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Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-03-05Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Latest polls gauge political sceneThe first week of spring continued to witness the blossoming of several new opinion polls gauging the political situation in Greece, as the period also coincides with the two-year anniversary of New Democracy party's landslide election victory in March 2004.Results of three polls were released in a same number of Athens papers on Sunday, with the most important parameter - respondents' voting preference for political parties - showing a marginal lead for ruling ND over main opposition PASOK. Specifically, 33.9 percent of respondents in the first poll - published in the Sunday edition of the newspaper "Vima" -- said they would vote for ND, 0.5 percent more than the figure for PASOK, 33.4 percent. In terms of other parties, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) garnered 7 percent; the Coalition of the Left (Synaspismos) 3.2 percent and the out-of-Parliament Popular Orthodox Rally (LA.OS) party 4.6 percent. The undetermined/undecided vote reaches 10.7 percent. Amongst political party leaders, Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis is judged as "best suited" for the premiership by 40.3 percent of respondents in the opinion poll, as opposed to 33.1 percent for PASOK leader George Papandreou. Sixteen percent of respondents did not pick any of the party leaders. In the head-to-head comparison, Karamanlis is viewed as most capable by 45.4 percent of respondents to Papandreou's 37 percent. The poll commissioned by "Vima" was conducted by the firm Kapa Research between Feb. 28 and March 2 on a sample of 2,039 households via telephone interviews. Meanwhile, another cache of opinion poll results were published in the Sunday edition of the newspaper "Eleftherotypia", this time giving ND a 0.2-lead over PASOK, 34.4 percent to 34.2 percent. KKE was picked by 6.5 percent of respondents; Synaspismos garnered 3.7 percent and LA.OS 4.1 percent. Asked which party they believed would win the next elections, 47.1 percent picked ND; 33.4 said PASOK, while a "don't know/won't answer" response garnered 19.1 percent. In terms of political leaders' popularity, Karamanlis edges Papandreou by 59.3 percent to 58.6 percent. KKE leader Aleka Papariga garnered 38.1; Synaspismos president Alekos Alavanos 34.9 percent and LA.OS leader George Karatzaferis 33.9 percent. The opinion poll was conducted by the firm Metron Analysis between Feb. 28 and March 2 on a sample of 1,001 people via telephone interviews. Caption: Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, left, meets with PASOK leader George Papandreou in his office for a briefing on the government's constitutional reforms issue. File photo. ANA / P. Saitas. ANA-MPA Copyright © 2004-2005 All rights reserved. [02] Sea plane flights to Ionian isles this weekA private company will begin sea plane routes to several Ionian islands from the port of Patra, in southwest Greece, this week. The company, Air Sea Lines/Pegasus Aviation has arleady commenced flights from the Faliro marina in coastal southern Athens to the Ionian islands of Corfu and Paxoi, as well as to the northwest lake-side city of Ioannina so far.According to an announcement, flights from Patra will initially service Corfu, a popular holiday island, whereas the islands of Lefkada and Ithaca will be included in the company's flight programme soon. The price for a one-way ticket on the Patra-Corfu route will cost 80 euros until March 31. Caption: A sea plane docks at a Patra marina in this August 2005 file photo. ANA / Y. Korbaki ANA-MPA Copyright © 2004-2005 All rights reserved. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |