Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-11-27

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

CONTENTS

[01] PASOK leader speaks in Karditsa

[01] PASOK leader speaks in Karditsa

Addressing a crowd of party supporters in a farm sector-dominated region of the country, Papandreou initially criticised a recent government decision to purchase another 40 new US-made F-16 fighter planes, as he decried the huge cost involved.

Moreover, the former foreign minister in successive Simitis governments also criticised what he called a "lack of transparency" in hirings for Greece's massive public sector and the re-institution of the "party-dominated state".

Meanwhile, in echoing other recent criticism by several top PASOK cadres, Papandreou referred to a "redistribution of wealth" from the many to the few, while charging that the government's pre-election promises regarding inflation and pension hikes have not been met.

Additionally, in response to continuing and intense criticism by ruling New Democracy party over PASOK's performance during its lengthy stay in power, 1981-1989 and 1993-2004, Papandreou said:

"The (slogan) of PASOK is to blame for everything will only be believed by (Prime Minister) Mr. Karamanlis and maybe a few of his ministers," Papandreou said, while repeating his charge that the 2006 draft budget cannot be implemented.

"Our goal is to become a government to serve the people, to serve our programme, and not to serve ourselves, as the ND government is doing," he concluded.

Gov't reaction

In reaction to Papandreou's comments, government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos later issued a terse response, noting that it "wasn't even it worth it to response to the nihilism expressed tonight by Mr. Papandreou. What's worth asking, however, is this:

"How would he deal with the issue of a report on the economy, when PASOK governments had already received a series of EU Commission epistles regarding false data and fake budgets? Indirectly, Mr. Papandreou declares that if PASOK were in government it would continue to lie. The only thing that such a shocking political admission shows is irresponsibility," Roussopoulos said.

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