Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 11-10-31

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM Papandreou addresses Socialist International conference on 'Arab Spring'

[02] PM chairs government meeting on Oct. 27 decisions

[03] Angry protests mar Oct. 28 'Oxi' day parades throughout Greece; Thessaloniki parade cancelled

[04] Government condemns protests at parades

[05] PM condemns incidents marring Oct. 28 parades

[06] Parade incidents an attack on democracy, Citizen Protection minister says

[07] Thessaloniki Police on cancellation of parade

[08] ND reaction to incidents at 'Oxi' day parades

[09] Political party comments on incidents at parades

[10] SYRIZA on Friday's incidents

[11] LAOS party demands Citizen Protection minister's resignation

[12] PM's message after 'Oxi' day mass in Athens

[13] ND leader Samaras on Greek debt agreement

[14] LAOS leader criticises Brussels agreement, calls for elections

[15] Task Force head Reichenbach gives interview to Sunday newspaper

[16] President Karolos Papoulias to receive Alexis Tsipras on Monday

[17] FM Lambrinidis holds talks with Cyprus President Demetris Christofias

[18] FM Lambrinidis gives interview to CNN TV network, meets UN sg's envoy and Cyprus President Christofias

[19] Greek FM on talks with U.S. Secretary of State

[20] Powerful blast at Petralona tavern

[21] Arrested suspect linked to gang of robbers, police say

[22] Drug trafficker arrested in Sagiada

[23] Makeshift explosive device outside Ioannina shop

[24] Robbers remove ATM machine from private clinic

[25] Gas cannisters explode in yard of Thessaloniki church

[26] Greek-owned tanker collides in Houston, no injuries reported

[27] Roma dies after armed clash in Menidi

[28] Kastritsi wildfire partially under control

[29] Mother and son arrested for drug-trafficking

[30] Series of arson attacks in Attica prefecture

[31] Superleague Results

[32] Cloudy on Monday

[33] Athens' Sunday newspapers at a glance

[01] PM Papandreou addresses Socialist International conference on 'Arab Spring'

Papandreou added that it conveyed to the entire world a strong message for more democracy and participation, for more justice.

The prime minister further said that the Socialist International is at the side of the citizens of the Arab world, who are struggling for a better future.

"We are looking forward to dialogue and cooperation with the democratic forces and the new governments that will appear, so that the Arab Spring can create prospects for the young people who are playing a leading role in this movement," he said.

Papandreou further said that the Arab Spring will also create new prospects for cooperation in the entire region of the Mediterranean.

He also referred to the special committee's creation and explained how they view cooperation in the future, underlining the common goal that is, as he said, respect and humanity, a humanitarian stance towards all people.

Papandreou went on to say that the Arab Spring strengthened this new discussion all over the world, how political parties must organise themselves and what their role in modern societies should be.

He also spoke of the need to change societies and referred to the economic crisis, while speaking of "respect" that also emanates from the deep feelings of recognition and solidarity that "we nurse for the Arab Spring, women and those movements that want to change the world."

Sessions conclude

Concluding Saturday the sessions of the Socialist International's conference and summing up its positive conclusions, as it was stressed, Papandreou said that Crete is "a neighbourhood having bonds with the Arab world."

Papandreou further referred to the role of the Arab Spring and to the role of Crete in the development of the countries of North Africa and the Middle East.

"Crete wants to play a considerable role. It has historic bonds with the Arab world and wants to widen and strengthen them," the prime minister said, adding that lately and for various reasons they slackened but now the Cretans desire and want to strengthen them.

Focusing on the transitional period of these countries, the prime minister called on all who participated in the important, as it was termed by all the participants, conference in Crete to create institutions that will secure the permanent transition to democracy.

In parallel, Papandreou reassured them that they will have the support of the PASOK party and of the Greek government in the struggle they have before them.

Papandreou held meetings on the sidelines of the SI's sessions with Lebanese Progressive Socialist Party president Wallid Jumblatt and with representatives of Libya's National Transitional Council.

Papandreou also had a meeting with Crete's regional governor Stavros Arnaoutakis, Decentralised Administration Secretary General Thanassis Karountzos, PASOK deputies and mayors and members of PASOK from the island.

[02] PM chairs government meeting on Oct. 27 decisions

The meeting was held at his offices in Parliament and focused on a road map until the final implementation of the agreements. Participants included Finance Minister and government vice-president Evangelos Venizelos, Administrative Reform and e-governance Minister Dimitris Reppas, Alternate Finance Minister Filippos Sahinidis and Parliament President Philippos Petsalnikos.

The prime minister is expected to brief Parliament concerning the agreement during the coming week, possibly on Tuesday, while a meeting of ruling PASOK's Parliamentary group is scheduled to be held on Monday afternoon at 5:00 p.m. with the prime minister in the chair.

[03] Angry protests mar Oct. 28 'Oxi' day parades throughout Greece; Thessaloniki parade cancelled

President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias was forced to withdraw from the parade stand amid cries of 'traitors', accompanied shortly afterward by National Defence Minister Panos Beglitis, while similar incidents marked parades held in Athens and other major Greek cities.

"I am deeply saddened. They should be ashamed. I came here to honour Thessaloniki and some people did not want the parade to take place. I fought for my country at 15. They cannot call me a traitor," Papoulias said in an angry statement to reporters shortly before his departure.

The Thessaloniki parade was due to begin at 11:00 a.m. but was prevented from starting by protestors shouting slogans against politicians, who appeared on both sides of Megalou Alexandrou Avenue and occupied the centre of the road near the officials' stand, making it impossible for the parade to pass.

To the east were protestors from the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA), including MP Tasos Kourakis, teachers, 'indignant citizens' groups and other unions shouting anti-government slogans. On the west side were supporters of the Iraklis football club and a group of citizens that started to hurl verbal abuse at the president as soon as he appeared, coming out into the road. They were soon joined by protestors on the other side and the parade was thus prevented from starting, in spite of a strong police presence.

Police took measures to prevent the protestors from approaching the officials present and, after 20 minutes of feverish consultations and despite Beglitis' insistence that police clear the road so that the parade might take place, a decision was finally taken to cancel the parade and for officials to depart.

The school students' parade passing in front of Parliament in Athens was also marked by protests, including by students taking part in the parade. The students of two schools turned their faces away from Education Minister Anna Diamantopoulou and other officials on the stand, refusing to pay their symbolic respects, while students from one school raised fists holding black ribbons as they passed in front the officials.

They were joined by the Athens municipality's Philharmonic Orchestra, which had tied black ribbons of protest to all their instruments in spite of a threat from Athens Mayor George Kaminis that anyone choosing this form of protest would face disciplinary action and possible dismissal.

On the sidelines of the parade, meanwhile, hundreds of protestors shouted slogans such as "Bread, Education, Freedom: the junta did not end in '73" and banners displaying the infamous Nazi slogan displayed at the entrance of concentration camps "Arbeit macht Frei".

Protests by groups of citizens led to the cancellation, interruption or delay of parades in several other cities of Greece, such as in Rhodes where members of the public broke through a police cordon and moved against the officials on the stand, where Agricultural Development Minister Costas Skandalidis, PASOK MP Dimitris Kremastinos and New Democracy MP Mika Iatridi were among those present, forcing them to beat a retreat.

In the port city of Patras, the third-largest city in Greece, Deputy Defence Minister Costas Spiliopoulos was booed and also forced to withdraw from the stand before the parade could begin by citizens that occupied the road. Earlier, Spiliopoulos had been booed during a ceremony in honour of the fallen, while conversely crowds cheered representatives of resistance groups, veterans of war, the armed forces, police and fire brigade.

The parade eventually took place after the officials had left, with only students parading.

Protests also led to the cancellation of the parade on the Ionian island of Corfu and that in Trikala, when protestors again broke through a police cordon and PASOK MP Christos Magoufis was attacked by a young man that was arrested but then had to be released due to the angry reaction of the crowd. Officials departed and the parade instead became a large rally.

In the city of Iraklio on Crete, fierce protests again forced the majority of officials to depart and the parade finally took place with only Crete's Archbishop Irineos attending. Tension and interruptions occurred in Kalamata, where protestors pelted those on the parade stand with eggs and tomatoes and even at one point physically attacked them, while several students wore black armbands and nearly all turned their heads away from the parade stand.

Anti-government slogans and abuse similarly marked the student and military parade in the city of Tripoli, in the central Peloponnese, attended by Justice Minister Miltiades Papaioannou, PASOK MP Odysseas Konstantionopoulos, ND MP Andreas Lykourentzos and Peloponnese Region chief Petros Tatoulis, as well as that in Nafplion attended by Deputy Environment Minister Yiannis Maniatis, while that in Veria had to be cancelled.

In many areas, apart from protests, students taking part showed their displeasure with the government by pointedly turning their faces away from the officials on the stand, looking instead toward the crowd or groups of veterans.

[04] Government condemns protests at parades

Prime Minister George Papandreou contacted President Papoulias on the telephone and expressed his sorrow at the events in Thessaloniki, stressing that these insulted the national struggles of the Greek people and undermined democratic institutions.

The president, on his part, noted in statements from Thessaloniki shortly before his departure that the "latest decision of the European Union has useful elements that we must exploit. We must rally together to overcome the crisis so as to build Greece that is free of slavery and the dictates of third parties; clean our home and turn our home over to our children clean and whole".

He stressed that those protesting "should be ashamed of themselves" and dismissed them as a "small unacceptable minority".

"The Greek people understand where this is going and for this reason accepts all these pressures and all these measures that are at the expense of the weakest and most vulnerable. They believe that a better day will dawn. This is what we all believe and this is why we are here," he added.

In a later written statement, he again attacked those responsible for the incidents and said that they had abused the right to protest and exceeded the clear boundary between "a state of law and a social organisation without rules, without democratic foundation".

"Are those who treat public areas as their property democrats? And how is a majority counted? Through participation in demonstrations of protest or through elections that, based on the Constitution, are held every four years?" he asked.

Replying to criticism of the police's role and its failure to prevent the protestors, the government defended the stance of the police force and noted that any stronger intervention could have led to more violence and incidents at a time when small children and citizens were present.

[05] PM condemns incidents marring Oct. 28 parades

Arriving at Agios Nikolaos, eastern Crete in order to attend a Socialist International committee meeting, Papandreou condemned the incidents in Thessaloniki and elsewhere as an expression of autocracy, saying that all Greek society condemns such actions.

"Autocracy is the attempt by some people to impose their opinions, interrupting parades," he said, noting that those responsible were seeking to divide the Greek people and to harm democracy and the country's democratic traditions.

[06] Parade incidents an attack on democracy, Citizen Protection minister says

"On the day to commemorate and respect the heroes that fell for Freedom and Democracy, a small handful with a stunted sense of social and political responsibility chose to organise their action and acts in an attempt to humiliate the institutions, the Nation and the people," he said.

He described those behind the incidents as 'Fascist minorities' seeking to impose their opinion and presence by force and to incite division at a time when the people needed unity.

"They chose to insult the President of the Republic, the chief institution of the Constitution," he added, noting that current president Karolos Papoulias had been associated with the people's struggles for freedom, democracy, national dignity and social justice throughout his life.

[07] Thessaloniki Police on cancellation of parade

The announcement added that the venues of such events cannot constitute a place for a police operation to restore order.

[08] ND reaction to incidents at 'Oxi' day parades

He accused the government of watching the social eruptions that its policies had triggered in confusion, unable to react.

At the same time, he criticised those responsible for the incidents and said they had hurt the country's national pride.

"Those rejoicing at having injured our national holiday should know that they themselves hurt our national pride, they have themselves blackened the image of all Greeks, themselves insulted the memory of our heroes," he said.

Samaras stressed that at a time when the country was trying to count its injuries and stand on its feet, national symbols and Greek history should not be confused with a disastrous government.

"Only our enemies would want us divided on this day," he underlined.

[09] Political party comments on incidents at parades

It stressed that it was the inalienable right of people to demonstrate their opposition and fight with the terms of a mass movement to overthrow a policy and authority that was sacrificing them for the interests of those that exploit them.

According to the Democratic Left, however, the prevention of the parades were "actions that ruined the country's public image" and were an insult to an important national holiday symbolising the fight against Fascism.

[10] SYRIZA on Friday's incidents

The announcement said that "the attempt to distort the truth, when it comes into such a great conflict with the reality that the overwhelming majority of our people are experiencing, appears to be ridiculous and comical."

[11] LAOS party demands Citizen Protection minister's resignation

The party also strongly attacked what it called "well-known Leftists" that it accused of trying to overthrow the democratic political system.

"The government is called on to undertake its responsibilities toward the nation. The disturbance of law and order could lead to even worse results than those accepted by the government in Brussels. Obviously, Mr. Papoutsis has no place at the Citizen Protection ministry when he cannot even protect the smooth holding of parades," a party announcement stressed.

[12] PM's message after 'Oxi' day mass in Athens

"We are celebrating the courage of the Greek people, the great 'no', the great decision of the Greek people for freedom, independence and Democracy, a great course of our nation and Hellenism," the prime minister said.

He stressed that this was a decision to cultivate all that was best in the country, which he emphasised was a special country with huge potential and a proud people.

"We must develop our own powers, our own comparative advantages, which we know are many. And this course requires the participation of all. We know that we can do it," he concluded.

[13] ND leader Samaras on Greek debt agreement

Samaras stresses that his party's stance and positions over the past period have been vindicated and calls for this to be acknowledged by all who exercised tough and malicious criticism of himself and his party.

The ND leader assesses that the haircut was unavoidable because the debt was not viable and this development, as he pointed out, photographs the absolute failure of the policy implemented to date.

[14] LAOS leader criticises Brussels agreement, calls for elections

Standing outside the house where the former Greek prime minister Ioannis Metaxas had uttered the famous 'no' to Italy's ultimatum in 1940, plunging Greece into war with the Axis powers, Karatzaferis stressed that "71 years later George Papandreou has replied with a cowardly 'yes'."

He called for elections as fast as possible, given that the country's political forces had been unable to agree to a government of 'national salvation', and stressed that the current prime minister and government were unable to lead the country out of the current crisis.

[15] Task Force head Reichenbach gives interview to Sunday newspaper

Reichenbach concedes that the results of the structural changes will not appear in one day and that many of the changes required will not be liked by society, but terms them beneficial for the economy and consequently for the citizens.

He also appears optimistic over the fact that a large number of people, countries and organisations are willing to help Greece for policies to be implemented that will lead to an exit from the crisis.

[16] President Karolos Papoulias to receive Alexis Tsipras on Monday

[17] FM Lambrinidis holds talks with Cyprus President Demetris Christofias

Foreign Minister Stavros Lambrinidis and Cyprus President Demetris Christofias discussed the present phase of the Cyprus issue during their meeting in New York on Saturday evening, in light of talks to be held at Long Island in New York on Sunday and Monday. No statements were made after the meeting.

Lambrinidis reiterated the support being provided by the Greek government and Prime Minister George Papandreou for the Cyprus President and his efforts for a "fair and workable solution", as a diplomatic source said.

Lambrinidis briefed President Christofias on the meeting he had on Thursday with his US counterpart Hillary Clinton and the Cyprus President briefed him on the present situation and prospects appearing in relation to the negotiations in New York.

[18] FM Lambrinidis gives interview to CNN TV network, meets UN sg's envoy and Cyprus President Christofias

Foreign Minister Stavros Lambrinidis, speaking in an interview with the CNN television network, stressed that "we are very optimistic" after the European Council's decisions and "now, the path is more realistic, providing the prospect for light at the end of the tunnel."

Speaking in New York, where he arrived on Friday coming from Washington, where he had met with his US counterpart Hillary Clinton, Lambrinidis referred to the importance of the agreement in Brussels, underlining that a new page is being opened now, because it gives Greece a hope for rescue, for the euro and for Europe and shows that the issue is not only Greek but European as well.

Replying to a relevant question, he spoke of the Greek citizens' reactions, underlining the "great sacrifices" with the salary cutbacks and the implementation of other measures that have caused "great pain."

Lambrinidis added that the Greek people are seeing that there is solidarity from our European partners and that these sacrifices will not be in vain.

Lambrinidis met in New York on Friday with members of the Greek American community and the UN Secretary General's personal envoy in the negotiations between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Matthew Nimetz. No statements were made afterwards.

The Foreign minister also had a meeting on Saturday with Cyprus President Demetris Christofias in light of the starting on Sunday of bilateral negotiations on the Cyprus issue at Long Island in New York.

[19] Greek FM on talks with U.S. Secretary of State

In statements after meeting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday night, Greek Foreign Minister Stavros Lambrinidis said the talks were "extremely positive" and that Athens and Washington now had a "common approach on many issues".

He said the meeting had allowed him to brief Clinton in depth on the recent decisions taken by European Union leader concerning Greece's debt, stressing that these would give the country breathing space in order to make the necessary changes, and emphasising Washington's contribution to this decision.

The meeting also covered regional issues, such as Turkey and Cyprus and the Balkans, where Lambrinidis thanked Clinton for the steadfast stance of the U.S. with respect to oil drilling by the Cyprus Republic. On the Macedonia name dispute, the minister stressed Athens' concern over a perceived hardening of Skopje's stance on the issue, which showed it did not share Greece's desire to find a solution to the problem.

Regarding the upcoming talks on the Cyprus issue at the United Nations, Lambrinidis said that both sides supported the talks and considered it important that there be a successful outcome.

General News

[20] Powerful blast at Petralona tavern

A bomb disposal team has been sent to the scene to determine what caused the explosion.

[21] Arrested suspect linked to gang of robbers, police say

The suspect was arrested by DIAS motorcyle police while driving a car with stolen number plates. He was with a Greek man also sought by authorities and refused to stop for a routine check but sped off and attempted to escape. The occupants of the car shot at the police in pursuit twice, once with a pistol and once with a kalashnikov rifle.

The two then abandoned the vehicle they were driving and split up, the Greek grabbing the car of a passing female driver by force and the Albanian trying to escape in a taxi. The second man was tracked down and arrested in Dekeleias Street. At the time of his arrest he was carrying a loaded pistol and seven shells.

Based on an investigation by police, the two men and a third foreigner, along with at least two more individuals not yet identified, had formed a criminal gang carrying out armed robberies in homes at Avlida Coast and Nikaia, as well as car thefts.

Shortly before they were caught driving a car stolen in Nikaia on October 19, they had broken the glass front of a bank branch in Pefki and grabbed 25,750 euro at gunpoint.

In a search of the Albanian man's home, police found and confiscated ammunition, nine detonators, four slow-burning fuses, four sticks of dynamite, gloves, mobile phones and phone cards.

The man arrested had been incarcerated in Korydallos prison from January 4 until March 12 on drug-related charges before his release with restrictions.

The Greek man still at large has an outstanding warrant for his arrest issued in Tripoli for a bank robbery.

[22] Drug trafficker arrested in Sagiada

[23] Makeshift explosive device outside Ioannina shop

[24] Robbers remove ATM machine from private clinic

[25] Gas cannisters explode in yard of Thessaloniki church

[26] Greek-owned tanker collides in Houston, no injuries reported

The Greek-owned tanker, that has a crew of 24 on board of whom 10 are Greeks, sustained material damage and is anchored outside a Houston port for inspection. The freighter was also damaged and is inside the port.

[27] Roma dies after armed clash in Menidi

One of the remaining injured persons is in a serious condition, but he and the other four are in no danger.

Police are seeking the perpetrators of the killing and the injuries and probing the causes of the clash and the conditions under which it broke out.

[28] Kastritsi wildfire partially under control

Four water-bombing aircraft taking part in the firefighting effort have withdrawn while a strong force remains on the ground. Thirty firemen and four fire-engines, along with two teams on foot have succeeded in keeping the flames away from houses while the fire was continuing to burn areas of farmland and forest.

[29] Mother and son arrested for drug-trafficking

A stun-gas revolver, a package of heroin weighing 150 grams, an electronic precision scale, a small number of drug pills and two mobile phones were found in their possession and their homes in the regions of Toumba and Retziki and were confiscated.

[30] Series of arson attacks in Attica prefecture

Shortly after midnight in the seaside region of Glyfada, unknown persons doused three cars with an inflammable liquid and started a fire, resulting in the two being destroyed completely and the third being damaged.

At 2:53, in the northern region of Aharnes, a car was torched and damaged on one side.

At 4:30 a fire broke out in a taxi in the Athens suburb of Petroupoli, that was destroyed, while a car parked nearby was damaged.

Lastly, a truck was torched in the city of Megara on Saturday night and its cabin and rear section were damaged.

Sports

[31] Superleague Results

Panetolikos - Xanthi 2-0

Olympiakos Piraeus - OFI Crete 2-2

Ergotelis Crete - Asteras Tripolis 2-0

AEK Athens - Aris Thessaloniki 3-0

PAOK Thessaloniki - Panathinaikos Athens 1-3

The standings after the 8th week of play

Panathinaikos 16

Atromitos 16

Olympiakos 14

AEK 13

PAOK 11

Panetolikos 10

PAS Yiannena 9

OFI 9

Panionios 8

Ergotelis 8

Xanthi 5

Aris 4

Asteras Tripoli 3

Kerkyra 2

Weather Forecast

[32] Cloudy on Monday

[33] Athens' Sunday newspapers at a glance

AVGHI: "Gloomy 20 years".

AVRIANI: "They are drying up banks and making the market bankrupt".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "And with a haircut and with handcuffs".

ETHNOS: "Brussels agreement bringing ten years of sacrifices".

KATHIMERINI: "Last chance under stiffling control".

KERDOS: "The file of the...barber's shop".

LOGOS: "Pensions and salaries on razor's edge".

NIKI: "How much pensions and lumpsum will be decreased".

PROTO THEMA: "Secret 6-month ultimatum".

REALNEWS: "You will need a new haircut".

RIZOSPASTIS: "Popular struggle for the reversal of the power of monopolies".

TO ARTHRO: "The end of banking impunity".

TO PARON: "Berlin government".

TO VIMA: "Phenomena of dissolution. Crackling in institutions, economy, government".

VRADYNI: "Old insured. Who must be pensioned off now".

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