Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-03-30

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

CONTENTS

[01] Papandreou criticises gov't over pension fund furor

[01] Papandreou criticises gov't over pension fund furor

He charged that the entire pension fund affair had been planned and organised by certain individuals, and that behind the planning lies the government itself, referring to the ministers of economy and employment.

"I do not understand why he (the prime minister) is keeping them", Papandreou said, adding that after three years (of a ruling New Democracy government in power) the problem is not whether two government ministers will be replaced but whether the government will change."

He also accused the government of abolishing Bank of Greece audits, adding that it is not accidental that the individuals involved in the bonds affair are high-profile ND cadres, the responsible government ministers included.

Responding to questions regarding opinion polls showing that ND has a clear lead over PASOK, he merely stated that rules have to be set regulating the financing of polling firms, which will have to operate with transparency.

Papandreou also said PASOK voted twice for the revision of Article 16 of the Constitution (higher education reform) while he chose to withdraw his party from Parliament debate on and Constitutional revision in response to "vote-rigging", as he said, during committee-level debate on Article 24. Papandreou also said charged that the prime minister is inexperienced.

The PASOK leader expressed certainty that his party will be the winner in the next elections, and referring to PASOKâs relations with the Greek Communist Party, KKE, and Coalition of the Left (Synaspismos), he said KKE is a conservative party, and pointed out that often it makes no distinction between PASOK and ND.

Referring to Synaspismos, he said that in certain cases PASOK and Synaspismos have managed to enter a substantive dialogue and achieve good cooperation in Parliament.

Papandreou spoke on a late-night news talk show aired by a private Athens television station.

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