Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 12-05-07

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

CONTENTS

[01] Papariga again rules out cooperation with SYRIZA

[02] President to give first mandate to Samaras

[03] Athens Stock Exchange opening: Nosedive after elections fail to produce gov't

[04] Akrotiri archaeological site on Santorini

[01] Papariga again rules out cooperation with SYRIZA

She warned that there would be an attempt to pre-empt the rising popular radicalism that will lead to a true reversal benefiting the people, either through new figures of a centre-right direction or a new social democracy centred on SYRIZA, with some form of coalition government arising to stop a majority trend for change to emerge.amna

Papariga called on members of her party but also working class voters to join in KKE's struggle in workplaces, neighbourhoods and places of learning and not be taken in by the "disguising" of the political system that would be attempted over the next months.amna

KKE's general secretary also noted that the election result was encouraging in that it showed that the movement for real overthrow was "maturing" in the consciousness of the popular classes and that this movement would not be far from KKE's political proposal.amna

Replying to a proposal made by SYRIZA for an attempt to cooperate to form a leftist government, Papariga made it clear that she would stick to her position before the elections and refuse to cooperate in this attempt, refusing to compromise KKE's positions and carry out the radical shift this would entail.

[02] President to give first mandate to Samaras

According to the Constitution, the President will then give to New Democracy (ND) leader Antonis Samaras, the party which came first in the elections, an "exploratory" mandate to form a government. Samaras will have three days to form a cooperation government with other elected parties, with an absolute majority of seats in the 300-member parliament. If this is not achieved, Samaras will return the mandate to the President, who will give it to the second party, PASOK, which will follow the same procedure. If the second party fails to form a government, the mandate will be given to the third party.

[03] Athens Stock Exchange opening: Nosedive after elections fail to produce gov't

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks was down 9.22 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index was down 6.16 percent, and the FTSE/ASE-80 small cap index was down 1.14 percent.amna

All individual sector indices were moving downward, with the heaviest losses in Banks, down 16.70 percent.

Of the stocks traded, only one was up, 46 were moving downwards and 2 were stable.

[04] Akrotiri archaeological site on Santorini

In September 2005, a steel roof in the archaeological site collapsed, killing a tourist from Wales and injuring another six -- two Slovenian tourists, two Americans, a German and a Greek -- three of them seriously.amna

The culture ministry at the time had blamed the collapse on "wrong technical choices", and three engineers involved in the construction of the roof over the site were charged.

The first habitation at the site dates from the Late Neolithic times (at least the 4th millennium B.C.). During the Early Bronze Age (3rd millennium B.C.), a sizeable settlement was founded and in the Middle and early Late Bronze Age (ca. 20th-17th centuries B.C.) it was extended and gradually developed into one of the main urban centres and ports of the Aegean. amna

The large extent of the settlement (approx. 20 hectares), the elaborate drainage system, the sophisticated multi-storied buildings with the magnificent wall-paintings, furniture and vessels, show its great development and prosperity. amna

The various imported objects found in the buildings indicate the wide network of its external relations. Akrotiri was in contact with Crete but also communicated with the Greek Mainland, the Dodecanese, Cyprus, Syria and Egypt. amna

The town's life came to an abrupt end in the last quarter of the 17th century B.C. when the inhabitants were obliged to abandon it as a result of severe earthquakes. There followed the devastating eruption of the island's volcano, known as the Minoan or Thera (Santorini) eruption, one of the largest volcanic events on Earth in recorded history. The volcanic materials covered the entire island and the town itself. These materials, however, have protected up to date the buildings and their contents, just like in Pompeii.

Akrotiri archaeological site will be open to visitors from 10:00 to 17:00.

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