Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-08-17

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

CONTENTS

[01] Karamanlis outlines reasons for seeking a new mandate

[02] Alavanos on Synaspismos election strategy

[03] Wildfire on Mt. Penteli under control

[01] Karamanlis outlines reasons for seeking a new mandate

The Greek prime minister, in a nationally televised address, said the next draft budget - usually tabled in the late autumn - will be elevated to the status of a "national priority", thus the need for a new mandate from voters.

Moreover, he said several reforms outlined by his government in the recent period will be brought before Parliament immediately for ratification.

"Three and a half years ago you gave us the mandate to extricate the country from the economic deadlocks and to create conditions for a better life. Together, we proceeded with a substantial effort, not everything was corrected, however, steps were taken and we made significant reforms," Karamanlis said during his address.

As progress, he cited rapid economic growth, a drop in unemployment , from 11.8 percent to 8 percent, rising exports and improved competitiveness.

"We are determined to proceed," he stressed, adding that he has absolute faith in the people, "who will judge and decide who can better guarantee the country's future."

Meeting with president

Earlier, Karamanlis called on Papoulias immediately after an extraordinary Cabinet meeting at noon, where he explained that the specific date had been chosen so that "the new government will have ample time to draft the (2008) budget and for the revision of the constitution to commence promptly".

"I adamantly believe that the citizens desire the continuation of the changes and reforms, with a new momentum and new speed," Karamanlis told the last Cabinet meeting of his ruling 2004 New Democracy (ND) government, adding that it was a national necessity, and his obligation, to seek the renewal of the people's mandate.

He said the citizens "want us to proceed together, with realism and vision, on the road to a dynamic and prospering homeland, to proceed to new changes which improve the standard of living and the everyday lives of each and every citizen".

During its term in office, the ND government achieved solutions to long-standing problems and critical outstanding issues, it rid the country of the dangers of fiscal derailment, it ensured the foundations and delineated the priorities for the changes demanded by the citizens, for the changes that guarantee the prospect of a better life, particularly for the financially weaker, he said.

The premier stressed that the revision of the Constitution was also an issue of major importance, particularly with respect to the reinforcement of transparency in public life, the further strengthening of the independence and effectiveness of justice, as well as the expansion of the prospects of education through revision of Article 16 of the Constitution.

He said that this major institutional reform was not only necessary, but mandatory at the present time, and for this purpose, it was necessary to form the next parliament, which would be a legislature able to revise the constitution, as soon as possible. "It is a national cause," he added.

In a brief appraisal of his government's term in office, Karamanlis stressed that the state of the economy ND took over from the preceding government had been "much worse" than the PASOK government had claimed, which reflected "the irresponsibility of the governments of the past".

Despite all that, "none of our commitments have been abandoned," the premier said. "We don't claim, of course, that everything was done at the speed we wanted. We do not claim infallibility. We are constantly engaging in creative self-criticism," he said.

Karamanlis said that the "heavy legacy of the past" posed difficulties for the reforms that were necessary.

The prime minister stressed that the government was seeking the greatest possible participation of the citizens in the elections, and made it clear that he would not adopt "political practices of acrimony, polarisation and fanaticism".

He also stressed that the ministries' work was continuing steadily, with respect for all the citizens regardless of what party they vote for.

Most of the ministers will remain in their posts following the formal declaration of elections, with only the minister of state and the minister of the interior being replaced in the run-up to the elections, as had been the case in previous elections.

Caption: Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis gives a nationally television address on Friday, Aug. 17, 2007. ANA-MPA / A. BELTES

[02] Alavanos on Synaspismos election strategy

"We are happy because we have a wealth of work with results, strong movements behind us throughout all these years, and we also feel sadness and pessimism because the elections are taking place on a backdrop of destruction for the entire country," referring to Thursday's devastating fire on Mt. Penteli.

Alavanos said his party would speak openly and honestly to the Greek people throughout the campaign period, adding: "It is a pathetic pretext that ND is calling early general elections, saying it was doing so for national reasons. The national reasons are its own policy, in other words the reforms. In this way it is putting in an awkward position the President of the Republic, who is obliged to accept their lies".

He said it was also a "major pretext, as well, on the part of the main opposition party that it demanded elections when constitutional revision was being voted on, so that it would not be present and not publicly express its position on the issue of private universities, a position opposed by a large section of its (PASOK) supporters".

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Alavanos

[03] Wildfire on Mt. Penteli under control

The fire on Penteli, defaced by decades of quarrying and construction of homes on land once occupied by forests, came after a particularly devastating wildfire earlier in the summer to hit the national park on Mt. Parnitha, once of the greater Athens area's few remaining natural greenspaces.

A handful of other wildfires around the country were also reportedly under control.

In a related development, Coalition of the Left (Synaspismos) leader Alekos Alavanos toured affected areas on Mt. Penteli on Friday, something he had announced on Thursday afternoon prior to the news that early elections would be held on Sept. 16.

Caption: A firefighting helicopter in action on Thursday, Aug. 16, 2007, in the suburban Melissia district on the slopes of Mt. Penteli. ANA-MPA / S. PANTZARTZI

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