood in PASOK's state MP ticket".

VRADYNI: "Culture Minister Antonis Samaras says to newspaper: PASOK will make small and medium sized enterprises bleed".

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