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Sunday, 24 November 2024 | ||
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Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-11-02Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Papandreou addresses TI conferenceTransparency is a fundamental component of democracy, as it enables the people to check authority, main opposition PASOK leader George Papandreou said on Sunday, addressing a Transparency International (TI) conference in Athens.Papandreou also stressed that a strong democratic state was necessary, one that would impose laws and rules of transparency. He cited the Siemens slush funds scandal as an example of intransparency, adding that the company had managed to create a cliamte of corruption for the purpose of advancing its own commissions. The PASOK leader further stressed that corruption must be combated, and that the battle must begin from the political leaderships, as it is a battle against the captivity of politics from the concentration of power. Such phenomena, he warned, could even lead to "buying" politicians". Among the measures that needed to be taken for transparency in the administration of state property was the democratization of the system of financing of the political parties and their access to the media, Papandreou said. He also linked the current international financial crisis to corruption matters, saying that such phenomena had contributed to the creation of the crisis due to the captivity of the democratic institutions by the concentration of capital and the political authority of the few. The 13th International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC), being held at the Megaron-Athens Concert Hall, isorganized by Transparency International in cooperation with Transparency International's Greece national chapter under the auspices of the Greek government Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |