Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 14-04-26

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

CONTENTS

[01] May election result must preserve political stability, Venizelos says

[02] Tsipras: 'Government has admitted to a new memorandum'

[01] May election result must preserve political stability, Venizelos says

He stressed that the elections must protect "the completion of the only national strategy that exists and is now giving results," and which he said was leading to an exit from the crisis and memorandum-imposed austerity measures.

"The government must not simply be considered a New Democracy-PASOK coalition government. After May 25, we want a government that expresses all the creative forces of the country," he added.

Venizelos also highlighted the importance of strengthening the progressive pole in the framework of government stability, adding that the "democratic faction has roots and resilience" and predicting an impressive representation at local government level.

Commenting on calls for a debt haircut for Greece, PASOK's leader noted that to ask foreign Parliaments to essentially take on Greece's debt would be "politically futile" and counter-productive.

"We do, of course, need parameter changes in interest rates and maturities, especially after the period of grace. But this is easy to do and will be done," he added, saying the government had created the conditions that would allow the country to forge ahead without new loans and memorandums, though not without the supervision that now existed for all Eurozone countries.

[02] Tsipras: 'Government has admitted to a new memorandum'

"This admission tears to shreds the claims made by [Prime Minister Antonis Samaras] that we are finished with the memorandums and that there won't be a new one," Tsipras added, citing the response given by Stournaras to the main opposition's request to see the final agreement with the EU-IMF troika tabled in Parliament.

He also accused Stournaras, who replied that documents are posted on the finance ministry website after being updated, of showing contempt toward Parliament.

According to the main opposition leader, the government had been caught out and "the new memorandum is Samaras' secret pre-election programme," adding that this would include further easing of restrictions on lay offs, generalised 'renting' of employees even in the public sector, abolition of entitlements and new pension cuts.

Replying, government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou dismissed the main opposition leader's claims, noting that "Greece's success has been painful to many".

"We are moving ahead. Let others continue to dream of new memorandums and repeat their mistakes," he said.

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