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Thursday, 21 November 2024 | ||
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Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-09-18Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Opposition parties on new governmentMain opposition PASOK party spokesman Yiannis Raggousis, commenting on the new government announced on Tuesday by Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, said that "the structure of the government announced today by Mr. Karamanlis cannot meet the modern-day functional needs of the Hellenic state, it cannot meet neither old nor new problems, such as that of the environment, for which a separate ministry should have been established."The spokesman added that "in any case, however, what is important is the political orientation, it is the political options of the government." Raggousis further said that during the new government's policy statements "we shall have the opportunity to formulate our sustained alternative proposal, we shall have the possibility of proving our claim on the existence of a secret agenda which, while never presented for judgement by the Greek people, will begin to be implemented immediately. A secret agenda that, as we are certain, serves the few and the strong and turns against the many and the weak." Lastly, Raggousis said that PASOK, "faithful to its principles, its positions and with the sole criterion being the interests of the majority of the Greek people, will exercise responsible opposition and will stand by the side of every Greek woman and every Greek man, the Greek family, as well as the youth of the country." On his part, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) said in an announcement that "to the New Democracy (ND) government should not be given the slightest margin." "Its anti-popular policy will continue, because the ND is a party of the Capital and has undertaken committments for the implementation of reactionary reforms which bring about reachness to the few and intensified exploitation, decrease in income and a life without rights to the many...The KKE will do what it had promised before the elections: It will put all its forces at the side of the people," the announcement added. Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) representative Nikos Hountis, referring to the same issue, said that "more or less, the same persons were selected again to implement the same policy, as if elections did not take place, as if no message was received from the decrease in New Democracy's strength, from the social struggles that preceded and from the huge environmental and economic destruction experienced by the country." Hountis went on to say that "it appears that the environment will have to wait for a long time its riddance from the disastrous embrace with public works. The prime minister and the government will find the working people and youth against them. They will find against them the forces of the Radical Left Coalition in Parliament and in the social movements." [02] Athens on Gul visit to Cyprus' occupied northA Greek foreign ministry spokesman on Tuesday termed new Turkish President Abdullah Gul's visit to the Turkish-occupied portions of northern Cyprus as an "unproductive move against international legal order", while calling on Turkey and Turkish Cypriot leadership to implement a July 8, 2006 agreement between Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos and T/C leader Mehmet Ali Talat.Asked to comment on Tuesday's illegal visit to the Turkish-occupied north by Turkey's new president, foreign ministry spokesman George Koumoutsakos said "the priority now is the substantial preparation for the resumption of a process within the United Nations' framework, one that will retain guarantees of success towards finding a just, viable and workable solution to the Cyprus issue, which is primarily an issue of illegal military occupation. "What is needed is speedy implementation of the July 8, 2006 Agreement, and not unproductive -- as to their essence and symbolism -- moves which are, on the one hand, in opposition to international legal order, as defined by UN Security Council resolutions relevant to the problem of Cyprus, and on the other, against the European commitment of EU hopeful Turkey for a normalisation of its relations with the Republic of Cyprus," Koumoutsakos added. During a July 8, 2006 meeting in the presence of then UN Undersecretary General for political affairs Ibrahim Gambari, Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos and T/C leader Talat agreed to begin a process of bicommunal discussions on issues affecting the day-to-day life of people on the island republic, and concurrently, substantive issues contributing to a comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus problem. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |