Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-06-26

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

CONTENTS

[01] Major blaze burning pinewood in Boeotia, winds hampering efforts

[02] Majority of Greeks in favour of proportional representation in elections - poll

[03] Great and Holy Council declares unity of the Orthodox Church

[01] Major blaze burning pinewood in Boeotia, winds hampering efforts

The blaze, which started from unknown reasons, was initially raging inside a ravine but the strong winds blowing in the area quickly spread the flames and divided the front into several new ones.

They fire department said they have deployed eight aircraft and five helicopters, 115 firefighters with 56 water vehicles and a unit of 38 firefighters. Several nearby municipalities are also contributing with water vehicles.

Earlier, a Canadair water bomber participating in the operation was forced to make an emergency landing northwest of the wildfire for an unknown reason.

The fire department said the two pilots are safe and were picked up by an ambulance near the Monastery of Zoodohos Pigi for precautionary reasons. It also said an Air Force crew will investigate the reasons for the emergency landing. The Canadair CL-215 is one of the old aircraft used in aerial firefighting for which numerous reports have been filed.

[02] Majority of Greeks in favour of proportional representation in elections - poll

According to the survey, 58 pct of those asked are in favour of this electoral system, 32 pct are against and 10 pct didn't respond. Seven out of 10 respondents (71 pct) also said they prefer coalition governments (versus 46 pct in 1996), while only 25 pct said they prefer majority governments (versus 51 pct in 1996).

Asked about the election of the President, 73 pct said they want the candidate to be directly elected by the people, with the highest percentages found in the voters of the government coalition parties (SYRIZA and ANEL). Twenty-three percent of those questioned said they disagree with this system.

Another 62 pct of respondents said they want the people to be allowed to initiate a referendum after collecting a certain number of signatures, while 34 pct disagrees.

On other important reforms, those questioned answered as follows:

By party preference: Potami voters: 89 pct, Centrists Union voters: 77 pct, PASOK voters: 69 pct, SYRIZA voters: 63 pct, ANEL voters: 62 pct, ND voters: 61 pct, Golden dawn voters: 42 pct, Communist Party voters: 36 pct.

By party preference: Potami voters: 86 pct, ND voters: 80 pct, versus SYRIZA voters: 54 pct against.

By party preference: Potami voters: 89 pct, Communist Party: 83 pct, PASOK voters: 64 pct, SYRIZA voters 61 pct, ND voters: 36 pct.

Asked to state whether they believe the country is on the right path, 86 pct said "No", while only 10 pct answered positively. Another 69 pct says they're pessimistic, as they believe the country's economic situation will worsen in the next 12 months, compared with a mere 19 pct who said things will remain the same and 11 pct who said things will improve.

Another 85 pct said they have a negative opinion of the bailout program and only 9 pct has a positive view. Asked to give their answer as to what they identify as the country's biggest problem, 61 pct said the economy, 34 pct said unemployment and 24 pct said the operation of the government and the political and party system.

[03] Great and Holy Council declares unity of the Orthodox Church

"Our Church, responding to its obligation to testify the true and apostolic faith, attaches great importance to dialogue mainly with heterodox Christians. In this way, the rest of the Christendom understands accurately the authenticity of the Orthodox tradition, the value of patristic teaching, the experience of the mass and the faith of the Orthodox," the message says.

The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew made the same call for unity in a speech at the Agios Apostolos and Pavlos Church earlier in Chania. "The Great and Holy Council showed that the one holy catholic and apostolic church united in faith in the world, embodies and expresses authentically the central ecclesiological authority and truth of conciliarity; that it lives as a council."

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