Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-07-10

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

CONTENTS

[01] Papandreou's letter to PM on Siemens issue

[02] Government on transparency policies

[01] Papandreou's letter to PM on Siemens issue

Papandreou said that "the Siemens issue cannot remain open and Parliament closed and all cannot be preoccupied with the scandal, with the exception of Parliament," adding that the "least and self-evident step" that Premier Karamanlis must take is "to stop refusing the creation of a Factfinding Committee."

The PASOK leader also refers to the initiatives and the proposals that he has made to the prime minister since last January, "reminding of the refusal that he had received" from Karamanlis both for the convening of the Council of Political Leaders and the preparation of a programme on transparency and the combatting of corruption.

He rejected "accusations" by Karamanlis that PASOK did not accept the constitutional court, concluding that it "constitutes a refusal of coooperation by the main opposition party," and stressed that "it is an evident and deliberate distortion of PASOK's positions.

Papandreou furthers stresses that "courage and a political will are currently required to enable problems of corruption to be tackled" and underlines that both of them "have a great responsibility for this".

On the question of handling the Siemens scandal, the main opposition leader stressed that the precondition is the immediate clarification of all the aspects and activities of the persons involved. And this, as he said, can only take place through the creation of a Factfinding Committee.

Letter to House president

Papandreou has also addressed a letter to Parliament President Dimitris Sioufas, calling for the creation of a Factfinding Committee on the Siemens issue.

The proposal, signed by the party's Parliamentary Group members, stresses that "the revelations on the illegal activities of Siemens in various countries, icluding our country, have taken on the form of an avalanche and are undermining the foundations of the political system and of democracy itself."

It added that "information coming to the light of publicity on political money and on briberies of government functionaries and officials must be investigated. In any case, members of the government, deputies and political figures are reportedly enjoying financial facilities, gifts and various benefits from this company."

The PASOK leader referred to "selective evidence" leaked to the mass media and accused the government of making an effort to cover up the scandal and to prevent its investigation by Parliament.

"PASOK, with a feeling of responsibility towards the citizens, once again calls for the issue to be probed in depth and the truth to shine," the letter concluded.

In another letter he addressed to Sioufas, Papandreou calls for the immediate convening of the Institutions and Transparency Committee to enable "the necessary full legal framework on transparency and the tackling of corruption to be decided."

[02] Government on transparency policies

In a statement Roussopoulos noted that the New Democracy party "consistently, both in the opposition and in government, had proposed and implemented policies that had and have transparency as their main axis."

"On the contrary and for many years (main opposition) PASOK's refrain had been a permanent refusal of whatever proposal by us on institutional shielding," Roussopoulos added.

The spokesman further said that Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis has addressed a letter to the Parliament President, calling for the creation of a Crossparty Committee "so that, even now, stronger ways of shielding the credibilty of politics can be sought ...as the responsibility in such cases is an affair concerning all."

Roussopoulos then pointed out that "the setting up of a Factfinding Committee in Parliament will follow, as it is a commitment undertaken by the government, without the haste of those who think that they will conceal and cover up things during the summer."

"Political responsibility is proved in practice and not in words through repeated rhetoric figures which avoid substance," he underlined.

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