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

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

CONTENTS

[01] Papandreou: ND to blame for corruption

[01] Papandreou: ND to blame for corruption

"What is happening in terms of corruption is a shock. There is corruption everywhere that has been caused by ND. Nobody expected that we would reach this point a few years ago," he stressed in statements on Wednesday night at Ouranoupolis in Halkidiki.

According to the main opposition leader, there was corruption at all levels of state and government, from top to bottom.

Asked whether PASOK was demanding early elections because of this, Papandreou stressed that he was not just demanding elections but a series of things beforehand, such as an Investigating Committee in Parliament and the activation of the Institutions and Transparency Committee, the authority against money-laundering and tax inspection authorities, as well as the imposition of penalties on Siemens.

The elections would come after these, he noted, since there was a risk that the offences would become statute-barred if the elections preceded the other steps, adding that PASOK was not prepared to give ND that opportunity. Papandreou stressed that he would directly accuse Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis of attempting to arrange for such impunity from prosecution if the premier decided to call elections early.

In comments on the upcoming Euro-elections, meanwhile, he pointed out that the vote in these was not indicative of party support but 'loose', so the result could not be considered a sign of anything.

Regarding the unity of his own party, PASOK's leader said that parties were not "computers" that simply executed orders but "living organisms" that suffered the same advantages and weaknesses as a living organism. He noted, however, that if high-ranking party members gave their backing to "strong political choices," then the party's unity would be strengthened.

Caption: Main opposition PASOK leader George Papandreou during a visit to the forest owned by Thessaloniki's university at the village Taxiarchis in Halkidiki on Wednesday. ANA-MPA - Nikos Arvanitidis.

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