Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-03-04

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] Papandreou rallies support for PASOK platform, calls for early elections

[02] Spokesman: PM alone will decide election date

[03] Gov't pledges funding for Crete museums

[01] Papandreou rallies support for PASOK platform, calls for early elections

Papandreou, who addressed PASOK cadres at Athens' seaside Peace and Friendship indoor stadium on Saturday, first outlined portions of the party's 219-proposal platform, which envisions, among others, hefty spending hikes for education, health care and pensioners on the lowest scales, including pensions of 550 euros for uninsured individuals.

He also said the entire policy programme, which he termed "pioneering and radical", is based on three axes, namely, a radical decentralisation of the state; a restructuring of the extended social welfare system and a new "green" (environmentally friendly) development model for the country.

Beyond PASOK's platform, announced roughly a year before general elections are normally scheduled to be held, Papandreou repeated high-pitch criticisms of the current Karamanlis government before again demanding early elections.

In a reply to a barrage of questions over the past week on how he intends to pay for the announced programmes, Papandreou on Saturday replied that "money is available, but the ND government funnels it to the few."

Additionally, he censured ND for failing, as he said, to meet its pre-election promises, while tabling a set of rhetorical questions towards the government -- for instance, if more hirings in the public health sector are necessary and if the lowest levels of pension rates should be increased.

Papandreou said it was PASOK's political duty to table a no confidence motion in Parliament last month and to subsequently walk out of debate for constitutional revision.

In continuing his attacks on the government, Papandreou, a former foreign and education minister in successive Simitis governments, called the current government weak in negotiations over national issues and said it also undermines democracy.

"PASOK is against injustice, the accumulation of capital, the unfair distribution of wealth; it is in favor of transparency, healthy competition and consumers' interests," he said.

Finally, in reference to a series of negative opinion poll results of late, Papandreou said he and PASOK will not allow pollsters to decide for the people, adding that the people will ultimately decide for his government.

Gov't reply

In a terse reaction hours later on Saturday evening, government spokesman and Minister of State Theodoros Roussopoulos noted that "Mr. Papandreou 'promises' and 'guarantees' many things. The only thing he is carefully hiding is the unbridled tax raid that Greek citizens will face if he does all that he says".

Caption: Papandreou addresses PASOK cadres on Saturday, March 3, 2007 in Athens. ANA-MPA / K. Mavrona.

[02] Spokesman: PM alone will decide election date

"Any decision on when general elections will be held is up to the prime minister, one he will take alone," Minister of State and government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos was quoted as saying in a newspaper interview published on Sunday.

Roussopoulos also dismissed speculation that Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis will not seek a third term at the country's helm should he win the upcoming elections, which are normally scheduled to take place next spring.

In reference to main opposition PASOK and its recently unveiled policy platform, along with a related rally and addresses over the weekend, most notably by PASOK leader George Papandreou on Sunday, the government spokesman said "Mr. Papandreou's phraseology is reminiscent of an individual who is trying to impose his will over his party, becoming amiable, first off, to his internal party opponents."

Moreover, Roussopoulos also said tabled reforms for the higher education system mean huge steps towards freeing universities and safeguarding their administrative autonomy.

His interview was carried by the Sunday edition of the Athens daily "Vima".

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Roussopoulos.

[03] Gov't pledges funding for Crete museums

Among others, Voulgarakis said the emphasis of the funding will be to upgrade and improve the island's four main archaeological museums - in Hania, Irakleio, Rethymno and Aghios Nikolaos.

Caption: Culture Minister Voulgarakis tours a museum in Hania, Crete on Saturday, March 3, 2007. ANA-MPA / S. Zaharakis.

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article