Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2000-04-10
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, April 10, 2000
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] THE GREEK COMMUNIST PARTY WILL BE ON THE PEOPLE'S SIDE
[02] THE COALITION OF THE LEFT LEADER ON THE ELECTION RESULT
[03] BIPOLAR POLITICS WAS FINALLY THE WINNER, ACCORDING TO THE
DEMOCRATIC SOCIAL MOVEMENT LEADER
[04] THE PRESIDENT WILL GIVE THE MANDATE TO SIMITIS TO FORM A
GOVERNMENT
[05] THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE PICTURE AFTER THE ELECTIONS
[06] THE REUTERS NEWS AGENCY ON THE ELECTION RESULT
[07] CONSENSUS BETWEEN PASOK AND NEW DEMOCRACY WILL BE THE KEY FOR
THE COURSE OF THE ECONOMY
[08] SIMITIS RECEIVED THE MANDATE TO FORM A GOVERNMENT
[09] GALIP GALIP: THE GREEK-TURKISH RAPPROCHEMENT WILL CONTINUE
[10] MARGINAL GAINS RECORDED IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] THE GREEK COMMUNIST PARTY WILL BE ON THE PEOPLE'S SIDE
Greek Communist Party general secretary Aleka Papariga
speaking in the early morning hours today, expressed her own views
on the election results, saying that the outcome will lead to new
conclusions and skepticism.
Referring to those who voted for the two large parties, she
pointed out that they must think things over but this does not
mean that the Communist Party will not be next to them to help
them deal with their problems.
Ms. Papariga said that PASOK is not a barrier to conservatism
but it actually feeds it and it is proven that the policy that can
be a hope for the radicalism of the popular masses is included in
the Communist Party's proposal for a popular front, stressing that
there is no other hope or another way out.
She said that the party is at the front line and on the
people's side who will certainly face a new attack, adding that it
is very important that the Communist Party this time was supported
by voters who were not communists.
[02] THE COALITION OF THE LEFT LEADER ON THE ELECTION RESULT
The assurance that Coalition of the Left will continue its
effort in parliament was given by party leader Nikos
Kontantopoulos in statements he made in Zappion Mageron building
in Athens at the early morning hours of today, stressing that his
party fought against the two-party politics but failed.
He referred to those voters who overcame the blackmailing
dilemmas and backed Coalition of the Left. He said that in the new
period that begins today the Greek society will be faced with
great challenges, stressing that those challenges demand changes
on the politics implemented so far, while the choices that serve
the true development, the social cohesion, the reconstruction of
the state and the political system must be preferred. Mr.
Konstantopoulos also said that in the new parliament it will be
obvious that the big percentage of votes won by the two large
political parties of PASOK and New Democracy will not mean that
they will be able to respond to Greece's big problems in the new
century.
[03] BIPOLAR POLITICS WAS FINALLY THE WINNER, ACCORDING TO THE
DEMOCRATIC SOCIAL MOVEMENT LEADER
Democratic Social Movement leader Dimitris Tsovolas launched
an attack against the two large parties, the mass media and the
United States commenting in the early morning hours of today on
the parliamentary elections results.
He congratulated his party's candidates for resisting the
politically dishonest anti-democratic blackmail and pressures
exerted on them by the PASOK party mechanism. He reiterated his
view that if PASOK or New Democracy was elected to power for this
four-year term two of the main Greek national issues will close
not in favor of Greece, while the tough anti-popular policy will
continue.
Mr. Tsovolas said that it appears that the people do not want
political leaders and parties that respect the vote they get,
stressing that bipolar politics was finally the winner. He
congratulated for this big victory the large newspapers and
businesses and the United States and wished that the vote of the
people will not turn to be a fatal mistake for Greece and Cyprus
and the simple Greek citizens.
[04] THE PRESIDENT WILL GIVE THE MANDATE TO SIMITIS TO FORM A
GOVERNMENT
President Kostis Stephanopoulos is expected to give the
mandate to form a government to socialist party of PASOK leader
Kostas Simitis later today.
PASOK was re-elected to power with 43.78% of the votes and
won 158 seats in parliament, followed by the conservative party of
New Democracy with 42.88% and 125 seats, the Communist Party 5.5%
and 11 seats, Coalition of the Left 3.2% and 6 seats, while the
Democratic Social Movement got 2.7% of the vote and therefore it
is left outside the parliament.
[05] THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE PICTURE AFTER THE ELECTIONS
A change is expected in the Athens Stock Exchange setting
after the election results as since Friday the stock market looked
for a way out of the pre-election suspense and followed an upward
course, but the close outcome is not regarded as enough to fully
ease the uncertainty in the Athens Stock Exchange.
The majority of the domestic investors maintain that the
course of the market from now on will depend on the maturity that
will be displayed by the Greek government concerning the promotion
of the necessary structural changes in the front of the economy.
Also, the future course of the economy in part will depend on the
trust that will be shown by foreign investors who will place their
capital in the Athens Stock Exchange.
In this setting the international investment houses "vote"
for stability and consensus, pointing out that the course toward
the EMU is steady, while the next "bet" for the Greek economy will
be the promotion of structural changes.
Specifically, according to Athens newspaper "Imerisia"
analysts Michael Harris and Matthew Vogel of Merrill Lynch, the
Greek stock market will be under relative pressure in the next few
months with the general index to lack "inspiration" and show small
fluctuations remaining at its current levels.
[06] THE REUTERS NEWS AGENCY ON THE ELECTION RESULT
The likelihood to appear problems in the materialization of
the modernizing program of PASOK because of the limited majority
won by the party in yesterday's parliamentary elections is
presented in Reuters news agency's analysis on the Greek
elections.
Instead of the 162 seats it had won in the last parliament,
PASOK now has 158 which according to Reuters, citing political
analysts, is likely to create problems by those in the party who
disagree with policies regarded as anti-socialist as for example,
privatizations.
According to Reuters, most of the leading PASOK members are
aware of the fact that they owe their election to Kostas Simitis,
as while the opinion polls had showed that many Greeks were tired
with PASOK, which is in power for the last 20 years at they same
time, they showed that the majority of the people prefer Mr.
Simitis for the post of the prime minister.
The Reuters reports that the first indication regarding the
intentions of PASOK's leader will be the members of the new
cabinet as many of PASOK's old ministers were in power for many
years and gradually they have lost their popularity.
Regarding Greece's accession into the EMU, Reuters stresses
that the technocratic team of Mr. Simitis must secure a real
convergence with the Euro-zone rules in order to avoid problems
with its partners, while on its foreign policy the news agency
writes that Greece is expected to continue the rapprochement with
Turkey which possibly could include the solution of the Cyprus
problem.
[07] CONSENSUS BETWEEN PASOK AND NEW DEMOCRACY WILL BE THE KEY FOR
THE COURSE OF THE ECONOMY
The consensus between the government and the main opposition
party after yesterday's elections, in which the socialist party of
PASOK renewed its mandate to form a government with a small lead
over the conservative New Democracy which remained in the
opposition, is the key for the course of the Greek economy.
Economic analysts believe that consensus must characterize
relations between the two main political parties in Greece in the
"front" of the economy especially, in view of the tough
negotiations for the evaluation of Greece's application to join
the EMU.
The efforts of the new government must focus on the promotion
of structural changes but political analysts believe that it is
hard for a government with a small majority to undertake the
political cost for the promotion of the socially painful
structural changes.
The liberalization of the energy and telecommunications
markets and the speeding-up of privatization constitute two of the
basic axes on which the economic policy of the government must
focus. Specifically, by the end of the next two-year term
strategic investors must enter in all state companies regardless
of whether the majority of the shares will remain under state
control.
At the same time, the terms in the job market must become
more flexible and unemployment must be countered, while wage
increases have to remain compatible with price stability in order
to
maintain the favorable conditions for economic development without
rekindling inflationary pressures.
In the stock exchange front, the need for immediate change in
the terms for the operation of the Athens Stock Exchange is
imperative in order to limit the effects of its unpredictable
behavior toward small investors.
The social security issue remains crucial and the prime
minister is called to make brave decisions. It has been made clear
that there will be changes with main characteristic the rise in
the pension age and the introduction of private insurance in the
new regulations.
[08] SIMITIS RECEIVED THE MANDATE TO FORM A GOVERNMENT
Greek president Kostis Stephanopoulos gave the mandate to
socialist party of PASOK leader Kostas Simitis to form a new
government.
Immediately after the meeting with the president, Mr. Simitis
said that he will seek to form a government having renewal and
continuity as priorities, while the priority issues in the next
four-year term will be the social state and employment. The new
government will be formed in the next few days.
Mr. Simitis stated that with the new government a new circle
of reforms will be launched that will open new horizons and will
make Greece stronger and more present than before.
Mr. Stephanopoulos expressed the certainty that all Greeks
regardless of the party they have voted for wish for the success
of the government on which the success of the country depends.
[09] GALIP GALIP: THE GREEK-TURKISH RAPPROCHEMENT WILL CONTINUE
Only one Muslim minority candidate, PASOK's Galip Galip, was
elected to parliament in Thrace, north-eastern Greece. The re-
elected parliament deputy from the prefecture of Rodopi reminded
that the Muslim minority had a strongest presence in the 1996
elections when the minority had elected two parliament deputies in
the prefecture of Rodopi and one in the prefecture of Xanthi and
pointed out that its representation could be stronger.
He said that it is good that PASOK was the winner because the
Muslim minority is interested in the Greek-Turkish rapprochement
which is expected to continue. He said that the chronic problems
of the minority have entered the road to their solution during the
previous PASOK government and now what is left is the economic
development of the minority. He said that the nine agreements
signed by Greece and Turkey must be implemented especially, the
one for the mutual backing of investments. Mr. Galip stated to MPA
that the Turkish businessmen are expected to make investments in
Thrace in order for the Muslim minority to be benefited from them.
He said that the election system is to blame for the fact
that no other Muslim minority deputies were elected. PASOK had a
second Muslim candidate, Mehmet Ahmet, who got 6.797 votes. In the
prefecture of Rodopi PASOK elects Chrisa Manolia with 13.614
votes, while New Democracy elects Evripidis Stilianidis with
17.393 votes. Mustafa Mustafa for the Coalition of the Left, who
was not re-elected, got 4.247 votes (87.60% of the votes received
by his party). The Muslim candidates of New Democracy were Siakir
Nazif Nazif who got 4.503 votes and Imam Mustafa Ismail with 1.762
votes.
No Muslim candidate was elected in the prefecture of Xanthi.
Birol Akifoglu, who had been elected with New Democracy in the
last elections, yesterday came third after Mr. Kontos and Mr.
Tsalidis, with 6.629 votes. PASOK's candidate Ihsan Kehagia came
third, after Panagiotis Sgouridis and Sotiris Stolidis, with 5.298
votes. Based on the votes counted so far from 204 of the 207
polling stations in the prefecture of Xanthi PASOK elects
Sgouridis with 11.410 votes and Stolidis with 5.750 votes, while
New Democracy elects Alexandros Kontos with 11.168 votes.
[10] MARGINAL GAINS RECORDED IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
The Athens Stock Exchange recorded marginal gains of 0.13% in
today's session, the first after the elections, and closed at
4.941,32 points. The volume of transactions reached 138 billion
drachmas.
Analysts attribute today's behavior of the Athens Stock
Exchange to the fact that investors are still "numb" after last
night's election thriller. Market circles point out that investors
need a reasonable period of time to digest the election result and
decide what they will do in the future.
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