Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-10-16

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM: Support for incomes, no new taxes

[02] Sioufas refuses to seek Vatopedi file from prosecutor

[03] Thessaloniki prosecutor warns parents, pupils over continued sit-ins

[04] Markopoulo Olympic Shooting Centre to house police divisions

[05] Greek stocks end 5.30 pct down

[01] PM: Support for incomes, no new taxes

"A reversal of the stability pact should be neither expected nor should it happen," the Greek premier told reporters during a press conference, in which he presented the decisions made by the European Council.

Karamanlis appeared sanguine about the state of the Greek economy in general, noting that Greece was in a better position than most European countries and that Greek banks were much less exposed to "toxic" products. Though the country would unavoidably be affected by the broader repercussions of the international credit crisis, he pointed out that even the highly conservative forecasts of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicted annual growth rates above 2 percent for Greece, significantly above those of other EU countries.

He stressed, meanwhile, that the government was closely watching the situation and ready to intervene if necessary.

According to Karamanlis, the measures to support the Greek financial system would not lead to a change of taxation policy and Greeks should not expect to see any new taxes. He said that the reforms already passed would broaden the tax base while not increasing the tax burden on low and middle incomes.

Regarding the EU Stability Pact, the Greek premier stressed that this was not divorced from real economic conditions but added that these issues would be discussed in more detail at the next ECOFIN Council. He warned people not to expect any radical departures from the implementation of the pact, however, saying that EU countries would continue to operate within its framework while taking advantage of recent revisions allowing greater flexibility in its implementation.

Under provisions introduced in the latest revision of the Stability Pact, greater "flexibility" in its implementation is allowed in "extraordinary circumstances", similar to the ones observed today as a result of the credit crisis and the fears of a global economic recession.

Karamanlis underlined the importance of providing support for small and middle-sized businesses and of a plan being prepared by the European Investment Bank. For the support of lower incomes in Greece, meanwhile, he repeated a pledge to activate the Social Cohesion Fund and provide benefits for heating to those hardest-hit by the crisis, such as pensioners and the unemployed.

Regarding the decisions taken by the 27 EU leaders, the Greek premier said these aimed to restore confidence in the financial system throughout the Community. To achieve this, the European Council on Thursday agreed on a series of measures, such as a European early warning mechanism that would point out dangers threatening the economies of EU member-states, regular meetings of national regulatory bodies on a monthly basis and EU initiatives in collaboration with the Community's international partners to reform the finance system.

Karamanlis also outlined decisions taken by the 27 EU leaders on a number of other issues discussed during the summit, which was originally held to discuss action against climate change.

With respect to the stalled Lisbon Treaty, blocked since its rejection in an Irish referendum, he said this would be discussed in depth at the December summit, when the Irish side was expected to present specific proposals.

Regarding action against climate change, he reported only that Greece would not seek to be exempted from the implementation of Community policies that had already been decided.

Karamanlis further told reporters that he had sent a letter to European Council President Nicolas Sarkozy and his other EU counterparts on the issue of illegal immigration and asylum, asking them to display a spirit of solidarity with all the countries that, like Greece, were on the frontiers of Europe and faced strong migration pressures. Greece had also clearly supported further strengthening FRONTEX, the EU agency charged with coordinating EU member-state cooperation in policing the EU's external borders.

Commenting on developments in Georgia, Karamanlis expressed satisfaction at the prompt withdrawal of Russian troops from the Caucasus.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photograph of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis.

[02] Sioufas refuses to seek Vatopedi file from prosecutor

According Sioufas, he was not personally empowered by the Constitution and Parliament regulations to make such a request of the public prosecutor at present, while the judicial preliminary investigation was still underway.

He noted that, in the case that a Parliamentary investigation or preliminary examination committee were formed, it was possible to request the evidence pertaining to the case via Parliament's president.

Kaklamanis said he had repeatedly asked Sioufas to request the file in view of next week's debate on a motion tabled by PASOK for the formation of an ad hoc preliminary examination committee to investigate possible criminal liability by Minister of State Theodoros Roussopoulos and two former New Democracy ministers for the affair.

"It's not just us that want this. Even ND MPs would like to be informed on the contents of the file before they vote for or against PASOK's proposal," Kaklamanis stressed.

In a letter to Sioufas, SYRIZA's Alavanos made the same request and pointed to the "serious possibility" that Parliament would in a few days vote on this major and highly sensitive political issue without having knowledge of the evidence that turned up during the prosecutors' investigation, on a issue that "troubles the conscience of every MP personally, beyond party lines".

He called on Sioufas to publicly and strongly demand that the Supreme Court Prosecutor George Sanidas turn over the evidence file to Parliament, "as he should already have done," so that the evidence it contained could also be taken into account during the debate on PASOK's proposal.

The issue hit the headlines on Tuesday when the two appellate court prosecutors assigned to the case, Ilias Kolioussis and Eleni Sotiropoulou, both resigned from the case and their office after their recommendation to send the file to Parliament was ignored by their superiors, Appeals Court chief prosecutor Kyriakos Karoutsos and Sanidas.

The prosecutors claimed that evidence in the file implicated members of the present government in relation to the Vatopedi Monastery land exchanges, which traded prime pieces of state-owned land with land on the shores of Lake Vistonida having marginal value.

On Wednesday, Karoutsos announced that the preliminary investigation by his office would continue under a third prosecutor assigned to the case just a week before, Efstathia Spyropoulou, in spite of the fact that Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis had earlier tabled a motion for a Parliamentary investigation committee to look into the affair.

Setting up a Parliamentary preliminary examination committee targeting specific individuals, such as that requested by PASOK, requires an absolute Parliamentary majority of 151 votes or more.

If Parliament rejects the motion, however, no new proposal to press charges based on the same actual events can be tabled, which means PASOK must secure the support of both other opposition parties and some members of the governing majority that has 152 MPs in the 300-seat Parliament.

[03] Thessaloniki prosecutor warns parents, pupils over continued sit-ins

[04] Markopoulo Olympic Shooting Centre to house police divisions

[05] Greek stocks end 5.30 pct down

The FTSE 20 index dropped 5.82 pct, the FTSE 40 index ended 4.37 pct down and the FTSE 80 index eased 2.52 pct. Broadly, decliners led advancers by 216 to 30 with another 27 issues unchanged.

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