Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-10-05

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

CONTENTS

[01] Papariga addresses KKE rally

[02] First snowfall of the season

[01] Papariga addresses KKE rally

As for the other opposition parties, she said that they were focusing their attention on the scandals, because it is to their benefit to do so, while leaving the essential problems unscathed.

Particularly regarding the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA, the SYN-led parliamentary alliance), it was the "main carrier of opportunism", Papariga said during the Saturday night rally.

SYRIZA, she continued "has a Leftist air, but not substance", and "does not differ from PASOK", while "its main core is comprised of former KKE cadres, who represent its opportunistic part", given that "the said cadres left the ship like rats", and adding that the ship must send them away even further.

Regarding the government, Papariga said that it was "invoking the international economic crisis" on the problems in Greece, "but the crisis has not yet reached Greece".

She anticipated, however, that the crisis will also reach Greece, and stressed that measures need to be taken "because the repercussions of the crisis will be dramatic for the working people".

Papariga criticized government policy in all areas, and called on the working people to "strengthen the popular movement and reinforce the KKE".

In statements earlier, the KKE leader said that, as the days went by, instead of the big problems facing the country, particularly those of the economy, being at the focus, "we literally have a theatre of the absurd in parliament where a shouting match is taking place that sows confusion and delusions among the people".

The KKE, she continued, particularly in view of its upcoming 18th Congress and the positions for the Congress that were recently unveiled, was opening up a discussion "on the other solution, the other road that exists: the road of struggle against the repercussions of the economic crisis which, when it reaches Greece -- which it has not yet done -- will be very heavy for the people", adding that her party was optimistic and fighting against the attempts at disorientation.

On Sunday, Papariga unveiled in Grammos a bust of Petros Kokkalis, a resistance fighter who served as minister of health and welfare, and temporarily of education, in the Provisional Democratic Government of 1947 declared by the Communist Party of Greece.

The bust was unveiled on the site of the mountain hospital run by the KKE-affiliated Democratic Army of Greece (DSE), where Kokkalis provided services as a surgeon, with the make-shit facility capable of treating 1,000-1,200 wounded and sick fighters.

Kokkalis was born in Livadia in 1896, studied medicine at the Universities of Athens and Berlin, and was elected a professor of Athens University, before joining the EAM in the National Resistance, taking to the mountains, while on December 24, 1947, following the declaration of the Provisional Democratic Government he was named minister of health, welfare and provisionally of education.

"We are here today to pay tribute to an exceptional human being, an outstanding scienties, a communist, who throughout his life practiced what all true scientists should do, dedicating his science and his life to the struggle for the success and social liberation of thehuman being," KKE political bureau member Theodosis Constantinidis said, speaking during the unveiling ceremony, which was organized by the KKE as part of the events making the 90th anniversary of the party's founding.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Communist Party of Greece (KKE) secretary general Aleka Papariga

[02] First snowfall of the season

The unusual weather conditions prevailing in the last days, coupled by a sharp drop in temperature, brought the first snowflakes early on this year, in the autumn.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo

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