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Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-01-11
CONTENTS
[01] Kyriakos Mitsotakis elected president of main opposition New
Democracy party
[02] Police source: Number of refugee on Lesvos in spring could exceed
2015 numbers
[01] Kyriakos Mitsotakis elected president of main opposition New
Democracy party
ANA-MPA -- Kyriakos Mitsotakis was elected president of main opposition
New Democracy (ND) in a runoff election on Sunday, defeating Vangelis
Meimarakis, who had served as interim party leader over the summer and
stood in the September snap election.
With 75.02% of the party member votes counted, Mitsotakis collected
51,6% of the votes and Meimarakis 48,4%. Nationally, there are 400,000
registered party members who voted.
Messages of congratulations came in, among others, from Prime Minister
Alexis Tsipras, with whom Mitsotakis is expected to meet this week, former
prime minister and former ND leader Antonis Samaras, interim ND president
Yiannis Plakiotakis, Democratic Left leader Thanassis Theocharopoulos
and Mitsotakis' fellow contestants Meimarakis and central Macedonia
regional governor Apostolos Tzitzikostas.
In a brief message, Mitsotakis, who later on Sunday paid a visit to
his father, former premier Constantine Mitsotakis, thanked his voters,
party volunteers and his family. He also made particular reference to
Meimarakis, whom he called "a valuable colleague", and underlined his
intention to work with all candidates for the unity of the party and
its revival.
"Now the time of great responsibility begins," he said, "We have a lot
of work ahead of us, but the hope of citizens gives us strength – a
hope that something can truly change in this country. Citizens who had
turned away from politics got off their couches and participated (in
voting) because they believed in the power of our arguments, and this
is perhaps the most optimistic message." He also expressed the certainty
that ND would be able to unite the Greeks as it had done in the past.
[02] Police source: Number of refugee on Lesvos in spring could exceed
2015 numbers
The number of refugees and irregular migrants that authorities on
Lesvos will have to handle this spring are likely to be so high that
those recorded in 2015 may appear small in comparison, a source from
the island's police department told ANA-MPA on Monday.
"The numbers [of arrivals] we will be called to manage may be small
compared to those of 2015," the police source said responding to
a question on the increased number of people recorded in Lesvos'
identification centers in the last few days. "It seems that our Turkish
neighbors, despite the pressure they are under, do not want or cannot
control their compatriot traffickers who naturally make huge profits
for the Turkish economy through the management of so many people,"
the source added.
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