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

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

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

CONTENTS

[01] President, prime minister in Ioannina for Easter holidays

[02] KKE leader, gov't discuss hooliganism issue

[01] President, prime minister in Ioannina for Easter holidays

Tuesday's inner cabinet meeting, chaired by the prime minister, focused on interior ministry issues, with Interior and Public Administration Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos briefing participants on gender equality and the implementation of a gender equality programme.

Pavlopoulos stressed that the protection of women is a social issue and not just a state issue, pointing out that public awareness is necessary in addition to current and future measures.

Meanwhile, President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias and his family as well as Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and his family will arrive in the mountainous Ioannina region of northwest Greece late this week to spend the Easter holidays, the respective offices of each leader announced on Wednesday.

Papoulias, a native of the lake-side city of Ioannina, is in the region since Palm Sunday and will attend Holy Week services at a handful of local churches as well as visiting military camps, including one in the Konitsa township. He will attend the Good Friday evening service at the Ioannina Metropolitan Cathedral.

Karamanlis and his family will be in Ioannina as of Thursday, beginning a private visit until Monday after Easter Sunday.

Caption: A file photo shows President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias throwing a wreath into the waters of Lake Pamvotida, which borders the capital of Epirus province, Ioannina, in memory of the fallen seafarers and naval personnel down through the centuries, Sunday, June 25, 2006. ANA-MPA / P. PAPPA.

[02] KKE leader, gov't discuss hooliganism issue

The meeting comes after a particularly disturbing clash between rival "fans" last week in an eastern Attica township (Peania), an incident that left one 25-year-old man dead and several others injured.

Papariga called for the abolition of pro sports clubs in favour for amateur-only teams along with state-funded federations and leagues. She also proposed a greater emphasis on sports education and sportsmanship in school curricula. Finally, the communist party leader said "social bodies" should back sports in a more direct manner, whereas a "responsible collective scientific study" into the behaviour of youth vis-?-vis sports should be commenced by local universities.

Meanwhile, in response to press questions, Orfanos commented on a proposal by the president of the popular AEK Athens football club -- one-time international striker and AEK star Demis Nikolaidis -- who a day earlier suggested that Greek first division soccer teams abstain from European play for three years as a remedy to football hooliganism.

"I don't know what that measure will accomplish, quite frankly. I see it as a measure that will punish the teams. Whatever is part of a comprehensive legal action plan (to combat hooliganism), however, is acceptable," Orfanos, whose portfolio includes sports issues, told reporters.

Suspects face magistrate

In a related development, eight out of 12 individuals arrested during and after last week's extensive hooligan violence were remanded in custody late Tuesday evening following their day-long appearances before a judicial magistrate in Athens.

The 12 men, mostly in their 20s, were charged with various felony counts. The other four individuals were released on bail and ordered not to leave the country.

According to reports, the 12 individuals include two employees of the Olympiakos pro football club; two members of an affiliated fan club; an employee of a prefecture; two college students; a merchant seaman; a high school pupil; a private sector employee; a plumber and an unemployed man.

Based on initial court statements, nine out of the 13 suspects said they are Olympiakos fans; the other three said they are Panathinaikos fans.

A "rumble" of between 400 and 500 Olympiakos and Panathinaikos hooligans erupted near the venue where a women's volleyball match between the two same teams was being held a few kilometres away.

Caption: KKE leader Aleka Papariga. ANA-MPA file photo.

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