Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 02-10-17

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From: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.

CONTENTS

[01] CONFRONTATIONS FOR 2ND ELECTION ROUND

[02] CYPRIOT PRESIDENT IN ATHENS THIS AFTERNOON

[03] GAINS IN THE ASE

[04] THE GREEK GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN ON KARAMANLIS' STATEMENTS

[05] PARTHENON MARBLES NOT TO BE RETURNED BY 2004

[06] OIL SPILL NEAR RHODES

[07] NEW ROUND OF GREECE-TURKEY TALKS

[08] ADDITIONAL N17 SUSPECT TESTIMONIES

[09] KARAMANLIS: NO EU ENLARGEMENT WITHOUT CYPRUS

[10] KARAMANLIS IN LISBON FOR EPP MEETING

[11] ORTHODOX HOUSES TO BE TORN DOWN IN JERUSALEM

[01] CONFRONTATIONS FOR 2ND ELECTION ROUND

An intense political confrontation has broken out between the government and the Opposition, concerning the results of the first round of the local government elections, and the implication of the Church in the elections for the Athens-Piraeus Prefecture, while tensions are rising between the Athens and Piraeus mayoralty candidates as well.

At the same time, the candidates of the second round have begun a race to secure alliances and consolidations that will lead to their election, while the parties have made their positions clear.

PASOK announced that it unconditionally supports progressive ballots and ND is supporting the creation of anti-government fronts. The Greek Communist Party (KKE) accused PASOK of circulating scenarios of cooperation with ND and called its voters to condemn the candidates of the two major parties, in areas where there are no ballots supported by it in the first round. The Coalition of the Left stated that the ballots it supported will decide on the position they will hold according to local government and political criteria. DIKKI was in favor of condemning PASOK and ND candidates, but candidate mayor of Athens Giannis Dimaras called voters to vote according to their consciences.

After his meeting with the Archbishop yesterday, Government Spokesperson Christos Protopapas stated that Mr. Veziryiannis and Mrs. Tsonaki are trying to involve the Church in campaign games, with the tolerance of ND.

The Government Spokesperson made no comment when Mrs. Gennimata met with the Archbishop in public, nor when during a morning show on MEGA TV (1/10/2002) she stated that she has in private meetings with Metropolites, stated ND Press Spokesperson Thodoris Roussopoulos.

During the presentation of his three volume work on A Powerul Greece, in the Aigli of the Zappeion, Prime Minister Kostas Simitis underlined that a line must be drawn between the Left and the Neoliberal Right, as well as between progressiveness and conservatism.

In answering the Prime Minister, Mr. Roussopoulos stressed: The Greek people, after 20 years of PASOK, have grown tired of grand hollow words. They want convincing answers and realistic solutions to unemployment, expensiveness, inequality, poverty and insecurity.

As far as the Athens mayoralty candidates are concerned, PASOK candidate Christos Papoutsis accused ND candidate Dora Bakoyanni of taking advantage of the Samina shipwreck, during which he was Minister of the Merchant Marine, in order to attack her political adversary.

Mrs. Bakoyanni, Head of the Athens Tomorrow ballot, answered by stressing that the people's vote cannot be blackmailed out of them with past dilemmas, and called the citizens to a harsh struggle so that not even a single vote is lost, as she characteristically said.

Finally, regarding the Athens-Piraeus Prefecture, the decision on the position to be held by Giorgos Karatzaferis in relation to ND candidate Gianni Tzannetako, will be announced tonight at the LAOS (People's Orthodox Alarm, Mr. Karatzaferis' party) meeting in the I. Vellidis conference center of the TIF, at 19:30 tonight.

[02] CYPRIOT PRESIDENT IN ATHENS THIS AFTERNOON

President of the Cypriot Republic Glafkos Cleridis is beginning his three-day visit to Athens today, and will be leaving on Saturday.

Mr. Cleridis is expected to arrive at 17:45 at the Eleftherios Venizelos airport in Athens. Tomorrow at 11:30, he will be received by the Greek President of the Republic, Kostis Stefanopoulos, while a meeting with Prime Minister Kostas Simitis will follow at 12 noon.

On Friday afternoon, Mr. Cleridis will have consecutive meetings with the President of New Democracy Kostas Karamanlis and the President of the Coalition of the Left, Nikos Konstantopoulos.

On Saturday at 09:00, the Cypriot President has scheduled a meeting with the Secretary General of the Greek Communist Party, Aleka Papariga.

[03] GAINS IN THE ASE

Gains were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index rose to +1.41% at 1.826,69 points and a decisive role in the creation of a positive climate was played by the banking and insurance sector.

The volume of transactions was at 73.4 million Euro. Of the stocks trading today, the overwhelming majority of 253 recorded gains and 70 had losses, while the value of 52 stocks remained unchanged.

[04] THE GREEK GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN ON KARAMANLIS' STATEMENTS

Greek government spokesman Christos Protopapas commented on the statements made by right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis, who launched an attack on the government from Lisbon criticizing it for its agricultural policy, characterizing him uninformed.

Mr. Protopapas stated that Mr. Karamanlis obviously was not informed of the recent victory won on a major Greek farm product namely, the feta cheese. He said that it is unethical and unacceptable for Mr. Karamanlis to try to defame his country every time he is abroad.

[05] PARTHENON MARBLES NOT TO BE RETURNED BY 2004

The possibility of the Parthenon Marbles being returned to Greece by 2004 was excluded by the Chairman of the British Committee for the Restitution of the Parthenon Marbles, A. Snodgrass, in an interview to the Aggelioforos newspaper.

Mr. Snodgrass appreciated that the return of the Marbles to Greece by 2004 is impossible, firstly because the time remaining for the construction of the museum and the transfer of the exhibits there is very little (even for the ones that are already in Greece), and secondly, because there has been no change in the position of the British Museum's Administration, members of which supported that the Marbles will never will be returned to Greece.

However, Mr. Snodgrass noted that the position held by the British Museum to this day, could be positively influenced by proposals made by the Greek government (loaning proposal, thus the British Museum will have some control over the Marbles and exhibit exchanges), proposals which have already had a positive influence on public opinion, as well as 200 of the 650 members of the British Parliament, who are in favor of returning the marbles.

[06] OIL SPILL NEAR RHODES

An oil spill, one nautical mile long and 50-100 yards wide, was located off the shores of the island of Rhodes.

There were immediate efforts to limit the damage to the environment by two Coast Guard patrol boats, which tried to remove the oil from the water with the use of absorbent towels and nets.

Most of the oil spill was removed yesterday, while the area will be checked again today.

[07] NEW ROUND OF GREECE-TURKEY TALKS

The 7th round of the Greece-Turkey exploratory meetings at the level of Secretaries General of the Foreign Ministry, will be held tomorrow in Ankara.

Discussions will take place between the Greek Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry, Ambassador Anastasios Skopelitis, and the Secretary General of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Ambassador Ogur Zijal.

[08] ADDITIONAL N17 SUSPECT TESTIMONIES

November 17 suspect members awaiting trial in Corydallos Penitentiary, Dionysis Georgiadis, Aggeliki Sotiropoulou and Constantinos Tellios, are expected to provide additional testimonies today.

Additional chargers are expected to be announced against Telios, for participation in the arms theft from the Sykourio military camp and the attempted murder of former Minister Ioannis Paleokrassas.

Meanwhile, Special Examiner Leonidas Zervobeakos announced additional charges against N17 suspects Patroklos Tselentis and Nikos Papanastasiou.

Papanastasiou will testify tomorrow, facing charges of complicity in the murders of US Navy Captain G. Tsantes and his driver N. Veloutsos, as well as in the Ethniki Bank robbery. Tselentis will testify on Monday, accused of complicity on the attempted murder of Robert Chad and the Patission st. Postal Savings Bank robbery.

[09] KARAMANLIS: NO EU ENLARGEMENT WITHOUT CYPRUS

Right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis stated in Lisbon, Portugal, where the Summit meeting of the European Democratic Union (EDU) leaders took place, that there can be no European Union enlargement without Cyprus.

Mr. Karamanlis referred to issues concerning the future of Europe, the common foreign policy and policy of defense, and the review of the common agricultural policy.

Mr. Karamanlis stated that the institutional reform in Europe is a big issue and underlined that procedures toward the political integration of Europe should be sped up.

On the common agricultural policy, Mr. Karamanlis stated that a main priority is to follow a policy that will defend the interests of the Greek farmers.

[10] KARAMANLIS IN LISBON FOR EPP MEETING

The two-day works of the European People's Party Congress will begin today in Lisbon. President of New Democracy Kostas Karamanlis, who has been in Portugal since yesterday, will participate in the works.

The Head of the Greek Opposition, who is running for Vice President of the EPP, will present his report-review on EPP initiatives to bring Democracy to the western Balkans.

[11] ORTHODOX HOUSES TO BE TORN DOWN IN JERUSALEM

The Jerusalem Patriarchate is appealing to the Israeli authorities to reconsider their decision to tear down 100 houses built by the Greek Orthodox community in the village of Beit Sahur.

In 1995, the Holy Synod of the Patriarchy offered its flock a long term lease agreement, for 20 stremma inside the Beit Sehur mayoralty district. One hundred houses were built there which the Israeli authorities have decided to tear down.

The astonishment, disappointment, pain and distress of these people, who are spiritual children of the Patriarchate, are being dealt with compassionately and with understanding by all Greek Orthodox communities. The Patriarchate will not give up trying and using all legal means at its disposal to protect the livelihood of its spiritual children in Beit Sahur at this time of trial, stressed the Patriarchate in its announcement.

Finally, the Patriarchate appealed to all people, regardless of race or religion, to support its efforts to protect the living testimony of a Christian presence in the land where Christ was born.

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