Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-05-29

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

CONTENTS

[01] PASOK leader Papandreou attacks government, 'big interests'

[01] PASOK leader Papandreou attacks government, 'big interests'

Papandreou opined that the government, "with its immense mistakes" and depravity, was showing signs of a quick end, and predicted that PASOK would soon return to government.

He also attacked prime minister Costas Karmanlis personally, saying that "I will not become a Karamanlis", and accused the ruling New Democracy party (ND) of "falling on the state and public administration like locusts".

Papandreou accused the "big interests" of attempting, in harmony with ND, to create the impression that PASOK and ND were "one of the same", in order to create insecurity among the citizens and present the political forces as lacking credibility, for the purpose of imposting their own interests on the Greek people.

He warned that local, but also big, interests wanted PASOK divided, but added that he would not provide consensus to the government, stressing that PASOK would wage a tough opposition struggle.

Papandreou said he was in favour of major reforms, but added that the people should not pay for them.

The main opposition leader further said that the agreement reached last week on voluntary retirement in the Hellenic Telecoms (OTE) -- which also included abolition of tenured employment in the state organisation for new hirees -- was an attempt by the government to "patch up holes", and that ND wanted to raise the price of the OTE share in order to raise the Athens Stock Exchange, so that it could quickly sell off more state companies.

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