The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 00-02-09

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From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <ert.ntua.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] STEPHANOPOULOS PRESIDENT FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS

Mr. Stephanopoulos is the seventh president since the establishment of the Greek state and the fifth since 1974.

Ten deputies of the Coalition of the Left and Progress party voted for Leonidas Kyrkos, while the deputies of the Greek Communist party and Social Democratic movement did not vote.

Meanwhile, the Prime minister Costas Simitis talked about pure and substantial consensus which justified the government's choice, while the opposition New Democracy party leader Costas Karamanlis talked about vindication and political reliability, adding the Mr. Stephanopoulos expressed Greece's fixed positions and the overwhelming majority of the Greek people.

Accompanied by four deputy speakers, the Speaker of the House Apostolos Kaklamans visited the President at the Presidential mansion and informed him officially about the result of the voting and his re-election.

Mr. Kaklamanis praised Mr. Stephanopoulos on the way he performed his duties, while from his side Mr. Stephanopoulos, who was moved, stated that he would make every possible effort to meet everybody's expectations.

All the parties of the opposition as well as Leonidas Kyrkos expressed their congratulations to the re-elected president.

The swearing in ceremony of the re-elected president Konstantinos Stefanopoulos will be held on Saturday morning, March 11th.

[02] GREEK POLITICAL PARTIES PREPARING FOR ELECTIONS

The committee fixed the time-table to prepare the ballot papers.

Meanwhile, the secretary of Pasok Costas Skandalidis has stated that primaries will take place on February 20th to nominate the candidate deputies, while the central committee of Pasok will endorse the candidates' nomination on February 25th. Mr. Skandalidis stressed that various contacts continue in the famework of rallying other forces around Pasok.

New Democracy party cadres had a meeting yesterday presided by the party's leader Costas Karamanlis, who called on all his party's cadres to be on the alert.

In a relative development, the political secretariat of the Democratic Social Movement met yesterday and dealt with the preparation of the party's ballot papers as well, while the Coalition of the Left Wing and Progress party has raised a question of the party's equal treatment by the state media.

[03] KASOULIDES DOES NOT RULE OUT FACE TO FACE TALKS

Mr. Kasoulides did not rule out the possibility for the President of the Cyprus Republic Glafkos Klerides to meet with the Turkish-Cypriot representative Rauf Denktash during the third round of proximity talks.

However, he pointed out that the first two rounds of proximity talks did not have as their target the bridging of positions of the two sides, adding that the United Nations has not become committed in presenting in black and white some ideas in the third round of proximity talks.

Finally, Mr. Kasoulides reiterated that no results were expected in the second round of proximity talks, which however was useful because it gave the chance to the United Nations' representative to become aware of the positions of the two sides.

[04] GREEK BUSINESSMEN VISITING SYDNEY FOR 2004 OLYMPICS

Their visit will coincide with the meeting of the executive committee of the International Olympics Commmittee, which will take place there and which will focus on the contribution of sponsors in the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000 and in the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

During their stay, the members of the Greek delegation will meet with Australian businessmen and with representatives of the Australian ministry of Foreign Commmerce.

It should be noted that the official visit of the Greek businsessmen to Sydney constitutes a continuation of the Australian businessmen's recent visit to Greece, organised by the Australian Sports Institute, the Australian Embassy in Greece and the Trade and Industrial Chamber of Athens, which had as its target to achieve investments in the 2004 Olympics.

The Greek mission is to visit the Olympic Games stadiums and be briefed on the course of the organisation of the Olympics in Sydney and the preparations of the city in order to host hundreds of thousands of tourists.

The Greek businessmen will meet with the Australian Minister of Commerce, the Sports minister and the Mayor of Sydney.

Present will also be in Sydney during the same time the President of Permanent Olympics Committee Huan Antonia Samarang and officials of the 2004 Olympics.

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