Subject: A.N.A. Bulletin 27/9/93 From: miltos@nfl2.irc.nrc.ca Athens News Agency Bulletin, September 27, 1993 =============================================== Athens, 27/9/1993 (ANA): All main parties contesting the October 10 elections took the opportunity to address the nation over the weekend, with Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis and main opposition PASOK leader Andreas Papandreou addressing large rallies Saturday evening. Speaking in Iraklion, Crete, Mr. Mitsotakis warned of the dangers the nation would face if PASOK returned to power, while Mr. Papandreou, in Patras, promised his party would drag the country out of economic recession. Coalition of the Left and Progress leader Maria Damanaki, meanwhile, spoke to party followers in Volos Saturday, while Communist Party of Greece Honorary Chairman Harilaos Florakis spoke in Larissa yesterday. Athens, 27/9/1993 (ANA): Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis on Saturday warned that a socialist return to power in next month's elections would pose a great risk for the country's future. "It is necessary for the Greek people to understand the risks involved in voting for (Panhellenic Socialist Movement, PASOK, leader Andreas) Papandreou. We have to save Greece from Mr. Papandreou's mistakes and recklessness", Mr. Mitsotakis told a pre-election rally in Iraklion, Crete. On winning power in April 1990, Mr. Mitsotakis embarked on a tight incomes policy aimed at pruning Greece's huge deficit, double-digit inflation and privatising indebted state companies. Mr. Papandreou, who opposes the privatisation plan, said in a recent interview he would seek foreign loans and impose new taxes as measures to slash the state deficit. "Mr. Papandreou has announced that the added debt which they would create by abandoning our privatisation programme would be covered through new loans and raising more taxes. "But new loans ... will devastate the economy, and higher taxes will devastate the efforts of economic rehabilitation and development", Mr. Mitsotakis said. "(With) a new period of foreign borrowing, coupled with other problems (Mr. Papandreou) is certain to create in the European Community, Mr. Papandreou will endanger Greece's course towards European unification. This may not bother Mr. Papandreou ... but it will cost the Greek people tens of billions of dollars in the forthcoming years", he added. On foreign policy, Mr. Mitsotakis referred to the "discredited" record of his political rival, saying the return of socialism would lead to Greece's isolation. "Throughout his political career, (Mr. Papandreou) always managed to back the wrong horse over international issues of critical importance. He suggested to me I should side with Saddam Hussein in the Gulf war. He considered (Libyan leader Muammar) Kadaffi a model leader (and) he fought hard to keep Greece out of Europe in a state of Third World isolation", Mr. Mitsotakis said. He added that the most important issue under consideration was whether Mr. Papandreou could deal with what he foresaw as "a violent and dangerously strong wind of change and turmoil" about to sweep the Balkans and Central Asia. Athens, 27/9/1993 (ANA): Main opposition Panhellenic Socialist Movement leader Andreas Papandreou Saturday voiced optimism that his party would win the elections and wage a strong battle to drive the country out of its economic recession. "We are not miracle makers, but we are optimistic that together U the state and the production sector U will wage a battle to reform the country", Mr. Papandreou told a pre-election rally in the southern port city of Patras. The 74-year-old former Prime Minister said his party would stimulate productivity and investments, increase public works and slash unemployment. But the "key words" for the country's future development, he said, were decentralisation and modernisation. "With decentralisation we will transfer decisions, responsibilities, funds and administrative powers to regional and local authorities", Mr. Papandreou said, pledging to abolish prefectures. He said public corporations would be "detached from the 'stranglehold' of the state in order to operate under the criteria of modern-day competition". "Modern administration will do away with bureaucracy, centralisation ... and will increase the public sector's productivity", he added. Athens, 27/9/1993 (ANA): Coalition of the Left and Progress leader Maria Damanaki Saturday predicted defeat for the ruling New Democracy party, but cautioned that the alternative would not be any better. Speaking at a rally in Volos, Ms. Damanaki said the electoral system passed by parliament under the New Democracy government U opposed by the Coalition U fed the "absolutism" of PASOK which would breed "arrogance, stalemate, and engender conservatism". She accused both major parties of pre-electoral vagueness, in an attempt to conceal their lack of proposals. Ms. Damanaki presented a proposal to increase state revenues by taxing wealth, property, and income received from the black market. She said her party was in favour of real rises in salaries and pensions, cautioning against continuing the current austerity policy. Ms. Damanaki also called for an all-party body to administer the Delors II package, to ensure that development planning would be evenly distributed to cover the whole of Greece. New York, 27/9/1993 (ANA - M. Georgiadou): Foreign Minister Michalis Papaconstantinou and his European Community counterparts will meet with US Secretary of State Warren Christopher during their stay in New York, where they are to participate in the 48th session of the UN General Assembly. Speaking to the press shortly after his arrival in New York yesterday, Mr. Papaconstantinou said that, if necessary, he would have a private meeting with Mr. Christopher. He is also scheduled to have a private meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hikmet Cetin. Mr. Papaconstantinou said his round of meetings included meeting with UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros Ghali, the special delegate for the Cyprus issue Joe Clark, and former US Secretary of State and mediator on the Skopje issue Cyrus Vance "to keep our promise and display our presence on September 28 and both our intention and willingness to continue the dialogue (on Skopje)". "Our aim is to weed out all points of friction which might cause tension or further complications in the Balkans", he said. "The so-called Macedonian question has been a source of strain for scores of years in the Balkans and it is time it was put to rest", he added. Responding to a question on whether or not Security Council Resolution 845 would be binding on the government that would emerge from the October 10 elections, Mr. Papaconstantinou said there was continuity in foreign policy, regardless of changes of government. He stressed that the resolution has been hailed as a sound basis for further talks by all parties concerned. Asked whether he considered recent statements by various US officials as interference in Greek politics, Mr. Papaconstantinou said: "The Americans are familiar with American issues and the Greeks with Greek. Our view simply carries more weight on matters concerning us. However, when it is a matter of stating one's views, it is their right to do so". He added he would meet with members of the Greek-American community to review national issues and the upcoming election. Late yesterday, Mr. Papaconstantinou inaugurated a New Democracy polling centre in the district of Astoria. Athens, 27/9/1993 (ANA): An earth tremor registering 4.8 on the Richter scale was recorded at 9.53 am yesterday. The tremor's epicentre was located on the west coast of the island of Zakynthos, 260 km's from Athens. Athens, 27/9/1993 (ANA): Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Danilo Markovic arrived in Thessaloniki Friday to participate in celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the Allied victory on the Macedonian front during World War I. Mr. Markovic laid a wreath at the allied cemetery of Zeinterlik and on the monument of the Third Army Corps, and had talks with government officials. Athens, 27/9/1993 (ANA): Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis and his wife, Marika, attended a memorial service for assassinated deputy Pavlos Bakoyiannis, in Karpenissi yesterday. Mr. Bakoyiannis was gunned down by terrorists in the centre of Athens late 1989. He was married to Mr. Mitsotakis' daughter, Dora, now culture minister. After the service, Mr. Mitsotakis conferred with local officials and visited the local New Democracy office. He told the press he had met with the local population and the climate was excellent. "New Democracy is heading for victory everywhere", Mr. Mitsotakis said.