Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-09-01

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

CONTENTS

[01] KKE leader speaks in Korydallos

[02] SYRIZA leader in Iraklio

[03] Minister of State on wildfire relief

[01] KKE leader speaks in Korydallos

"Now they have produced the known danger talk that we will have no stable government, we will have chaos and the lack of governance. They are lying. They merely want to have great strength and to have their hands free," she said.

The KKE leader stressed that the two mainstream parties "want once again to steal the votes of people who know what they are and on the next day to say once again that 80-85 percent of the people votes for us, not for you communists, therefore the people are pleased."

Papariga concluded by saying that only KKE is a counterbalance for anti-popular governance and for bipartisan rule, stressing that "only KKE can create a climate of encouragement for the people. The people have the strength and they must use it."

CAPTION: ANA-MPA file photo of KKE Secretary General Aleka Papariga.

[02] SYRIZA leader in Iraklio

Referring to the destructive wildfires in the Peloponnese and in Evia, he said that he never imagined that "the state apparatus would be non-existent."

He also focused on the issue of general elections being set for September 16, stressing that "the prime minister announced the elections during a holiday period, a tourist one" and during a high risk period for wildfires.

Alavanos went on to say that "we also had a main opposition party leader who was travelling all over the country and was calling insistently for elections and we have reached this tragic situation that we have now."

Alavanos, who clarified that the party will not be cooperating after the elections with any of the mainstream parties, will be inaugurating SYRIZA's election centre in Iraklio later in the evening.

CAPTION: ANA-MPA file photo of SYRIZA leader Alekos Alavanos.

[03] Minister of State on wildfire relief

He also noted that the total amount at the Bank of Greece's Emergency Fund is 56,484,498 euros.

The minister also said that he will be disclosing the total number of people arrested on Monday and clarified that compensation cannot be given to more than one member of a family.

He further revealed that eight truckloads of food and clothing are already on their way to the prefecture of Ilia, in the Peloponnese.

Roussopoulos also referred to the visit to Greece by European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, at the invitation of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, who briefed him on the extent of damage caused by the wildfires while flying in a helicopter with him over the regions affected and underlined his statement that "we are by your side and will remain by your side."

The minister went on to say that the head of the New Democracy party's Eurodeputies, Yiannis Varvitsiotis, will be briefing a special European Parliament session on the wildfires on September 3 and a minute's silence will be observed.

Asked whether an investigation will be carried out on responsibilities concerning the state apparatus's coordination, he said that investigations will be taking place wherever necessary.

Lastly, replying to a question by the press, Roussopoulos said that the government is not considering the possibility of cooperation in the event it does not gain a majority of seats in the September 16 general elections.

CAPTION: ANA-MPA file photo of Minister of State Theodoros Roussopoulos.

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