Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-09-12

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

CONTENTS

[01] Papandreou reiterates criticism of PM, gov't

[01] Papandreou reiterates criticism of PM, gov't

Papandreou addressed party officials and supporters attending a PASOK national council meeting in the northern port city.

The one-time foreign minister was particularly critical of the prime ministerās emphasis on the governmentās high-profile reforms policy, noting that "the premier told us that everything is being postponed and that everything will be accomplished with future wishes. As far as necessary changes and reforms in our country are concerned, donāt let his (Karamanlis) tone fool you, it was the only thing that lingered," Papandreou said, adding:

"Behind the grand words he (Karamanlis) flatly admits his weakness, his failure that the government cannot move the country forward ... the prime minister has admitted that what he promised before the election has no relation to his policies of today."

Among others, Papandreou referred to what he said were government failures to fight public sector corruption, to lower unemployment, boost regional development, implement reforms in the education sector, deal with the social security issue, and to take measures against high prices as well as what he called banksā profiteering.

"The prime minister, with an arrogant certainty, said in essence that this inertia is a one-way street. Listen closely Mr. Prime Minister: In politics there are no one-way streets. This was demonstrated by PASOKās history; it was proven by Andreas Papandreou and Costas Simitis," Papandreou said, in referring to his late three-time prime minister father as well as his predecessor at PASOKās helm, respectively.

Papandreou listed off a litany of criticisms on practically all of the governmentās initiatives since it came to power in March 2004, noting that recent tax breaks, for instance, do not benefit low-income wage-earners making less than 800 euros a month, while at the same saving 6,000 to 7,000 euros for an individual making 100,000 euros annually.

He also said the countryās trade balance has exceeded 10 percent of GDP recently, that state budgets were unreliable and could not be executed, while charging that the government was encouraging scores of state-owned enterprises to become even bigger loss-makers in order to "sell them off easier".

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