Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-01-07

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

CONTENTS

[01] PASOK outlines proposals on election system

[01] PASOK outlines proposals on election system

PASOK Secretary Nikos Athanassakis, the head of the party's political planning office Miltiades Papaioannou and its press spokesman Yiannis Ragoussis presented a detailed outline of the main opposition party's proposals in a press conference, noting that PASOK had for a long time noted the need for a major change in the political system, combined with a change in election law, that aimed at greater autonomy in politics.

They criticised the government's proposals for changing election rules as "incidental, fake and opportunist" and said that PASOK's proposals would retain the current system's high level of proportional representation of 87 percent, whereas the government's proposals reduced this to 83 percent.

Papaioannou also noted that a number of points in its proposals had been left open to discussion with the other political forces of the country to achieve the greatest possible political and social agreement regarding election law, which would go into effect in the next elections after it was passed.

Ragoussis on criticism from left-wing parties

PASOK's press spokesman replied to questions regarding the attacks against PASOK from the smaller left-wing parties, saying that the main opposition party was up against an unfair attack in which it was being equated with the Right regardless of its actions and positions.

He said this comparison was unfair and only served to preserve the hold of the current prime minister Costas Karamanlis on power.

"There is a game being played at PASOK's expense that we will not allow to unfold any further," he added.

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