Athens News Agency: News in English, 01-10-21

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] PASOK's new Executive Bureau to be elected on Monday

[02] Liberals party suspends operation, financial problems cited

[03] Weather forecast: Overcast, with local showers in northwest on Monday

[04] Foreign Exchange Rates - Monday

[01] PASOK's new Executive Bureau to be elected on Monday

The ruling PASOK's 180-member Central Committee, which was elected at the party's congress on Sunday October 14, will convene on Monday to elect the party's 11 members of the Executive Bureau and the new Secretary.

On Tuesday, according to sources, Prime Minister Costas Simitis will announce a cabinet reshuffle.

The results of the congress determine to a great degree the election of the Secretary and the set up of the Executive Bureau. No one disputes that outgoing Environment, Town Planning and Public Works Minister will be the next Secretary of the ruling party given that he topped the list of preferences at the congress.

Interest is therefore centred on the composition of the new Executive Bureau. According to sources, the candidates which have the greatest possibility of being elected are: from the previous members of the Executive Bureau, Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis, Vasso Papandreou, Costas Skandalidis, George Papandreou, Akis Tsohatzopoulos and Evangelos Venizelos. If the election of the above mentioned is considered a foregone conclusion, then five seats remain. According to reports in the Sunday press, those contesting seats will be Michalis Chrisohoidis, Dimitris Reppas, Fofi Gennimata, A. Kostakas, Tonia Antoniou, Yiannos Papantonoiu, Theodoros Pangalos, Alekos Papadopoulos, Christos Papoutsis, Theodoros Tsoukatos and George Daskalakis.

Concerning the government reshuffle, the reports are multiple and the names circulating are in their tens. The key, however, in this case is in the hand of the prime minister, who, following his return from Ghent, Belgium, where he attended the European Union summit, will complete his decisions for the changes which he is expected to announce on Tuesday.

With regard the number of ministers, it is not expected to be reduced, as it is probable that the National Economy and Finance ministries will be unified. As is known, Yiannos Papantoniou held both the ministries' posts.

[02] Liberals party suspends operation, financial problems cited

Liberals party leader Stephanos Manos on Sunday formally announced the suspension of the party's operation following a relevant decision taken by the Liberals' central committee during a two-day session over the weekend.

The reasons Manos cited for suspending the party's operation include the Liberals' electoral performance and serious financial problems, since the party received no state subsidy.

Manos said that the party would not run in the next general elections, nor would he himself seek a seat in parliament, adding that he and a second Liberals MP currently serving in parliament under an electoral collaboration with main opposition New Democracy would serve out the remainder of the present House's term.

[03] Weather forecast: Overcast, with local showers in northwest on Monday

Most of the country will be overcast on Monday, with the chance of local showers in the northwest and the islands of the eastern Aegean. Temperatures will range from 10 to 25 C in the north, 15-26 C in the west, and 13-29 C in the rest of the country. Athes will be overcast, with temperatures of 14-28 C. The same in Thessaloniki, with possibility of light showers, and temperatures of 12-25 C.

[04] Foreign Exchange Rates - Monday

Indicative tourist buying rates until Monday

U.S. dollar 375.192

German mark 172.829

French franc 051.531

Pound sterling 540.924

Irish punt 429.202

Belgian franc 008.379

Luxembourg franc 008.379

Dutch guilder 153.389

Italian lira (100) 017.457

Austrian schilling 024.565

Danish kroner 045.453

Swedish kroner 035.688

Finnish mark 056.852

Spanish peseta 002.032

Portuguese escudo 001.686

Japanese yen (100) 309.829

Swiss franc 228.752

Norwegian kroner 042.417

Cyprus pound 588.463

Canadian dollar 237.970

Australian dollar 189.981

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