MPA NEWS IN BRIEF (16/09/1996)

From: Macedonian Press Agency <mpa@philippos.mpa.gr>

Macedonian Press Agency Brief News in English Directory

BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN BY MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY

Thessaloniki, September 16, 1996

TITLES

NEWS IN DETAIL

[01] PREMIER CONFIDENT OF VICTORY IN SUNDAY'S ELECTIONS, CAMPAIGNS CONTINUE

Prime Minister and PASOK President Kostas Simitis expressed his confidence that he will win in Sunday's elections, during his campaign through Livadia and Halkida yesterday.

Mr. Simitis emphasized that his party does not make unfeasible promises and criticised the personal juxtapositions and attacks directed against him, stating that they constitute a tasteless tactic.

The Premier also stated that the main opposition paty New Democracy has opted for a national issues policy that will escalate tensions and will lead to uncontrollable outcomes.

Speaking in Thessaloniki yesterday, New Democracy leader Miltiades Evert asked for the resignation of either Mr. Simitis or the National Defense Minister Gerasimos Arsenis, claiming that one of the two men is lying regarding the government's handling of the Imia crisis in January. Mr. Evert referred to Mr. Simitis' statement during Friday night's debate where he had said that when the Imia crisis erupted, he issued orders to the nation's armed forces general staff (headed by Defense Minister Gerasimos Arsenis) which were not executed. The following day Mr. Arsenis stated that the orders issued by the Premier were executed as issued.

Mr. Arsenis, in his response to Mr. Evert, said yesterday his statements were identical with the Premier's and asked the main opposition leader not to get hooked on the armed forces.

Having entered the final week before Sunday's elections political party leaders are continuing with their campaigns.

Mr. Evert will visit various areas in Western Attica while minor opposition leader Political Spring's Antonis Samaras visited the port of Pireaus this morning.

The honorary President of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Harilaos Florakis will tour Patra today and the President of the Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) will speak at his party's largest pre- election gathering in the center of Athens this evening.

[02] THESSALONIKI'S BENEFACTOR, POET GEORGE VAFOPOULOS DIED LAST NIGHT

All of Greece, but more so Thessaloniki, is mourning the death of its 93-year-old poet George Vafopoulos.

Mr. Vafopoulos died last night after a lengthy illness. He was a reknowed poet, revered in Thessaloniki as being its most significant benefactor and well-known writer.

Born in Gevgeli in 1903, Mr. Vafopoulos was the first among the Macedonia writers who overcame the "Mt. Olympus" barrier and became equally known in Athens as a distinguished writer.

His first published work appeared in "Nea Estia" in 1928, having been in charge of the magazine "Macedonian Letters" since 1924.

In addition to numerous anthologies of poems, Mr. Vafopoulos also authored a number of essays, such as "Public Libraries, Institutions of Social Infrastructure" (1982) and "Poetry and Poets" (1983). In 1963 he was honored with the "Award of the Macedonian Capital" and in 1967 he was given the first "State Award for Poetry", to be followed by the "Award for Poetry by the Athens Academy, Ourani Foundation" in 1972.

In 1983, Mr. Vafopoulos and his wife Soula founded the Vafopouleion Intellectual Center, endowed upon the Municipality of Thessaloniki.

Thessaloniki's Mayor Konstantinos Kosmopoulos stated that "I express my profound sorrow for the death of the man who spent his life offering Thessaloniki an unprecedented spiritual light. George Vafopoulos was for Thessaloniki a massive chapter, a source of ethos. His love for Macedonia, Thessaloniki and Greece was a deep love and that is transparent through his course in life."

The funeral of Mr. Vafopoulos will be held tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m. in Thessaloniki's Aghia Sofia church.

[03] NEW EPISODE OCCURS IN CYPRUS ALONG THE DEMARCATION LINE

A new episode took place in Cyprus along the demarcation line during the early morning hours, forcing the National Guard to be placed in a state of emergency.

According to up-to-date reports, a Cypriot guard stationed at the border guardhouse, located west of the village of Pyla, detected a group of individuals moving in a suspect manner and ordered them to stop. When they did not comply, a series of warning shots was fired which forced the unknown persons to flee.

Meanwhile, additional incriminating evidence has surfaced against the "Minister" of Agriculture of Rauf Denktash's occupying regime regarding his involvement in the murder of Greek-Cypriot Solomos Solomou.

"Minister" Kenan Akin's involvement has provoked a reaction by Turkey's main opposition party. The Secretary- General of the Turkish Republican Party Samit Soyel, has asked for a complete clear up of the situation which, as he stated, has made the Turk-Cypriot community's position even more difficult.

[04] UNDERSECRETARY OF HEALTH SUFFERS STROKE, CONDITION IS CRITICAL

Greek Undersecretary of Health Franklinos Papadellis suffered a stroke last night at 9:30 while he was campaigning in the island of Limnos.

Mr. Papadellis is currently hospitalized in the Athens General Hospital's intensive care unit. With his condition remaining critical, Mr. Papadellis is scheduled to undergo surgery.

[05] PRESIDENT ATTENDS FRENCH ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCHOOL'S ANNIVERSARY FESTIVITIES

The President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos attended the 150th anniversary commemmoration festivities of Athens' French Archaeological School.

The President of the Athens Academy Ioannis Pesmazoglou opened the ceremony with a speech illustrating the cultural ties that bind the Greek and French peoples. Mr. Pesmazoglou also referred to the movements of enlightement and humanism that inspired the Greeks during the Greek Revolution.

[06] PORTUGAL FIRST PLACE, GREECE SECOND IN THESSALONIKI- HELD SONG FESTIVAL

Portugal won first place in the Sixth Festival of Songs for European Union countries, Malta and Cyprus, held in Thessaloniki, with Greece gaining second place and Spain third.

Portugal's "Cancao do vendo e la terra" performed by Carla Pierew and written by Manuel Coelho was the favorite, with Greece's "Thessaloniki" and Spain's "Que Pena" following closely behind with the second and third awards respectively.

The first prize award is 1.5 million GRD, the second one million and the third 700,000 GRD.

Also participating in the festival were Austria Belgium, Cuprus, France, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Holland and Great Britain.

[07] NATO TO HOLD WARSAW SEMINAR ON IMMIGRATION'S ECONOMIC IMPACTS

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization will organize a seminar on the economic consequences born onto state security by immigraiton and refugeees, to be held tomorrow and Wednesday in Warsaw.

Participating in the seminar will be over 60 representatives from Alliance countries and well as representatives from international organizations. Main topics of discussion will be the multi-faceted aspects of immigration, focusing on the positive and negative economic impacts guided by the security factors.

Within the seminar's framework, the participants will analyse issues such as the impacts of immigration on demographics and job markets as well as the relation between immigration and economic development.

[08] ELECTIONS IN BOSNIA: RESULTS TO BE ANNOUNCED TOMORROW

Election monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), announced last night that the tangle created by the ordered halt of the vote count, issued by the President of the Serb Republic's Electorate Committee, has been resolved since it stemmed from merely a typographical error.

The order to halt the counting process was given when Bosnianserb officials discovered that the ballots given to the Bosnianserb voters lacked the necessary forms. OSCE officials had successive meetings with Bosnianserb leaders and the matter was resolved.

Yesterday's elections of a three-member collective presidency and a Serb, Croat and Muslim Parliament are the first in Bosnia-Herzegovina since the war ended. Voter turnout was estimated at 60-80 per cent.

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