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Athens News Agency: News in English, 09-08-31
CONTENTS
[01] Papandreou to chair political council meeting
[01] Papandreou to chair political council meeting
Main opposition PASOK party leader George Papandreou will chair a
session of his party's political council at noon on Tuesday, a party
spokesman announced on Monday.
Speaking at a regular press briefing on Monday, spokesman George
Papaconstantinou, when asked if PASOK was creating momentum towards an
election victory, said that "a year ago there were telling us that you
are still behind, then they were telling us how can it be that you are
in the same position, we passed ahead in the opinion polls, we won in
the Euroelections and they are telling us only with four units
difference, in any case opinion poll figures are leaving us coldly
indifferent, our aim is to change the country."
Asked about the possibility of elections being called in relation to
PASOK's possible absolute majority in an election win, Papaconstantinou
said that "it is interesting how the possibility of elections is linked
to the extent of New Democracy's defeat", while added that "we are
speaking of a change in the country's course and on how ND will deprive
PASOK of a majority."
On the question of the election of the president of the republic, the
spokesman said "our position is absolutely the same, we want Karolos
Papoulias as president, we want the president to be elected by a
Parliament, that has received a fresh popular mandate, this will be our
reply to Mr. Karamanlis, if he invites us."
Referring to a two-year extension he said the Greek government is
negotiating with the European Commission to decrease the budget deficit
below the 3-percent mark, Papaconstantinou said that "we had pointed
out that the target of decreasing the deficit in 2010 was unattainable,
unless more tax measures were taken (and in addition) we had said that
negotiating was self-evident."
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