Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 15-01-15

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] Venizelos: 'On January 25, PASOK will be the third party, the guarantor'

[02] KKE sec gen Koutsoumbas on elections and SYRIZA

[03] No party can find a solution to the impasse on its own, Potami candidate MP Lykoudis says

[01] Venizelos: 'On January 25, PASOK will be the third party, the guarantor'

"On January 25, the answer passes through PASOK, PASOK is the third power, the third mandate, the guarantor of the nation's progressive stability," Venizelos said, while criticizing New Democracy and main opposition SYRIZA for their "demagogic game that ranges between the clumsy intimidation of New Democracy and the cunning complacency promoted by SYRIZA."

Speaking at a hall in Piraeus' Port Authority (OLP), the leader of PASOK noted that there's no more room for mistakes and everything will be judged on January 26 and it's a shame to risk and question the results of people's sacrifices.

"There's no room for tricks and forced double elections, because if we waste time on elections we will lose the economic game, the country's prospects and security."

Venizelos also stressed that the most crucial part in the elections is who will be the guarantor, the one who will stabilize the situation and added that if, based on the polls, SYRIZA is bound to secure first place, then the only "counterweight in the name of logic and national strategy is a vote for PASOK."

He said that PASOK doesn't want to be in the government at any cost, or secure ministerial posts but noted that it is shameful for Golden Dawn to claim the third place in the elections.

Taking a jab at former prime minister and PASOK leader George Papandreou, Venizelos said that some people who claim the third place in the elections are "people who, for a political whim, they decided to openly undermine the party. The riverbed of the party is here. We wait for all of them here for the elections, not after the elections, because this vote matters."

[02] KKE sec gen Koutsoumbas on elections and SYRIZA

On the day after the elections, he said that "the new agreement with the partners and the negotiation of the debt – that SYRIZA acknowledges as the debt of the country, namely the people – has already been put forward along with the things that Tsipras and SYRIZA have been clearly saying during the pre-election period, presenting their own credentials to the big capital, monopoly groups, the EU itself, imperialistic organizations, saying that the country's course in the Eurozone will not be threatened and that it will stick to what has been agreed on."

He claimed SYRIZA was lying and offering illusions to the people saying that the EU could change and noted that the "intentional equation of Europe and EU" was confusing.

He stressed that a "confrontation does not equal a negotiation of the debt and not uttering a single word on the memoranda and the implementation laws" adding that regardless of their name there are lasting memoranda, continuous monitoring and balanced budgets in the EU.

He added that "being leftist equals being in favor of the socialization of the country's wealth, not recognizing the debt, not negotiating on it, being in favour of the popular class and not going to London's City for talks."

Asked whether KKE would support SYRIZA if the latter on its first day in power submitted a proposal to cancel all the implementation laws of the memorandum, Koutsoumbas replied "No, we will not vote for it neither will we give a so-called vote of tolerance as this is pure mockery."

"If they put forward a law that would be in favor of the people, we will vote for it; but the main issue is that any government wants KKE as an alibi so as to pass anti-popular policies," he underlined.

He estimated the country would not be taken to repeat elections as based on the programmes of various parties – with the exception of KKE – there is an objective basis for the formation of a government.

He added that KKE would probably get the third place in the elections which would be a victory for the popular movement as being a powerful popular opposition it would claim and delay anti-popular measures paving at the same time the way for a better future.

"This is our intention and we say this to the people in all honesty," he added.

He noted that the "third mandate for the formation of government" will be preceded by the first and the second one and made clear that "we will say what we are now saying; that we will not give a ‘vote of tolerance' to a government led either by SYRIZA or New Democracy."

[03] No party can find a solution to the impasse on its own, Potami candidate MP Lykoudis says

Lykoudis stressed the need for a government of national responsibility with a specific timetable as a growth factor for the country, adding that it is not a historic moment for the left to come to power.

Potami is giving him, he said, a sense of political passion to contribute to the drafting of policy axes. In his view, Potami is a political unity party resisting polarization mainly because of its purity.

The full interview is available for subscribers at the ANA-MPA website.

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article