Athens News Agency: News in English, 00-04-10

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

CONTENTS

[01] Simitis-Mandate-President

[02] Elections

[03] Elections-overall lead

[04] Premier-Victory statement

[05] DHKKI-Voting percentage-Parliamentary exclusion

[06] Elections-PASOK-slight lead

[07] Traffic accidents- twenty four victims

[08] Election figures - One-third - Vote

[01] Simitis-Mandate-President

Prime minister and PASOK leader Costas Simitis on Monday received a mandate to form a new government from President of the Republic Costis Stephanopoulos, after clinching Sunday's cliffhanger general elections with a 43.78 percent majority vote.

In order to form a government, he must wait for the official final results on the composition of the 300-member parliament, and immediately afterwards present the new government, Simitis explained, adding that this process required "a few days".

[02] Elections

With 99 percent of the vote counted, the ruling socialist PASOK party maintained its lead in Sunday's general elections garnering 43.78 percent against its main contender, the New democracy party running close behind with 42.78 percent.

According to the latest Interior ministry results on Monday morninbg, PASOK so far wins 158 seats in the 300-member single chamber parliament, against 125 seats for New Democracy.

The Communist party of Greece (KKE) comes in third with 5.51 percent, winning 11 seats and the Coalition of the Left party with 3.19 percent and six seats.

The small Democratic Socialist movement (DHKKI) won only 2.68 percent of the overall vote, failing to make it to parliament.

The final results are expected to be announced on Monday afternoon.

[03] Elections-overall lead

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Ruling PASOK party held on to a slight lead of 0.70 percent which could touch one percent at the final count. With nearly 95 percent of the votes counted nationwide by 3.30 a.m. on Monday, PASOK received 43.70 percent against 43.00 percent for main opposition New Democracy party in Sunday's thriller general elections, guaranteeing a thin majority in parliament.

PASOK is assured of 157 seats in the new parliament and New Democracy 126 seats. The Communist Party of Greece (KKE), which garnered 5.46 percent, appeared to be assured of 11 seats, while the Coalition of the Left and Progress Party (SYN) with 3.16 percent, won six seats. The Democratic Social Movement (DHKKI) failed to gain a seat in parliament as its 2.67 percent score was less than the three percent needed to enter parliament.

Prime Minister Costas Simitis, in a televised statement at around 2 a.m. on Monday, reiterated his commitment to form a government for all Greeks.

?It will be a four-year term for all Greeks, a four-year term of aiming high and of creation, a four-year term of unity and work for our common home, Greece,? Simitis said.

The premier stressed that it was a very important political victory, which was won following a harsh election battle and underlined that the importance of this victory was much greater than the figures showed.

?The result vindicates the will of all Greeks to struggle for a powerful Greece, a Greece that is an equal partner in Europe, for a society of justice and solidarity. (The victory) is a response to the doubts over Greece¢s course over the past four years,? he said.

?It gives the mandate to PASOK, to continue this course with renewed ideas, renewed forces, along with those who demand a society of freedom and solidarity, a society of development and creativity,? he added.

?My colleagues and I, in the new government are committing ourselves today to work hard with faith, persistence and sincerity to transform the promises we made, for the next four-year term from 2000-2004, into action. Especially those commitments for a social state, a society with a human face, employment, balanced development and the new opportunities and abilities for the youth,? Simitis said.

?These priorities of ours, I believe, reflect the will of the Greeks, as was expressed by the election results,? he added.

?I call on all Greeks to join us, regardless of party confrontations, toward our common goals for a powerful, modern and socially just Greece, a Greece which will be at the front lines of the European Union. A Greece which has a voice and prestige, a force of peace, stability and cooperation,? he added.

?This four-year term will be one of uplifting and creativity for all Greeks, one of unity and work for our common home, our Greece. That is my commitment, PASOK¢s commitment. A commitment of a party which unites all Greeks,? Simitis said.

?Our government will be a government of all Greeks,? the premier concluded.

Karamanlis calls election results a victory for his party

The election results constitute a victory for main opposition New Democracy (ND), as well as a base and a spring board for a new beginning, party leader Costas Karamanlis stressed in a televised address, following the election results showing ruling PASOK victorious.

?The government can not move forward without the consent of ND,? Karamanlis said, adding that the political movement for the ?new beginning? is all-powerful and is part of Greece¢s inheritence for the 21st century.

Karamanlis said that soon the positions of his party would be vindicated by the potential registered in the elections, adding that his party waged the election battle with high ethics, good manners and respect for the political opponent.

He thanked party officials and the supporters of ND, as well as all Greek citizens for the struggle they waged, stressing that Greeks honoured ND¢s proposal for cooperation and consent.

During his address, Karamanlis was flanked by almost all the party cadres.

Communist Party of Greece (KKE) leader Aleka Papariga said that her party withstood pressures exerted over many years.

She said that the election confrontation was waged under harsh conditions and under the pressure of this election law, adding that even so her party maintained its strength.

Papariga also noted that the government won the election by a slight margin, adding that it will be met with strong resistance in parliament and in society, not by main opposition New Democracy, but by KKE.

Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) leader Nikos Constantopoulos reassured party supporters that he will continue his efforts, within and out of parliament, in confronting the country¢s problems.

He congratulated Greek citizens for voting for his party after having to overcome pressures created by the two major parties, which "presented blackmailing dilemmas".

Democratic Social Movement (DHKKI) leader Dimitris Tsovolas in a televised statement commented on his party¢s exclusion from parliament.

Tsovolas thanked his voters for their support and congratulated the candidates of his party for their ?political and ethical resistance, as they did not submit to the miserable, politically unethical, anti-democratic blackmail and the pressures of the (ruling) PASOK mechanisms?.

?I hope that it will be proven that the presence of DHKKI and Tsovolas was the one that brought all ill in parliament, to the country and to the average Greek citizen,? he said bitterly, adding that no one in his party is without a profession.

?We warned and we reiterate, that should main opposition New Democracy or PASOK win the election and can form a majority government they would put an end to the (Greek) national issues to the detriment of Greece and would apply an anti-popular policy, harsher than the one the people lived through since 1990,? he added.

?For three and a half years we gave everything we had with our daily presence. It seems that the people do not want leaders and political parties that honour their vote,? he commented.

?The two party system has won and I congratulate the United States of America and the great publishing houses. I hope that this vote by the people will not prove fatal for Greece, Cyprus and the average Greek citizen,? he concluded.

[04] Premier-Victory statement

Prime Minister Costas Simitis, in a televised statement at around 2 a.m. on Monday, following the tally of more than 80 per cent of the vote, which showed ruling PASOK head by 0.6 per cent, reiterated his commitment to form a government for all Greeks.

?It will be a four-year term for all Greeks, a four-year term of aiming high and of creation, a four-year term of unity and work for our common home, Greece,? Simitis said.

The premier stressed that it was a very important political victory, which was won following a harsh election battle and underlined that the importance of this victory was much greater than the figures showed.

?The result vindicates the will of all Greeks to struggle for a powerful Greece, a Greece that is an equal partner in Europe, for a society of justice and solidarity. (The victory) is a response to the doubts over Greece¢s course over the past four years,? he said.

?It gives the mandate to PASOK, to continue this course with renewed ideas, renewed forces, along with those who demand a society of freedom and solidarity, a society of development and creativity,? he added.

?My colleagues and I, in the new government are committing ourselves today to work hard with faith, persistence and sincerity to transform the promises we made, for the next four-year term from 2000-2004, into action. Especially those commitments for a social state, a society with a human face, employment, balanced development and the new opportunities and abilities for the youth,? Simitis said.

?These priorities of ours, I believe, reflect the will of the Greeks, as was expressed by the election results,? he added.

?I call on all Greeks to join us, regardless of party confrontations, toward our common goals for a powerful, modern and socially just Greece, a Greece which will be at the front lines of the European Union. A Greece which has a voice and prestige, a force of peace, stability and cooperation,? he added.

?This four-year term will be one of uplifting and creativity for all Greeks, one of unity and work for our common home, our Greece. That is my commitment, PASOK¢s commitment. A commitment of a party which unites all Greeks,? Simitis said.

?Our government will be a government of all Greeks,? the premier concluded.

[05] DHKKI-Voting percentage-Parliamentary exclusion

Democratic Social Movement (DHKKI) leader Dimitris Tsovolas in a televised statement commented on his party¢s exclusion from Parliament, in the early morning hours of Monday, as it harnessed less than 3 per cent of the vote.

?We warned and we reiterate, that should main opposition New Democracy or PASOK win the election and can form a majority government they would put an end to the (Greek) national issues to the detriment of Greece and would apply an anti-popular policy, harsher than the one the people lived through since 1990,? he added.

?The two party system has won and I congratulate the United States of America and the great publishing houses. I hope that this vote by the people will not prove fatal for Greece, Cyprus and the average Greek citizen,? he concluded.

[06] Elections-PASOK-slight lead

Ruling PASOK is maintaining a slight lead over main opposition New Democracy in Greece's Sunday general elections, with 50 per cent of the votes counted nationwide.

The latest figures released in Athens just before 1 a.m. Monday show PASOK leading with 43.7 percent, with the New Democracy posting 43.2 per cent of the vote. Analysts say that according to this percentage difference, PASOK can form a government with 156 or 157 deputies.

The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) is in third place with 5.4 percent followed by the Coalition of the Left and Progress (SYN) with 3.3 per cent. The Democratic Social Movement (DHKKI) with just 2.6 percent will not be represented in parliament.

[07] Traffic accidents- twenty four victims

A total of 24 people were killed and 230 were injured in 166 road accidents throughout the country between Friday afternoon and Sunday midnight as out-of-town voters flocked to their home towns to vote in Sunday's general elections, traffic police said.

Special mention should be made to the traffic congestion on the Corinth-Athens highway, where automobiles lined the better part of 15 kilometres of the highway's inbound lanes, despite the fact that police allowed the use of one outbound lane to inbound traffic.

[08] Election figures - One-third - Vote

The latest figures released in Athens just after midnight (local time) show ruling PASOK slowly pulling away from main opposition New Democracy, with the former posting 43.7 percent to ND's 43.2 in an unprecedented Greek election thriller.

The figures come with roughly one-third of the nationwide vote tallied, as PASOK has accumulated 1,229,028 to New Democracy's 1,215,298.

The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) will by all accounts come in an expected distant third, pulling in 5.4 percent with more than 151,000 votes. The Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos), meanwhile, is tallying around 3.2 percent of the vote with some 119,000 votes.

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