Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 04-03-03

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

CONTENTS

[01] CONFRONTATIONS INTENSIFY 4 DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTIONS

[02] GIANNITSIS ON CYPRUS ISSUE

[03] FACILITATIONS FOR VOTERS ON THE ROAD

[04] A TOTAL OF 280 WOMEN WILL BE AMONG THE CANDIDATES FOR THE GREEK

[05] SMALL LOSSES IN THE ASE

[06] THE NATIONAL BANK OF GREECE GOVERNOR DIED TODAY

[07] ACCUSATIONS OF INSULTING PAPANDREOU

[08] POLYDORAS STATEMENT ISSUE CONTINUES

[01] CONFRONTATIONS INTENSIFY 4 DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTIONS

Political confrontations between parties have intensified, while the major parties are preparing for their main campaign rallies in Athens, on Thursday by New Democracy and on Friday by PASOK.

The statements made by shadow Minister of the Interior and ND candidate Mr. Vyron Polydoras that on the day following the elections PASOK's mandarins will be removed from the Public sector sparked a new round of confrontations between PASOK and ND.

Anna Diamantopoulou spoke of the disappearance of 10,000 people, while ND fully covered Mr. Polydoras and accused PASOK's Press Spokesperson of attempting to twist Mr. Polydoras' statements.

ND is aiming at re-establishing the party state. The Right has always been the side of exclusions and divisionary solutions, stressed Giorgos Papandreou, speaking at a PASOK youth event.

Referring to his education program, he promised changes that would free young peoples' creativity, as he said, instead of limiting them to the rationale of exams.

In his extensive interview on ANT1 television, Mr. Papandreou stressed that the announcements he made are within the capabilities of the economy.

He foresaw that high growth rates in the economy will continue and referred to the peace bonus, which will occur from the decrease in armaments. On Wednesday PASOK's President will tour Igoumenitsa and Giannena.

President of New Democracy Mr. Costas Karamanlis made insinuations regarding PASOK's benefit tactics, during his visit to his party's campaign center on Santa Rosa st. ND, he said, did not make costless promises and did not resort to polarization and fanaticism.

During a visit to a secondary school, Mr. Karamanlis made a commitment that among his basic priorities are easier access to new technologies, schools running only in the mornings, books and teachers will arrive on time at the beginning of the school year.

The President of ND also discussed the course of the electoral campaign with Mr. Mitsotakis. We ascertained that things are going very well for ND, stated the honorary President of ND following the meeting. On Wednesday, Mr. Karamanlis will speak at a party rally in Larissa.

March 7 must be a new starting point for a course of the Left against neoliberalism and bipartisanism, underlined President of the Radical Left Nikos Constantopoulos, speaking at a party rally, while on Wednesday he will hold a rally in the Prefecture of Ilia.

The central rally of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) will take place this Wednesday in the Field of Mars, with the Secretary General of the Party Aleka Papariga speaking.

The promises of the two gladiators are like a rubber check, stated President of DIKKI Dimitris Tsovolas from Corinthia, while on Wednesday he will visit the Elefsina shipyards and will speak at a rally in Patra.

In his interview to ANT1 radio, the President of DIKKI made mention of politician tradeoffs and transfers from one party to another with no principles of ideologically and politically opposite individuals, aiming at misleading the voters. He also mentioned that PASOK and ND politically identify with each other.

[02] GIANNITSIS ON CYPRUS ISSUE

There will be problems, there will be difficulties, they must be overcome, but what must be avoided is Cyprus joining the EU and then immediately or within 12 months, having to deal with dead ends, crises, situations etc.

The above statements were made by Foreign Minister Tassos Giannitsis during a press conference he held today in order to brief the press on developments in the Cyprus issue, in view of the new round of negotiations being held under the auspices of the UN.

Mr. Giannitsis also stressed that the Greek government is in constant contact with and supports President of the Cypriot Republic Tassos Giannitsis and the negotiation team in Cyprus, in every possible way.

He also added that Cyprus' political powers are handling the issue in the best possible way, and that, as he said, creates the conditions for success and optimism. He pointed out, however, that the form the negotiations are taking on does not facilitate, but cancels out everything that was agreed upon in New York.

We expect real negotiations on both sides, not just an expression of their positions. In fact, he characterized the recent Denktash statements as proposals moving outside the rationale of the Annan plan.

The Minister also pointed out that these proposals raise the issue of renegotiation and sanctioning a new agreement with EU countries, and thus lead to a date of realization a long way past May 1.

According to Mr. Giannitsis, on the day following the March 7 elections, the government to be formed has a series of crucial issues to deal with. As he said, Greece has a special responsibility to secure this issue in cooperation with its 24 partners in the EU.

It was an issue, he continued, which I also raised with Mr. Weston in the sense that it is not enough to work for a solution which will pass and be approved in the referendum on whatever day the referendum is set.

Mr. Giannitsis also stressed that neither the Greek Cypriot nor the Greek side will accept a renegotiation of the agreement for Cyprus' accession to the EU.

[03] FACILITATIONS FOR VOTERS ON THE ROAD

Drivers' licenses, license plates and drivers' permits for cars, motorcycles and mopeds that have been removed by or turned in to the authorities, will be returned tomorrow. This action aims at facilitating voters who are to travel by their own means in order to vote, while the basic requirement for the return is full payment of the fines, if there is a fine to be paid. There will be discounts and leave from work for voters who have to travel in order to vote.

[04] A TOTAL OF 280 WOMEN WILL BE AMONG THE CANDIDATES FOR THE GREEK PARLIAMENT

A total of 280 women will be among the candidates of the five major political parties running for the Greek Parliament in the March 7 elections. Only in 7 prefectures there are no women candidates.

The Coalition of Radical Left has 76 women candidates (20.2%), while in the prefecture of Pella 3 out of 5 candidates are women. The Communist Party has 61 women in its ballots (16.2%), followed by PASOK with 55 (14.6%), New Democracy with 47 (12.5%) and Democratic Social Movement with 41 (10.9%).

Women in Greece correspond to 52% of the population according to the Athens newspaper Eleftherotipia, and a total of 156 women have been elected to Parliament since the restoration of democracy after the seven-year junta compared to their men colleagues who reached 2,844.

[05] SMALL LOSSES IN THE ASE

Small losses were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index dropped to -0.40% at 2437.29 points, while the volume of transactions was at 128.9 million euros.

Of the stocks trading today, 99 had gains and 192 had losses, while the value of 101 stocks remained unchanged.

[06] THE NATIONAL BANK OF GREECE GOVERNOR DIED TODAY

National Bank of Greece governor Theodoros Karatzas died from cancer at an Athens hospital today. He was 73.

Theodoros Karatzas became National Bank of Greece governor in February 1996. In 1982-1985, he was managing director of the National Bank of Investments and Industrial Development, ETEBA, while between 1985 and 1987 he was National Economy Ministry general secretary. In 1987-1988, he served as National Economy undersecretary.

In the period 1986-1987, he served as the president of the Committee for the Modernization of the Greek Banking System, which laid the foundations for the liberation of the Greek banking market at the end of the 80s and the beginning of the 90s. He was the chairman of the Union of Greek Banks since 1996.

Theodoros Karatzas studied Law at the Athens University Law School and at the University of Strasburg European Studies Center. He was a member of the Athens Bar Association since 1955 and had published many articles on Commercial and Maritime Law.

[07] ACCUSATIONS OF INSULTING PAPANDREOU

Head of PASOK's state ballot and party Spokesperson Anna Diamantopoulou filed a complaint today regarding the circulation of flyers with an insulting content about PASOK President Giorgos Papandreou. Mrs. Diamantopoulou presented evidence according to which the flyers are being circulated by three cars belonging to New Democracy.

According to Mrs. Dimantopoulou the flyers are being mailed from the post office on Veikos st. in Koukaki, and are mainly being sent to priests. They bear no signature and contain especially insulting texts about Mr. Papandreou. PASOK officials followed the individuals implicated in the circulation, and Mrs. Diamantopoulou showed photographs to the press with these individuals and the three cars (she published the license plate numbers) and the investigation showed that the cars belong to ND.

A lawsuit has been filed against unknown parties by PASOK MP Theodoros Pagalos and an appeal has been made towards acting Minister of the Interior Nikos Alivizatos.

New Democracy's first response was that it has nothing to do with the issue and that it is all work of agent provocateurs.

[08] POLYDORAS STATEMENT ISSUE CONTINUES

The issue of shadow Minister of the Interior Vyron Polydoras' statements - that following the elections PASOK official consultants will be removed from their posts - continued today after statements of PASOK Spokesperson and Head of its State Ballot Anna Diamantopoulou. As she characteristically said that Mr. Polydoras' statements have created a negative atmosphere in public administration, while PASOK is receiving dozens of telephone calls.

Mr. Polydoras pointed out that his statements concerned a special category of close associates of Ministers, as is done in every governmental change. A similar position was expressed in a New Democracy announcement, while the party's Secretary of Political Planning Giorgos Souflias made mention of a twisting of Mr. Polydoras' statements to a great degree. We will respect all civil servants, said Mr. Souflias characteristically, while he pointed out that apart from that, Ministers have specific associates, and it is logical for them not to remain after they are gone. When Ministers are replaced, their consultants change, he added.

In fact, New Democracy MP Nikos Nikolopoulos, speaking at a morning televisions show, made mention of many PASOK officials (more than 10,000) who work at 2 or 3 positions at the same time.

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