Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 04-01-26

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

CONTENTS

[01] THE ETHICS OF A NEW ERA

[02] ERDOGAN PROPOSES POWELL INTERVENTION

[03] ND DENOUNCES INSULT TO PARLIAMENT

[04] WINTER THROUGHOUT GREECE

[05] SIMITIS: ERDOGAN STATEMENT ON CYPRUS VERY UNCLEAR

[06] PAPANDREOU-KARAMANLIS ON PACHTAS RESIGNATION

[07] VARTHOLOMEOS' FROM CUBA ON GLOBAL RESOLVING OF PROBLEMS

[01] THE ETHICS OF A NEW ERA

A new setting is being created in PASOK's interior after the resignation of deputy Minister of Finance Ch. Pachtas and the decision of the Executive Office to place MPs who signed the amendment concerning Porto Carras outside the ballot combination. We must bring a new ethics to politics, said PASOK candidate President and Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreou, who made a commitment that the new beginning will also be a contract of trust. We will be cleared, stated Mr. Pachtas. A DA investigation has begun on MP Kirkos's accusations for the forging of his signature on the amendment.

[02] ERDOGAN PROPOSES POWELL INTERVENTION

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was in favor of negotiations based on condensed version of the Annan Proposal for the resolving of the Cyprus issue with Colin Powell as the new negotiator. These statements were made to the press during Mr. Erdogan's flight to the US. The Annan proposal is thousands of pages long. It would be more to the point to negotiate on a more condensed document and reach a quicker result, said Mr. Erdogan, who is on a formal visit to the US.

[03] ND DENOUNCES INSULT TO PARLIAMENT

The insult of Parliament took on enormous dimensions in the case much talked about Pachtas amendment, stated President of New Democracy Costas Karamanlis from Ierapetra in Crete, where he is on tour accompanied by the party's honorary President, Constantinos Mitsotakis. Drawing on the Porto Carras amendment, Mr. Karamanlis referred to a series of other scandalous, as he characterized them, amendments promoted by the PASOK government, such as those on Hellenic Tourist Real Estate and the Stock Market.

[04] WINTER THROUGHOUT GREECE

Northern Greece is in the freezer again today with below zero temperatures in many cities throughout Macedonia and Thrace. The lowest temperature was recorded in Nevrokopi, Drama, where the thermometer showed -7 C. At 21:30 and 04:00 correspondingly, the Blue Star I and Patrmos passenger ships docked at the Rhodes harbor, while until those times they had been unable to approach.

[05] SIMITIS: ERDOGAN STATEMENT ON CYPRUS VERY UNCLEAR

Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis characterized the statement of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the Cyprus issue as extremely unclear, immediately following the meeting he had with President of the Republic Costis Stefanopoulos.

What is necessary, he said, is an essential change in the Turkish position so that it is made possible to find a fair and viable solution on the Cyprus issue, within the framework of UN decisions. And what is needed most of all, is that the solution secures the participation of the Cypriot Republic in the European Union, without difficulties and obstacles, so that it may reach its full potential.

Mr. Simitis stressed that he briefed Mr. Stefanopoulos on interior and foreign policy issues, and he refused to answer journalist questions on whether it would be fair to exclude the MPs that signed the Pachtas amendment from PASOK ballots in the March 7 parliamentary elections.

[06] PAPANDREOU-KARAMANLIS ON PACHTAS RESIGNATION

Candidate President of PASOK and Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandroeu characterized the issue of the ten PASOK MPs who signed the amendment for the extension of the Porto Carras hotel as an unfortunate event and a sample of the problems in our institutions.

After pointing out that this sad event is a sample of the radical changes that must be made and the new credibility PASOK wants to bring, Mr. Papandreou made mention of the new ethics necessary in politics.

PASOK's candidate President made a commitment that he will allow no event to overshadow public life, by promoting changes to institutions and the functioning of the state, aiming at a radical decentralization.

He also made mention of a new contract of trust with this new beginning, concerning a new state-citizen relationship, without bureaucracy, troubles and corruption, and a new way of governing, with the Parliament functioning in such a way that would secure the MP's role, so that they are both responsible and protected, that they are invulnerable to any outside interest, and with the creation of a democratic participial society, where the citizen's voice will be heard.

However, the case of the extension of Porto Carras hotel and the resignation of deputy Minister of Finance Ch. Pachtas, caused intense reactions from the President of the Opposition Costas Karamanlis, who is on a pre-election tour in Crete, accompanied by honorary President of New Democracy, Constantinos Mitsotakis. Mr. Karamanlis stressed that the insult of Parliament has taken on enormous proportions in the case of the Pachtas list, during a speech he made in Ierapetra, Crete.

Referring to the latest developments in the political scene with the writing off of 10 PASOK MPs from the party's lists, due to the amendment for the extension of Porto Carras, Mr. Karamanlis turned his fire to the governing party, making mention of a new explosion of corruption and hypocrisy in the PASOK system, as he characteristically said, as well as an effort to sell off public property through un-transparent procedures, an industry for the submission of drafts and amendments hiding pre-election goals, hiding deals under the table, dependency and shady dealings.

Drawing on the Pachtas amendment, Mr. Karamanlis referred to a series of other scandalous, as he supported, amendments promoted by PASOK, such as that of Hellenic Tourist Real Estate as well as the Stock Market.

Without referring specifically to G. Papandreou, Mr. Karamanlis made mention of fireworks and flares, offering a good show, but ending in the air in the governing party lately, and of dead end populism, petty politician practices, showing a lack of responsibility.

Regarding the policy to be followed by New Democracy if it is elected to power Mr. Karamanlis made mention of the need for an aggressive agricultural policy, support to the production sectors of the economy, investment in Education and Culture, human Capital, the new generation and new technologies, the connection of education to production and the labor market he specifically mentioned the education development employment triptych, a growth acceleration at a rate of over 5%, and dealing with unemployment with new businesses, new investment and new markets.

[07] VARTHOLOMEOS' FROM CUBA ON GLOBAL RESOLVING OF PROBLEMS

A message for the global resolving of problems and differences between peoples and respect for human rights, was sent by Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos, in the presence of Cuban President Fidel Castro, during the grand ceremony of the Holy Church of St. Nikolaos opening, in the capital of Cuba, amidst American pressure on the Cuban regime.

The leader of 300 million Orthodox Christians throughout the world underlined that the problems of various states, can be solved face to face and that nothing is solved back to back, with a closed door against a closed door.

Hundreds of Cuban citizens and pilgrims from Greece, the US and other countries who were gathered in the central square of the cathedral in downtown Havana, next to the newly built church of St. Nikolaos held an enthusiastic welcome for Patriarch Vartholomeos and the large entourage of arch priests and priests carrying the Holy Cross to the church, while Fidel Castro was also welcomed with cheers.

Upon receiving the key to the church from Fidel Castro and the order of the Ministry of Justice signing over ownership of the church to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Patriarch expressed his wish that in the future there are other churches in other parts of Cuba, noting at that point that the free expression of one's religious faith is a basic human right, which along with all other human rights must be respected by all and inviolable, especially by those whose basis of government is humanism.

American dissatisfaction

A few hours before the ceremony, the head of the US diplomatic mission to Cuba, James Casson, expressed his intense discomfort with the absence of the Ecumenical Patriarch from the reception held in his honor at the delegation building, at which the Archbishop of America Dimitrios took the place of Mr. Vartholomeos.

The reception, which none of the Greek members of the press had been informed about, was attended by members of the Cuban opposition, the mothers of three people who were executed recently for antiregime actions, as well as the wives of political prisoners, who were holding photographs of their husbands.

The opposition members told Archbishop Dimitrios that brave men act, they do not just speak as far as human rights are concerned.

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