Antenna: News in English (AM), 97-04-02

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From: Antenna Radio <http://www.antenna.gr> - email: antenna@compulink.gr

News in English, 02/04/97

TITLES

• The Albanian prime minister is expected in Greece.
• Unseasonal snow in central Greece.
• And, Antenna's April Fool's gag.

ALBANIA LATEST

On the diplomatic front, Albanian prime minister Baskim Fino is due to meet with the Greek prime minister in Athens Thursday.

Greece wants to know exactly what the 700-plus peacekeepers it plans to send to Albania will be doing before it decides whether it will send regular army units, or volunteers.

The most dangerous mission would be delivering aid. In that case, Greece will go with volunteers, if it can muster them. So far, reports are that only 300 soldiers have been found to volunteer for the mission.

The nature of the Greek mission will be announced in Rome Thursday or Friday. In the meantime, three Greek army divisions in northern Greece are on stand-by, ready to go.

As the international community continues to offer its assistance to the Albanian authorities, the Albanian prime minister is expected in Athens Thursday. Baskim Fino will discuss the situation in his country with prime minister Kostas Simitis and the public order minister.

Fino visited the rebel stronghold of Argyrokastro in southern Albania Wednesday - after weeks of postponing the trip.

Fino announced that the notorious secret police service of president Sali Berisha - who refuses to heed rebel calls to resign - has been effectively disbanded, since the finance minister has cut off all of its funds.

Berisha says he will only leave office whent the people elect a new president. It was initially hoped that elections could be held in June, but given the anarchy that prevails in the country, that is now considered unlikely.

The gap between Berisha and the rebeles remains unbridged. The rebels want Berisha to resign before they lay down their arms. Berisha vetoed a bill passed by parliament, granting a general amnesty to the rebels. Berisha maintains that there can be no amnesty for individuals who have committed crimes against humanity during the uprising.

ALBANIA/ANTENNA

There were no casualties in the attack, which the Greek government called an attempt to damage Greek- Albanian relations.

As we hear in this report, ethnic Greeks in southern Albania are worried about their safety.

The unrest in southern Albania has ethnic Greeks on their guard, especially after the shooting death of 39 year old Eleni Kokka, forced to get out of her car with the rest of her family, by two gunmen who hurled anti-Greek abuse at them.

For Greeks in the Delvino area, what tonight or tomorrow will bring, is a worrying mystery.

One resident of the village of Vromero tells Antenna's Vasillis Hitos, "Five or six of us keep watch every night, some of us armed, others not".

Many ethnic Greeks are placing their hopes for security in the international peacekeeping force soon to arrive.

Even the Greek consul in Argyrokastro, Nikos Kanellos, isn't safe. Gunmen fired 8 shots at his house Monday night at around 10 o'clock.

Kanellos and some consulate employees, who have worked at the consul's home for the past several days for reasons of safety, were unharmed.

The Greek foreign ministry responded to the attack, calling it a criminal attempt to damage Greek-Albanian relations and disrupt the work of the consulate. It also praised what it called the heroism and sacrifice of the consulate employees, who have carried on despite the dangers they confront.

One of the things Greece has said it will do, is help the Albanian armed forces regroup. They virtually dissolved when the rebellion started.

What's left of the regular army has started taking the first steps toward regrouping. They've started retrieving the tanks seized and later abandoned or turned in by the rebels.

ND

The period between the parliamentary elections last September, and the New Democracy congress nearly two weeks ago, was a time of soul- searching, as different groups within the party plugged different people for the leadership post.

But, as we hear in this report, new leader Kostas Karamanlis says the differences can now be put aside.

In an interview with the magazine "Status", Kostas Karamanlis says the congress delegates decision to elect him New Democracy leader showed tha most members want the party to turn the page on the past, and the internal discord.

Karamanlis also says that there is a good chance now that the party can heal its wounds and move forward in unity, if all members chip in and help.

Karmanlis adds, "Regardless of who won or lost at the congress, we've all suffered - and not just politically - from the communication gap in our party, and the climate of suspicion that gave rise to".

One man who didn't support Karamanlis's candidacy for the leadership is former prime minister Constantinos Mitsotakis. Yet reliable sources report that Karamanliis has asked him to preside over the election of the party's paliamenta group representative, and that Mitsotakis has accepted.

In his interview, Karamanls says he has great respect for Mitsotakis, even though he hasn't always agreed with him.

Asked about the prime minister, Karamanlis calls Kostas Simitis tough adversary.

Karamanlis says an eventual election battle with Simitis will be an important test of his ability to lead New Democracy.

The first step for Karamanlis in preparation for that eventual showdown, is uniting his forces. He met with MP Stephanos Manos Tuesday, another person who didn't support his leadereship cadidacy. After their meeting, Manoss said New Democracy needs to clarify its stands on foreign policy and economic issues.

Adding that the party must work in a democratic way, Manos wished the new leader every success.

PSATHAS

Launching a new edition of "Themis is in high spirits", justice minister Evangelos Yiannopoulos, a close friend and one-time journalistic associate of the writer, praised PsathAs AS a jounalist, columnist, and playwright, and lamented the hole he's left with his death.

Yiannopoulos said, "today, we're searching for his critical eye on politics, we're looking for this tough and uncompromising man. Where is the new PsathAs to write a few words and put things in their place?"

Four actors read excerpts from "Themis" at the launch. The new edition is illustrated by 80 cartoons by Fokion Dimitriades.

PILIO

This might be Greece's spring, but the clouds over mount Pilio didn't care Monday night as they unloaded; and neither did Mister Temperature...he pushed the temperature down to minus 1 celsius, 30 degrees farenheit.

The snow was 40 centimetres deep in some places.

The locals with a long memory say they haven't had this much of the white stuff in thirty years.

All of which means that ski-buffs who were starting to look forward to summer sports, now have at least one more chance to hit the slopes.

APRIL FOOLS'

The bogus story was about government plans to shut down ferry services from the port of piraeus, redirecting all island-goers to Lavrio, outside Athens.

The story explains that the government wants to shift ferry traffic to the opposite side of the Attic Peninsula, so that passengers will get to their island desitnations quicker.

What would be left to the country's largest port? Cargo ships.

Antenna's April fool's report goes on to say that residents of one Athenian seaside suburb, fearing an increase in summer road traffic, started a campaign in opposition to the plan, and protested at the merchant marine ministry.

© ANT1 Radio 1997

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