Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-11-12

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

CONTENTS

[01] Papandreou re-elected PASOK president in landslide victory

[01] Papandreou re-elected PASOK president in landslide victory

According to PASOK Charter and Certification Committee chairman George Anomeritis, the final results of the vote will be announced at noon on Tuesday, following a meeting of the Committee.

The newly-reelected Papandreou, in a statement in the early hours of Monday after it became apparent that his victory was irreversible, called the election result the first major step in the direction of building a political system that respects the citizen and will give power and a voice to the Greek people.

Venizelos, in an early morning statement, said that PASOK's "rival was and is conservatism, the Right and its government".

He said that all who participated in Sunday's process "have a commong goal: PASOK's victory, and we will all work together for that".

Papandreou statement

Addressing himself to the Greek people and to the PASOK voters, whom he thanked for their participation in the election process, and said he would spare no effort in the building of a political system that respects the citizen and gives strength and a voice to the Greek people.

Papandreou was conciliatory and unifying in his message, stressing that "we are all comrades and brothers", but aded that his mandate was clear-cut and strong vis-a-vis the "non-institutional centres and interests" and what he called "media-cracy", against those who wanted a "small and phobic" PASOK, and against conservatism.

PASOK, he said, will have a new strategy with a new developmental vision for the autonomy of politics and the genuine expressin of the people in decisions concerning them.

The election, Papandreou continued, was the the final day of an internal party process, but the first day of a new agreement for a new beginning and a new victorious victory.

Papandreou further stressed that the mandate he received was binding also on all the PASOK cadres, adding that he will be "the president of the big, unified and victorious PASOK".

He congratulated and thanked eveyrone who worked on the "impeccable" leader election process, and also congratulated Venizelos and Skandalidis on their participation in the election, which participation, he added "confirmed the meaning of the process".

Papandreou said that in the next few days he would announce his first decisions, based on the large, clear-cut and binding popular mandate he received.

Venizelos statement

In an early morning statement, Venizelos welcomed the large turnout in the election and thanked, "from the bottom of my heart", all the PASOK members and friends who turned out to vote, regardless of who they voted for.

"All who took part in the process want, we want, an insitutional, collective, democratic and structured PASOK. The majority selected George Papandreou once again as the president of PASOK. I congratulate him and wish him every success in the missin he is shouldering for a second time," Venizelos said.

He thanked all those who "spontaneously backed my candidacy, all over the country", noting that a "large, dynamic, groundbreaking and optimistic trend was formed", and adding that "I feel greatly honoured and a great responsibility because such a trend is expressed from within my candidacy".

"Our rival was and is conservatism, the Right and its government. All who took part in today's process have a commong goal: PASOK's victory, and we will all work together for that," Venizelos concluded.

PASOK spokesman Yannis Ragoussis, speaking Sunday evening after polling stations had closed, spoke of a massive participation in the party election, estimating the turnout at some 900,000 voters.

Venizelos called Papandreou before midnight to congratulate him on his re-election, something done hours earlier by Skandalidis.

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