Athens News Agency: News in English, 00-04-25

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

CONTENTS

[01] Parliament-Policy statement-approval

[01] Parliament-Policy statement-approval

The Greek Parliament in the early hours of Tuesday approved the new PASOK governments policy statement for its new four-year term, following a two-day debate, with 157 for and 141 against, as two deputies of the 300 were absent.

Concluding the debate, Prime Minister Costas Simitis said that the basic differences of the parties in Parliament became clearly apparent during the debate.

On this note he accused main opposition New Democracy (ND)party of reiterating its neo-liberal beliefs, according to which the ?market? is the regulator of social developments, even in sectors such as health and education.

He also accused ND of maintaining "far rightist tendencies", adding that the main opposition party was more interested in gaining votes rather than solving the countrys problems, "thus it is interested in the cultivation of confrontation, continual negativity and conscious overstatements".

To confront this opposition, Simitis said, his aim will be to establish a progressive governance of the country, with specific goals toward reliable, effective and transparent actions.

He added that this governance will be socially sensitive, ?a governance of freedom and solidarity, a governance of participation, a governance along with the civil society."

Socialist PASOK won the April 9 early general elections by a slim majority, which however remedied by the electoral law allowed for a comfortable majority of 158 seats in Parliament.

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