Antenna: News in English (AM), 98-12-09

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

Last Updated: Wednesday, 09-Dec-98 11:25:56

CONTENTS

[01] MRB poll puts New Democracy ahead of PASOK

[02] Burns:The prospects for Greece's economy are bright

[03] Papademos

[04] Karamanlis

[05] Reppas-S300

[06] Onasis foundation-Roussel

[01] MRB poll puts New Democracy ahead of PASOK

However, Pasok scores higher when it comes to which party is better able to confront the country's major problems.

The MRB poll, conducted between Novmber 23rd and December 2nd, shows that New Democracy would pick up 31.8 per cent of the votes if an election were held today; Pasok would get 25.3 per cent. The other parties: the communist, or KKE, the Left Coalition, or Synaspismos, the Democratic Movement, and Political Spring are way back.

The poll - based on a sample of 2,000 respondents - also indicates many voters don't like any of the parties: Over 12 per cent polled said they'd vote for another party or cast a blank ballot.

The poll also shows that New Democracy is doing a good job of hanging on to its voters from the last election. 91 per cent said they'd vote that way again. Just 69 per cent of Pasok's voters said they'd do it for Pasok again.

Pasok has lost 4.6 of its voters to New Democracy; 5.7 per cent to the Democratic Movement; and 3.8 per cent to the Left Coalition.

New Democracy has lost just 1.8 per cent of its voters to Pasok; and 1.5 per cent to other parties.

Despite the numbers that appear to give New Democracy an edge over Pasok, in one key area, the ruling party appears to be in a strong position.

28.6 per cent of those asked said they think Pasok is best able to confront the nation's tough problems.

26.3 per cent chose New Democracy 38.4 per cent said none of the parties are competent.

Prime minister Kostas Simitis has a personal popularity rating of 31.4 per cent; New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis's is 39.7 per cent. Both men scored slight gains there on the last MRB poll in June.

Orthodox archbishop of Athens and all Greece Christodoulos has a 76.4 per cent popularity rating, followed by Athens mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos with a rating of 71.3 per cent; and Greek president Kostis Stephanopoulos with 69.5 per cent.

Respondents agreed in their majority that archbsihop Christodoulos should make public statements about key issues before Greece.

He's been criticised by the government for his outspokenness, but nearly 70 per cent of those polled say they fully or pretty much agree that he should speak his mind.

10.5 per cent don't feel either way about it.

And around 20 per cent say he should not talk publicly about major political issues.

[02] Burns:The prospects for Greece's economy are bright

American ambassador to Greece Nicholas Burns gave an optimistic assessment of the Greek economy's prospects during a speech Tuesday.

He also said it's time for Greece and the US to revive the bonds of commerce and investment between them.

US ambassador Nicholas Burns said Tuesday that the outlook for the Greek economy is bright.

Addressing a conference on the Greek economy organised by the American Hellenic Chamber of Commerce in Athens, The ambassador said there's no doubt in Washington that Greece is going to win its bid to join Europe's single currency league and take its seat at the table of European economic union in 2001.

"We are confident that Greece has what it takes... of the European Union". < P> According to Burns, Greece's course within the united Europe are only one facet of its economic prospects.

He also believes there is considerable room to revive economic trade and investment ties between Greece and the US.

The American ambassador is sure that the patient can indeed be revived, and that Greece's economy will benefit from investment from across the Atlantic.

In the view of the US, the Greek economy is building solid foundations on which to stand and grow in the next century. Washington also believes that Greece's position in Europe and a robust ecīnomic relationship with American businesses are an integral part of Greece's bright future.

[03] Papademos

Lukas Papadimos added that the pre-condition to his forecasts panning out is the government continuing its austere ecnomic policies.

The Bank of Greece director also said that it's important that the Greek government, like government's around the world, take steps to minimise the consequences of the recent global financial crisis. He said the Simitis government needs to stick with the cautious policies that will shelter Greece from shock waves from another global crisis.

[04] Karamanlis

The leader of New Democracy said the government is fiddling the numbers to convince everyone it's got the economy on an upward roll.

Kostas Karamanlis said the government's using fiscal alchemy to get the right numbers on the economy. The real picture, he added, is discouraging.

Slamming the government's failure to privatise the Ionian Bank, the Duty Free shops, and Olympic Airways, he said those privatisations, plus a privatisation of the public transport systems, would be a priority of a future New Democracy government.

Saying the prime minister is in a politically weak position to make the radical changes the country needs, Karmaanlis told the conference,

"At last, it's time for a government whose policies will be announced before the elections and detailed in its platform, we don't need anymore government's that change course in mid- term, when it realises the changes are needed.

Karamanlis coupled his description of the government as weak with an appeal to the other political parties.

"As we prepare to enter the 21st century", he said, "party colours are no longer important".

What is important, he argued, is clarifying who's prepared to cut close to the bone, to make the changes needed.

[05] Reppas-S300

Dimitris Reppas outlined Greece's views on the missile issue and the Cyprus problem during a meeting with Cypriot president Glavcos Clirides in Nicosia.

Cyprus's plan to deploy the Russian-made S-300 missile system has been frowned on in Washington and other Western capitals.

And Turkey is threatening to bomb the missile sites if they are deployed.

Cyprus says it needs the weapon to shield itself against a possible Turkish air attack.

Reppas says all the furor over the issue is

misguided and exaggerated. Governments and the media, he adds, shouldn't allow the minor issue of a weapon procurement to overshadow the major problem, which is Cyprus's division.

[06] Onasis foundation-Roussel

The trustees have brought a suit against Thierry Roussel, charging him with slander, perjury, and bringing fraudulent suit against them.

The Onasis foundation trustees have been subjected to lawsuits lodged against them by Thierry Roussel. He's accused them of financial mismanagement; and, last year, he claimed there was a plot to kidnap his daughter - the implication being that the trustees of Athina's fortune are incompetent when it comes to guaranteeing her safety. Swiss authorities said they had no evidence of a kidnapping plot.

Now, the foundation is striking back. Prosecutor Iannis Giotis told an Athens court Tuesday that all of Roussel's charges against the foundation are false.

He also said Roussel's wife, the late Christina Onasis - daughter of Aristotle Onasis - didn't trust her husband. In court, the prosecutor cited letters Christina had written to the chairman of the foundation. One states her total confidence in the foundation. The other states her distrust of her husband.

"It was a cry of agony", said Giotis. "And she's not alive today". Christina Onasis died of an apparent drug overdose twelve years ago.

As a dispassionate Roussel listened to the prosecutor through a translator, Giotis said Roussel's aim is to isolate his daughter, Athina.

He added that Roussel began his court campaign to discredit the foundation by charging it with mismanaging the Onasis estate in Switzerland. Now, Giotis added, he wants to extend his legal offensive to Greece, in the hope of strengthening his control over the Onasis fortune.

All of Roussel's expressed concern over the welfare and safety of his daughter, said Giotis, is merely gloss over his real motives of self- interest.

"Roussel's claims are not convincing", argued the prosecutor. "He's charged the foundation with mismanagement of the Onasis funds, even though he knows it's not true".

Giotis added that the foundation's finances are in good shape, and that the trustees are very capable of meeting their financial obligations and the financial demands on the Onasis estate.

(c) ANT1 Radio 1998

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