Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-04-05

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

CONTENTS

[01] PASOK leader meets Athens mayor

[01] PASOK leader meets Athens mayor

"Though it's usual in Greece for the main opposition to make maximalist promises, the issues on which Mr. Papandreou responded positively were very specific, while many of them are in any case included in PASOK's programme, and I am convinced that he will help, regardless of what institutional position he occupies in the future," Kaklamanis said.

He said the meeting ended a round of contacts with the prime minister and the heads of the political parties, so that everything would be in place to begin work after the May 5 elections held at Central Union of Municipalities and Communities of Greece (KEDKE).

According to the mayor, his talks with Papandreou had covered a range of issues concerning local government, including funding, the transfer of responsibilities from central government to local authorities and continuing the "Help at Home" programme, whose joint funding ends in June.

Issues concerning Athens were also discussed, among them waste management, the metropolitan organisation of Athens and local authority responsibility for schools and nurseries.

Regarding the upcoming KEDKE elections, Kaklamanis said he had not yet decided whether he would run president and said that this would partly depend on whether the government came through with a promise to set up a company named "Demos SA" that would be in charge of administrating the funds destined for local authorities under the EU's 4th Community Support Framework (CSF).

"I cannot conceive that whoever is KEDKE president can continue to beg from central government. He must receive the things that are due to him within the framework of the body," Kaklamanis stressed.

Questioned about the issue that has arisen with the purchase of structured bonds by state pension funds, the mayor refused to divulge what he discussed with Papandreou, saying he did not make public his private discussions with others.

Asked if "heads would roll" if something similar were revealed about the Athens municipality, the mayor said the easy answer would be to say 'yes'.

"I would like to remind you that whatever happened during my two years at the head of the health ministry, even if I was not technically to blame, I always came out and said that the political responsibility was mine and that I undertook it," Kaklamanis added.

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