Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 02-10-14

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

CONTENTS

[01] Athens-Piraeus supra-Prefecture, Athens municipality, head to run-offs

[02] PM Simitis calls on 'progressive citizens' to take 'common stance' in run-offs

[03] Interior minister Skandalidis satisfied with” impeccable” holding of local gov't elections

[04] Deputy French foreign minister to Athens

[05] Greek armed forces chief to Cyprus next week

[06] Court rules pilots' strike illegal, flights expected to run normally

[07] Domestic banks healthy despite profit slump, banker says

[08] One Greek injured, another feared missing in Bali blast

[09] Earthquake jolts eastern Crete, no damage or injuries

[10] Firebomb wrecks suburban mayor’s car

[11] Small blast near tax office, no injuries

[12] Austrian National Council President to visit Cyprus

[13] European Greens see momentum for Cyprus settlement

[01] Athens-Piraeus supra-Prefecture, Athens municipality, head to run-offs

Athens, 14/10/2002 (ANA)

Independent candidate George Karatzaferis, a former ND member, pulled a hat trick in this election and came in third with a sizeable 13.7 percent of the vote, ahead of Coalition of the Left and Progress (SYN)-backed candidate Manolis Glezos (11.3%) and Thanassis Pafilis (8.5%), who was jointly backed by the Communist Part of Greece (KKE) and the Democratic Social Movement (DHKKI).

In the Prefecture of Thessaloniki, with 9.83 percent of the vote counted, ND-backed Panayotis Psomiadis seemed poised to carry the prefecture with 51.6% of the vote, followed by PASOK-backed Grigoris Hatzisavvas with 32.8%, KKE/DHKKI-backed George Rokkos with 7.6 percent, and SYN-backed Michalis Tremopoulos with 5 percent.

In the Municipality of Thessaloniki, with 7.12 percent of the vote counted, ND-backed incumbent mayor Vassilis Papageorgopoulos clearly carried the vote with 54.3 percent, followed by PASOK-backed Spyros Vougias with 28.2 percent, KKE-backed Agapios Sahinis with 8.8 percent, and SYN-backed Anastasios Kourakis with 6.8 percent.

In the Municipality of Athens, with 12.74 percent of the votes counted, ND-backed Dora Bakoyianni was leading with 48 percent, followed by PASOK-backed Christos Papoutsis with 25.6 percent, DHKKI-backed Yannis Dimaras with 10.9 percent, SYN-backed Fotis Kouvelis with 6.2 percent, and KKE-backed Spyros Halvatzis with 5.9 percent.

In the Municipality of Piraeus, with 13 percent of the vote counted, ND-backed incumbent mayor Christos Agrapidis was leading with 47.2 percent, followed by PASOK-backed Manolis Benteniotis with 32.2 percent, SYN-backed Dritsas with 8.1 percent, and KKE-backed Costas Tzatzanis with 6.3 percent.

[02] PM Simitis calls on 'progressive citizens' to take 'common stance' in run-offs

Athens, 14/10/2002 (ANA)

Following the release of early results of Sunday's municipal/prefectural elections, Simitis said that from the election results emerged a strong trend towards autonomous local government that countered and rejected local government as a lever of authority that served personal or party expediencies.

He also made an overture to ''all the other political forces'' in view of next Sunday's second round, stressing that the results of the Athens-Piraeus supra-prefecture would be of decisive significance for all the political forces.

Karamanlis says Greeks send 'strong' message to government: Main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Costas Karamanlis early on Monday said the Greek people sent a strong message to the PASOK socialist government, through Sunday's local elections.

It was a "message to a government that systematically pushes away local government institutions, does not trust its elected representatives, to a government that shuts its eyes to the problems faced by the citizens," Karamanlis said in a statement.

"From the prime minister's statements and those by government and PASOK party officials one easily gathers that they have refused to receive this message," he added.

The Greeks, Karamanlis said, "with their vote have proved that New Democracy is the strongest political force in the country".

Bakoyianni thanks voters for their confidence: Athens mayoral candidate Dora Bakoyianni, whose New Democracy-backed ticket amassed some 48 percent of the vote in the Greek capital, early Monday thanked all those who voted for her for their confidence and support.

She said a wide majority was being formed, a majority that Athens needed in the coming period of great changes.

KKE leader says party increases influence in local elections: Communist Party of Greece (KKE) leader Aleka Papariga early on Monday said her party had increased its influence in Sunday's first round of local elections.

She added that her party aimed at rallying broad forces of the electorate to stand against bipolarization and neo-liberal forces which are to be found in the two main political parties.

KKE: The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) ruled out that it would back candidates of either of the two largest parties in the run-offs.

KKE political bureau member Orestis Kolozof told state NET television that the party's target is to strike out at the policy of the two large parties and, consequently, all who were opposed to that policy could not choose one of the two large parties.

Kolozof said that the firm position of the KKE, as expressed also during the pre-electoral period, was that neither the PASOK nor the ND candidates would be backed in the municipal and prefectural elections.

SYN leader Constantopoulos on election results: Coalition of the Left and Progress leader Nikos Constantopoulos said early Monday, after early results of Sunday's local government elections were announced, that he was pleased with the percentages garnered by the SYN-backed municipal and prefectural candidates throughout the country, and particularly that of Manolis Glezos in the Athens-Piraeus supra-prefecture, who came in third with approximately 11 percent.

Inferring that his party would not designate candidates to be backed in next Sunday's run-off elections, Constantopoulos said that the candidates and tickets that had been backed by SYN would decide themselves what position they would take.

Glezos, Dimaras will not designate candidate for backing in run-offs: Veteran Left politician Manolis Glezos, whose Coalition of Left and Progress (SYN)-backed ticket for the Athens-Pireaus supra-prefecture amassed some 11 percent of the vote in Sunday's local government elections, said shortly after the first early results were released that he would not designate a candidate for his voters to back in next weekend's run-off elections.

Glezos said that his ticket had ''called on the people of Athens, Piraeus and the islands to condemn the sidelining of local government in the policies of both PASOK and New Democracy, which serve the new world order, neoliberalism and globalization''.

Glezos said it would be ''unthinkable and improper'' to call on those same people to vote for that which it had called on them to condemn.

Athens mayoral candidate Yannis Dimaras, backed by the Democratic Social Movement (DHKKI), who polled third nearly 11 percent, also declined to designate a candidate for his voters to back in the run-offs.

''None of our voters has authorized me to give suggestions for the second round. We stand firmly on this choice,'' he said.

Gennimata cites strong lead for Athens-Piraeus super-prefecture: Fofi Gennimata, who is backed by the ruling PASOK party, said on Sunday that results so far had given her a robust lead for the Athens and Piraeus super-prefecture.

''This will be a battle in two rounds. We will maintain the same optimism and strength until next Sunday,'' Gennimata told media at her election center.

She is the daughter of the late George Gennimatas, a former national economy minister and founding member of PASOK.

[03] Interior minister Skandalidis satisfied with” impeccable” holding of local gov't elections

Athens, 14/10/2002 (ANA)

He said with satisfaction that the elections had taken place in an "impeccable manner", and praised the Greek voters for the "maturity and responsibility" they displayed and the political parties and local government organizations for their "responsibility" and "cooperation" in the ministry's simplified voting procedure introduced in these elections and effort to establish a national voters registry, which attitude he said "contributed positively to the result of the entire process".

This was the first time registered voters needed to present only their police IDs to vote at their designated polling stations, following elimination of the voting booklet, and Skandalidis vowed that in the 2004 general elections voters would be able to vote close to their homes, displaying only their IDs.

He said that the ministry had chartered taxis and mini-buses to ferry voters from polling station to polling station in cases where they needed to be transported to a different station.

He said a total of 28,560 voters were ferried by taxis and 3,780 by minibus.

Greeks vote in nationwide local elections: Greeks voted in local elections on Sunday to elect mayors and prefects around the country.

Casting his ballot in Athens was Prime Minister Costas Simitis, who underlined the growing importance of local authorities in handling issues involving the quality of life.

Voting in the northern port city of Thessaloniki, main opposition New Democracy leader Costas Karamanlis also cited the quality of day-to-day life as a key issue.

In Athens, around 450 taxis and 137 mini-buses were assigned to transport the elderly and handicapped to the ballot box.

Storms and heavy rain in most parts of the country on Saturday hindered voters who traveled to the provinces to vote there the following day. Traffic congestion was reported on several national highways.

During a storm on Saturday night, a northern village school building collapsed that was to have been used as a voting center. A warden managed to rescue the ballot box before the ceiling caved in.

[04] Deputy French foreign minister to Athens

Athens, 14/10/2002 (ANA)

Lenoir will also hold talks later in the day with Deputy Foreign Minister Tasos Yiannitsis.

[05] Greek armed forces chief to Cyprus next week

NICOSIA 14/10/2002 (ANA/G.Leonidas)

On his agenda in the island republic are talks with President Glafcos Clerides and Defense Minister Socrates Hasikos.

[06] Court rules pilots' strike illegal, flights expected to run normally

Athens, 14/10/2002 (ANA)

Pilots are expected to report to work normally from 0800 to noon on Tuesday when the walkout was due to be held.

The strike was called to draw public attention to alleged disinformation from management about its reasons for terminating flights to Australia, the Union of Civil Aviation Pilots said in a statement last week.

Workers claimed that management had indicated the route may stay afloat, but in reality the decision to halt flights had already been taken, and talks were underway with other airlines on terms damaging to Olympic Airways, the statement added.

[07] Domestic banks healthy despite profit slump, banker says

Athens, 14/10/2002 (ANA)

Theodoros Karatzas, head of blue-chip National Bank of Greece, told a financial magazine that a current profit decline was due to shrinking profit margins stemming from a drop in interest rates.

In addition, lower earnings were due to a loss of foreign exchange business following the switch to the euro; and a weak bourse that had driven down earnings for the banks' financial services subsidiaries.

''However, low profitability does not mean that banks have a problem. On the contrary, this is an incentive for restructuring in a move to curb spending and improve technological infrastructure,'' Karatzas told the Oikonomikos Tahidromos magazine.

[08] One Greek injured, another feared missing in Bali blast

Athens, 14/10/2002 (ANA)

Identified as injured and receiving hospital treatment was Ioannis Kaligas of Crete, the officials said.

The name of a Greek reported missing was withheld as it was unclear whether the person in question was present in the area of the explosion, the officials added.

A consular envoy from the Greek embassy in Jakarta has been sent to Bali to report on the attack and its aftermath, they said.

[09] Earthquake jolts eastern Crete, no damage or injuries

Athens, 14/10/2002 (ANA)

The epicenter of the earthquake, which occurred at 08:55 hours, was located 410 kilometers south of Athens in southeastern Crete, the Geodynamic Institute of the Athens National Observatory said in a statement

[10] Firebomb wrecks suburban mayor’s car

Athens, 14/10/2002 (ANA)

No one was injured in the night attack on the car belonging to the mayor of Halandri, a north Athens suburb.

[11] Small blast near tax office, no injuries

Athens, 14/10/2002 (ANA)

Found at the site of the blast in Keratsini near Piraeus was a pin from a hand grenade that caused the explosion late on Saturday.

The explosion did not damage the entrance of the tax office building, police said.

[12] Austrian National Council President to visit Cyprus

NICOSIA 14/10/2002 (CNA/ANA)

During his stay on the island, Fischer will be received by President of the Republic Glafcos Clerides and House of Representatives President Demetris Christofias, and will hold various meetings.

Fischer will arrive in Cyprus on Thursday afternoon, and will later on be received by Christofias.

On Friday, Fischer will meet with Mayor of Nicosia Michalakis Zampelas, who will accompany the Austrian official on a visit to the cease-fire line in the capital.

Later on in the day, Fischer will meet with the Acting Special Representative of the UN Secretary General and Chief of Mission of the UN Operations in Cyprus Zbiegniew Wlosovicz.

On Saturday, Fischer will hold a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs Ioannis Kasoulides, and will visit the bicommunal village of Pyla accompanied by Christofias.

On Sunday morning, Fischer will be received by President of the Republic Glafcos Clerides.

Fischer departs on Sunday afternoon.

[13] European Greens see momentum for Cyprus settlement

NICOSIA 14/10/2002 (CNA/ANA)

''We hope that this momentum will also help to bring about a long and lasting solution to the Cyprus issue'', Cassola noted, adding that the European Greens ''have always pressed for Cyprus to be one of the new members''.

He noted that ''it would be of course much welcomed if Cyprus were to join the EU as a united country, but of course it is no precondition''.

Cassola expressed hope that ''this momentum will help to reach a solution of the problem, which is a solution not only for Cypriots, who deserve it, but even for all Mediterranean and European people if we want peace and stability in our region''.

Vice Chairman of the European Greens Jean Lambert noted that she has ''a great interest'' in the British Bases' intention to erect an antenna in Akrotiri, with ''the potential destruction of the environment in this area''.

She said that her Green Party in Wales ''is making strong representations to the British government about this'', as well as campaigns in the press on the matter.

Lambert noted that she also raised the issue on the European level, pointing out however ''we have a real problem here because is the military, and the military has special privileges''.

''Cyprus is not yet a member of the EU, you cannot use European law on environmental impact to have a push on this'', she added.

Referring to the British government, Lambert noted ''they claim to be a very green government and yet they let their military carry on and do things like this in areas of international significance''.

The antenna is being installed in the Akrotiri wetland, a unique ecosystem of fresh and saltwater habitats.

The site supports a significant number of rare species, including 13 endemic and rare plant species and 32 bird species specially protected under the European Birds Directive. A number of species of water bird winter on or migrate through the site, including around 6.000 flamingos.

Under the terms of the Ramsar Convention, the British Bases are obliged to promote the conservation and wise use of the Akrotiri Ramsar site.

Britain has retained two military bases in Cyprus since the island gained its independence from British

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