Athens News Agency: News in English, 09-10-01

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

CONTENTS

[01] PASOK leader addresses Athens election rally

[02] Stocks end 0.50 pct down

[01] PASOK leader addresses Athens election rally

Papandreou said that PASOK "is being called on once again to take the country out of the morass and lead it forward." He referred to the two previous times that PASOK "assumed the responsibility of ridding the country of a crisis, as was the case in October 1981 and October 1993," adding that this will also happen in October 2009.

The PASOK leader said that the country needs a new leadership, a leadership of values that "will have its hands free of dependences, that will never forget that power is given by the people, determined with the people and exercised for the people themselves and for no one else."

Describing his vision, Papandreou said that he envisages Greece in which "it will not be necessary for one to be rich, or bound to interests and to power to be able to make his dreams a reality, to take care of his family."

He further said that he believes in this Greece and that Sunday will be a decisive day, "not as to who will win the elections but whether the country will win hope and change."

Papandreou called for a strong Parliamentary majority, noting that only a government with a strong majority in Parliament can guarantee the big changes that the country needs, a majority and stable government, "since Greece cannot stand any more lack of governance as that which is currently being experienced."

Replying to the question raised by the government, where he will get the necessary money to implement his party's programme, he said "it will be found where they gave it away, where they wasted it, where they did not dare to look for it and find it."

Papandreou accused Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis of calling for the vote of the Greeks once again to do the same things, adding that Karamanlis "never dealt with society's fundamental problems".

Referring to the big changes that the country is in need of, Papandreou mentioned transparency which, as he said, will be imposed in all transactions with the state without exception.

Also responding to the question whether what he says can be turned into practice, the PASOK leader said that the party "had stressed before the elections clean money, clean environment, clean speech" and committed himself to rule in this way and added that he is committing himself in the same way for an immediate recovery of the country's economy.

Papandreou underlined that in the first 100 days "oxygen will be provided for the economy, for the the battle against high prices and of wretched practices against the citizen, while a red line will be drawn for the unaccountability of cartels. Increases above the inflation rate will also be given and a fair tax system will be created as a tool for redistributing income."

Concluding his address, Papandreou called on all to join their forces, not merely for Sunday's struggle to be won, but for the course towards Greece's change to begin.

[02] Stocks end 0.50 pct down

Most sectors moved lower, with the Food/Beverage (3.04 pct), Travel (2.48 pct) and Technology (1.39 pct) suffering the heaviest percentage losses of the day, while Oil (2.22 pct), Media (2.03 pct) and Personal/Home Products (1.77 pct) scored gains.

The FTSE 20 index fell 0.51 pct, the FTSE 40 index ended 0.49 pct higher and the FTSE 80 index rose 0.45 pct. Broadly, decliners led advancers by 135 to 85 with another 45 issues unchanged.

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