BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN (03/01/1996)

From: Macedonian Press Agency <mpa@uranus.eng.auth.gr>

Macedonian Press Agency News in English Directory

BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN BY MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY

Thessaloniki, January 3rd, 1995

NEWS IN ENGLISH

NEWS IN ENGLISH

[01] POLITICAL MOBILITY CONTINUES IN THE GOVERNING PARTY

Ruling party PASOK's Executive Bureau has accepted the recommendations of Transport and Communication Minister mr.. Evangelos Venizelos for the resolution of the political problems that have arisen from the Premier's illness.

The Executive Bureau heard Mr. Venizelos' introduction during which he said that there is currently an extraordinarily difficult political problem whose resolution stems from within PASOK, while he called the main opposition party New Democracy president mr. MIltiades Evert's positions as "revolution against law."

Mr. Venizelos, a constitutionalist, made reference to article 38, par. 2 of the Constitution which states that the suitability of the Central Committee is undisputed, and added that this article presupposes the resignation or death of the prime minister.

Mr. Venizelos emphasized that the election of a prime minister through the Parliamentary Group is not a simple process. "In order to accomplish this, the majority rule is not sufficient," Mr. Venizelos said, adding that "in addition to the enforcement of the pertitent constitutional rules, there must also be agreement among the party's parliament members or, at least, a consensus that is higher than government rule, as the new premier must receive the confidence vote of parliament."

The minister emphasized that this area is the crucial political and constitutional point in a partliamentary government.

"Independently of the parliamentary group's limitations according to article 38, par. 3 of the Constitution, the President of the Republic assigns a Premier according to the parliament majority rule," Venizelos explained.

During today's session, the Executive Bureau has decided to:

Meet with mmr. Haralampopoulos and Simitis, who, while not members of the E.B, have pertinent opinions and responsibilities.

Hold an informative meeting between the Premier's physicians and the Executive Group's representatives.

To precipitate the Central Committee's convergence to January 8.

To ask the presidium of the Prarliamentary Group to converge immediately thereafter in order to discuss the arising situation.

Also today, the presidium of the Parliamentary Group met with the party's Central Committee Secretary Kostas Skandalides and representatives of the Executive Bureau where it was decided that the deputies will be asked to submit in writing their views on when they should convene to discuss the situation arising from the premier's extended illness.

According to the Secretary of the Parliamentary Group, mr. Dimitris Beis, the deputies have expressed common goals for the finding of solutions to the problems.

Minister of Press and Media mr. T. Hytiris reinforced today his statement made yesterday that "the Prime Minister's removal would cause diversion and anomaly which could have unpleasant results not only for PASOK but for the whole country."

Mr. Hytiris clarified that the statement in no way was meant to be taken as a threat towards anyone.

"It was an ascertainment that I personally made which was thwarted and taken as a threat. It was simply the objective truth," mr. Hytiris stated and repeated that his statement stands.

The spokesperson had made the statement when asked if the possible convening of the party's Parliamentary Group for the purpose of discussing the replacement of the premier would violate the Constitution.

Meanwhile, the minister of Environment, Public Works and Planning mr. Kostas Laliotis responded today to the statement made by the president of the main opposition party of New Democracy, mr. Miltiades Evert.

Mr. Evert had said that New Democracy "will not recognize any obligations undertaken by the government which create aburden for the state such as procurements, works contracts and public sector hirings for as long as the country remains without a prime minister."

Mr. Laliotis responded by saying that "mr. Evert should first think and ask for the advice of his legal counsel before proceeding into making such statements."

[02] THE GREEK PRIME MINISTER'S CONDITION REMAINS UNCHANGED

The condition of greek Premier Andreas Papandreou's health remains stable, according to the latest medical bulletin issued at 8:15 today at the Onassion Cardiology Center.

According to the medical report, the patient is undergoing periodical respiratorial physiotherapy and kinesiotherapy since this morning, while his kidney functions are periodically supported mechanically. Also, the patient underwent dialysis to which he responded satisfactorily.

Through the kidney biopsy performed today, the Premier's attendant physicians diagnosed extensive kidney damage. While the physicians are assessing that the expectation of recovery of the premier's kidney function is quite limited, they will wait four weeks before evaluating whether the kidney damage will develop into a chronic illness.

The extensive damage found in the kidney vessels, which, according to the doctors, is a result of the extended inability to urinate, also leads the physicians to believe that there is even slight hope of kidney recovery.

[03] ALBANIANS ADOPTING GREEK NAMES FOR JOBS

An astounding 45,000 Albanians have changed their names legally during the first six months of 1995, according to the albanian news agency ATA, and this figure is expected to double when the name changes performed during the last six months are taken into account.

The majority of those who request name changes are muslims and catholics and the chosen names are of greek origin. Their intention is to travel to Greece and work in the black market.

The greek embassy in Tirana and the greek consulate in Argyrokastro are more willing to issue visas to persons with greek names. While this visa is valid usually for the duration of one month, one who enters the country can stay illegally to work.

Of the 3.3 million total population of Albania, 70% are muslims, 20% greek orthodox and 10% roman catholics.

More than 400,000 albanians have emigrated their country in the last five years. About 250,000 of them are estimated to be in Greece, most of them without proper papers and almost all of them with greek names on their passports.

[04] THE SEA LEVEL ROSE NEAR THE CITY OF PATRAS IN SOUTHERN GREECE

A tidal wave in the Prefecture of Achaia, southern Greece created new problem in the early morning hours today stopping the traffic on the Patras-Pyrgos highway.

The unexpected event, the second one in the last few days after a similar incident that occured in the region of Degialitika on New Year's Day, took place at 4am today and lasted two hours.

The sea waters created a lake of several meters long near the coast and as a result the nearby houses were flooded as well as a section of the Patras-Pyrgos highway.

Meanwhile, a meeting was scheduled to be held in the Achaia prefecture building at noon today aiming at examining the phenomenon. According to professors mr.Kalergis and mr.Koukis, the phenomenon is possibly the result of seabed movement after last June's catastrophic earthquake in the region of Egion.

[05] DECISIVE CONSULTATIONS FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS IN CYPRUS

Consultations that are being regarded as very decisive for the further developments in the Cyprus problem are taking place in the US State Department in view of the upcoming mission that will be undertaken by US Assistant Secretary of State, Richard Halbrook aiming at promoting a solution to the problem.

The US Ambassador to Nicosia left yesterday for Washington in order to participate in the consultations and to present the positions of the two sides. According to information from Washington reported by the Cypriot State Radio, the consultations aim at the best possible preparation of the Halbrook mission to Nicosia expected to be held in the first 15 days of January.

According to the same information, the US officials are especially concerned over the fluid situation in Turkey that is being underlined by the turkish officials in order to avoid making any commitment.

The US Ambassador will return to Cyprus next Saturday and based on information, he has already asked to meet with Cypriot President Glafkos Kliridis next week in order to convey to him certain ideas from Washington concerning the Halbrook mission.

Meanwhile, mr.Halbrook is expected to meet with representatives of the greek-american community in the US capital on January 10th.

[06] PASSENGER FLIGHTS LINKING GREECE WITH BRAZIL

Passenger flights linking Greece with Brazil will be inaugurated tomorrow and as it was announced, two regular flights to Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo in Brazil will be held every Monday and Thursday. The airplane making the first flight from those two brazilian cities will arrive in Athens at 14:45pm tomorrow. A few hours later the plane will make the 17- hour flight from Athens back to Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo with a stop over in Casablanca.

This new bridge linking Greece with South America is the result of an agreement reached by the greek state airline Olympic Airways and brazilian VASP in the framework of the policy followed by the greek state airline aiming at the signing of agreements with foreign airline companies.