Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-06-02

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

CONTENTS

[01] Gov't determined to proceed with shake-up of public sector, PM says

[02] Foreign ministry on Dutch rejection of Euro-constitution

[03] Bomb rocks Employment ministry

[01] Gov't determined to proceed with shake-up of public sector, PM says

Karamanlis stressed that the government was prepared to make radical changes and engage in clashes toward this end, noting that this was the only way to overcome the critical economic state and huge deficits inherited from its predecessors.

The prime minister said that restructuring and, essentially, refounding the state along new lines was a key strategic choice and major priority of the new governance, seeking to effect the transition to a truly modern and effective state that was just, transparent and reliable and able to support and motivate the Greek economy and markets.

He noted that systematic dialogue in the broader public sector had been underway during the past months so as to ensure that the structural reforms had the widest possible acceptance, citing as an example the recent deal struck between OTE management and staff for reducing the number of people on the state telecom's pay-roll.

The premier stressed, however, that where such consensus could not be achieved, the government was obliged to go ahead with the changes regardless, showing wisdom, moderation and social sensitivity, on the one hand, but also the bold, decisive realism demanded by the times, on the other.

Karamanlis said that the envisioned changes would benefit the whole of society and tax-payers, not just a privileged few.

He particularly stressed the need for reforms in state-controlled banks in order to make them more competitive, underlining that the country could not continually postpone decisions for changes that everyone agreed had to be made, shifting the burden onto future generations.

The prime minister emphasised that the changes sought to drastically reduce the public deficit and create a competitive economy with vibrant growth, while stressing that they were not driven by dogma or ideology but by realism and common sense.

According to Karamanlis, a start toward the founding of a new modern state had already been made with the introduction of laws that simplified bureaucratic procedures and a measure that made the state liable to compensate citizens for failure to promptly complete transactions, as well as the conversion of Citizen Service Centres to complete transactions centres.

The public sector was presently bloated, wasteful, unproductive and bureaucratic, acting to enlarge deficits, add new tax burdens, obstruct economic growth and operating as a brake on the Greek enterprise, the premier said.

"Our vision for the state is clearcut: it should have a smaller presence in the economy and be more effective in its social intervention," he said.

[02] Foreign ministry on Dutch rejection of Euro-constitution

The Dutch 'no' vote came close on the heels of a rejection of the Euro-constitution by French voters, 55 percent of whom also voted against the constitution in a similar referendum last week. The overwhelming rejection of the constitution in two of the first three referenda in the EU -- in two of the six founding countries of the bloc -- has caused deep concern throughout the 25-nation-strong European Union. A referendum in Spain in February favoured the Constitutional Treaty with a resounding 76.73 percent.

"Both the French and Dutch 'no' to the Treaty for the European Constitution, as a democratic expression of two peoples of the European Union '25' are respected by all," Koumoutsakos said, adding that "at the same time, these two 'no' votes do not comprise a mandate for suspension of the European's effort to work together in solidarity for the common vision of peace, stability and prosperity on our continent."

Koumoutsakos said that the results of the referenda "are messages for more effort and greater response by Europe to the expectations of the citizens and the challenges of the era".

The spokesman stressed that "the effort for European integration must continue", adding that "at this stage, it must continue with the implementation of the process of ratification of the Treaty for the European Parliament in the rest of the member-states".

The Greek parliament ratified the Treaty -- which was signed on October 29,2004 by the 25 EU leaders -- on April 19, 2004, by an overwhelming majority of 268 votes for and 17 votes against in the 300-member unicameral House.

Nine EU members have approved the constitution thus far, but only Spain did so by referendum. The others ratified it in their legislatures. The constitution has to be accepted by all 25 member-states to take effect. Some 11 member-states have committed to holding referenda, but these are not binding, but consultative.

Communist Party of Greece

The Communist Party of Greece (KKE), in an announcement, opined that "the resounding 'no' by the Dutch people, which comes to join that of the French people, proves that popular opposition to the Eu's anti-popular policy and the so-called 'Euro-constitution' is becoming generalised".

In an announcement, the KKE added that "the new rejection/condemnation, despite the threats and the coercive quandaries, is an optimistic message for the peoples and a source of worry for the plutocracy".

It also said that the Greek "government's refusal to hold a referendum on the Constitutional Treaty, and the lack of elementary briefing of the people on the 'Euro-constitution' -- which was voted in parliament by (ruling New Democracy party) ND and (main opposition party) PASOK -- reveals fear of the dynamic expression of disagreement and insubordination of the Greek people, particularly at this time when the new wave of the governmental anti-labour and anti-popular fury is preparing to swallow up everything that the (preceding) PASOK governments didn't have time to do".

[03] Bomb rocks Employment ministry

According to initial reports, no one was injured in the strong blast, but the sound waves from the explosion shattered windows within a 60-metre radius, while the explosion itself was heard at a large distance in the vicinity.

Twenty minutes before the blast, an anonymous caller telephoned the Athens daily Eleftherotypia warning of the impending explosion. Police immediately cordoned off the area before the explosion.

Remnants of the home-made explosive device were being examined at the police crime lab, while the explosive material used is tentatively believed to be ammonium dynamite (dynamite made with ammonium nitrate).

According to reliable sources, the police guard outside the ministry saw an unidentified man leaving a satchel next to the garbage bin, situated on the sidewalk at the far end of the fence enclosing the ministry grounds. The guard approached the satchel and opened it up, saw it was a bomb, and immediately alerted police headquarters.

The sources said the guard's movements were apparently noticed by the suspect, who the guard said he saw make a phone call from a cell phone. Police said that the call to the newspaper was placed at approximately the time the guard saw the unidentified man phoning from his cell phone.

Police consider important the fact that they have a description of the suspect from an experienced police officer, and a sketch of the suspect was being drawn up by police sketch artists.

A police alert was also mounted after an unidentified caller phoned police headquarters at 7:00 a.m. warning that explosions would also go off at 7:00 a.m. at the ISAP underground train station at Omonoia Square and at the Education ministry on Mitropoleos street, near Syntagma Square.

Police cordoned off both areas, but a search turned up that the call had been a hoax.

Bomb syndesmology points to 'Revolutionary Struggle'

Police bomb experts later said the explosive device was similar to that used by the "Revolutionary Struggle" group, known for two previous attacks in 2003 and 2004.

They said the bomb comprised a time mechanism composed of a desktop clock, a common detonator, a nine-volt battery, and a large quantity of ammonium dynamite.

According to a high-ranking Greek Police (ELAS) officer, the syndesmology of the bomb is the same as that of a bomb used in 2003 in a triple bomb explosion on May 3, 2004, detonated outside a police station in the Athens residential district of Kallithea, which was claimed by the group 8 days later.

The group first made its appearance in September 2003, when it claimed responsibility for a double bomb explosion at the Athens Courthouse complex where the Evelpidon Cadet Academy had formerly been housed.

A police anti-terrorism squad officer who took part in a morning meeting on the case at the Public Order ministry, headed by minister George Voulgarakis, told ANA that the incident had been a serious one, and that there had been no injuries due purely to luck, given that windows of apartment buildings and shops had shattered in a wide radius.

Police were investigating the prospect of another terrorist act following, with an overall claim of responsibility for the attacks, given that no group had yet claimed Thursday's explosion, the officer told ANA.

Ministry condemnation

Meanwhile, the Employment and Social Protection ministry strongly condemned the attack, and announced that the ministry's central services would remain closed Thursday and Friday for restoration of the damages caused by the blast.

In a statement, the ministry condemned the "murderous and cowardly attack" that "endangered the lives of working people and citizens".

It further said that, according to initial estimates, the damage caused by the explosion was extensive, not only to the ministry premises but also to nearby buildings.

The ministry leadership "unequivocally condemns this abhorrent act ahd declares towards every direction that in a strong Democracy, its institutions are not terrorised, are not daunted, and are not influenced by such cowardly actions," the statement said.

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