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Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 09-06-09Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>Tuesday, 9 June 2009 Issue No: 3215CONTENTS
[01] European parliament elections final resultsInterior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos announced on Monday noon the final results of the European Parliament elections held on Sunday throughout Greece. (20,530 election precincts out of 20,532).Main opposition PASOK, 36.65 percent (1,878,696 votes); Ruling New Democracy (ND) 32.29% (1,655,461 votes); Communist Party (KKE) 8.35% (428,209 votes); Popular Orthodox Rally (LA.OS) 7.15% (366,562 votes); Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) 4.70% (240,865 votes); Ecologists -Greens 3.49% (178,952 votes); The highest percentage among the smaller parties was amassed by Panellinio Makedoniko Metopo with 1.27%. The level of abstention reached 47.37 percent. According to the results PASOK and ND elect 8 MEP's each, KKE and LA.OS 2 MEP's each and SYRIZA and Ecologists - Greens 1 MEP each. [02] PM Karamanlis briefed by Interior Minister on elections resultPrime Minister Costas Karamanlis on Monday, a day after the Euroelections, was briefed by Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos on the European parliament elections results and the voting process.Pavlopoulos said that the voting process went smoothly and no problems arose for the voters. Referring to his party's (New Democracy) result, Pavlopoulos attributed the difference between ND and main opposition PASOK to the unprecedented abstention, explaining that the biggest proportion of abstainers were ND voters. [03] PASOK achieved clear, convincing victory, party spokesman saysMain opposition PASOK party spokesman George Papaconstantinou said on Monday that PASOK's victory in Sunday's Euroelections was "clear and convincing", adding that the citizens "responded in a very clear way to the dilemma set before them and the message is clear, it is a crushing condemnation of the policies of the New Democracy (ND) party."Papaconstantinou said that, "unfortunately, it appears that only the prime minister did not receive this message and is behaving just like the Economy minister, as if nothing happened from Friday until Sunday." The spokesman noted that as far as PASOK is concerned the victory also "constitutes a prelude for victory and a majority government in the national elections." However, he stresseed that PASOK was not jubilating and would continue to work and appeal to all Greek citizens, to those who did not vote for it, either because they abstained or because they voted for other parties. He further said that PASOK would continue to work "with responsibility, determination and seriousness, highlighting the problems of the Greek citizen and revealing its proposals." Asked about the possibility of early elections, Papaconstantinou said that elections "are becoming more imperative", while stressing that "there is a contrast between the result of Sunday's elections and the government majority in Parliament." "It is difficult for the government to continue the same deadlocked policies as it has done until now," he added, claiming that there was a strong possibility of early elections. [04] KKE Central Committee examines Euroelection resultsThe Communist Party of Greece's (KKE) Central Committee convened on Monday to assess the results of Sunday's Euroelections, concluding that "an organised plan prepared in the ranks of the system since 2007 and implemented until the eve of the Euroelections and aimed at displacing KKE from third place" was the reason why the party's momentum was checked.An announcement by the Central Committee stressed that this year's elections greatly resembled the characteristics of national elections "since they became the most complex and tough election struggle for the European Parliament in the past 25 years under the conditions of the contradictory affect of the economic capitalist crisis on the conscience and stance of working people." It added that the best comparison were the votes and the corresponding percentage in the 2007 national elections and much less the 2004 Euroelections which were held after the national elections and in a different political climate. As a first evaluation of the election result, the Central Committee said that the party "succeeded in facing the strategy prepared in the ranks of the system, over the 2007-2009 period until even the eve of the elections and aimed at its election and political defeat and its displacement from third place." Referring to the election performances of the two mainstream parties, KKE pointed out that "the two parties, (the ruling) New Democracy (ND) and (main opposition) PASOK, which express the interests of the bourgeoisie class with their strategy and rotation in governance were dealt blows," adding that abstention also expresses protest and disappointment over the policy of the European Union. "KKE's assessment is being confirmed that under conditions of economic capitalist crisis both trends coexist: The positive, that leads to the sharp upsurge of the labour and popular movement in general and to the strengthening of KKE. The negative, that can lead to painless protest and, consequently, to disappointment, to demobilisation, deactivation, to trapping by nationalistic and racist fixations and to the strengthening of anti-communism," the announcement concluded. [05] FM Bakoyannis in Oslo, StockholmForeign Minister Dora Bakoyannis will travel to Oslo on Tuesday where she will be having talks on Wednesday morning with her Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gahr Store, focusing on regional and international issues of common interest, a ministry announcement said Monday.Bakoyannis will then travel to Stockholm, where she will be taking part in an informal dinner hosted by Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt for European Union foreign ministers, in view of the Swedish EU rotating presidency which begins on July 1. The priorities of the Swedish presidency will be presented at the dinner. Financial News [06] EU's Almunia on Greece's deficitLUXEMBOURG (ANA-MPA/M.Spinthourakis)European Union Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Joaquin Almunia said here Monday that he took notice of the Greek government's intention to take all necessary measures to bring the country's fiscal deficit at 3% of the GDP by the year 2010. Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the Eurozone countries' finance ministers, Almunia also said that Greek Economy and Finance Minister Yiannis Papathanassiou will brief the council in the coming weeks on the measures his government intended to take in order to bring the deficit at a 3.7 percentage of the GDP by next year, reminding also that according to the European Commission's point of view the Greek deficit will this year stand at 5%. Regarding measures that must be taken for reducing the Greek deficit at 3%, these would mainly have a structural character, he added. General News [07] UN High Commission delegation for refugees to visit LerosA delegation of the UN High Commission's Information Sector on Refugees in Greece will pay a visit to the island of Leros on June 10-11, on the occasion of International Refugees Day on June 20.According to an announcement, Leros, as is the case with other islands in the Aegean, is receiving an increased number of foreigners lacking legalising documents, including refugees who are in need of international protection. [08] Arrest on child pornography chargesA 28-year-old man was arrested by police on child pornography charges. Police spotted in the net a web page entitled 'Dream family" through which the suspect channeled to other users child porn photos and videos.According to the website, the 'Dream Family' was composed of a 44-year-old woman called Maria and her 24-year-old daughter Dimitra who were raising a six-year-old girl called Christina whom they forced to watch adults in sexual intercourses, who if they wanted, could also abuse her sexually. Following search in the man's house, police found and confiscated six hard discs, three portable hard discs, a computer which contained the file of the 'Dream family" and contained photos and videos showing 6-10 year old children's molestation. [09] Man arrested for drug dealingA 23 year old foreign national was arrested in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, on Monday charged for drug dealing. In his posession police found and confiscated 5 kilos and 200grams of cannabis and 34,5 grams of cocaine.Weather Forecast [10] Fair on TuesdayFair weather, and northerly winds are forecast in most parts of the country on Tuesday, with wind velocity reaching 4-6 beaufort. Temperatures will range between 15C and 36C. Fair in Athens, with northeasterly 4-5 beaufort winds and temperatures ranging from 20C to 36C. Slightly cloudy in Thessaloniki, with temperatures ranging from 18C to 32C.[11] The Monday edition of Athens' dailies at a glanceEuropean parliament elections' results dominated the headlines on Monday in Athens' newspapers.ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis' statement: The result does not satisfy us". APOGEVMATINI: "They lost the battle, not the war - Ruling New Democracy got the message and prepares its counterattack". AVGHI: "Something is wrong here.....» AVRIANI: "50 percent of Greek people (the newspaper is referring to abstention) gave a hard lesson to Karamanlis and main opposition PASOK party leader". CHORA: "1 million ND supporters showed their bitterness". ELEFTHERI ORA: "Government pays for SIEMENS, Vatopedi monastery and Pavlidis scandals". ELEFTHEROS: "Karamanlis is responsible for PASOK's resurrection". ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "One out of two Greeks did not go to vote". ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "ND's plunge - Euroelections: Voters sent their message - Parties are trying to decipher results message". ESTIA: "Voters turned their backs on the government". ETHNOS: "Clear victory and the beginning of the reversal - George Papandreou: People demand national elections right now". KATHIMERINI: "Message to ruling New Democracy and abstention reaches record high - PASOK won with 4.3 percentage points". LOGOS: "Messages and abstention - The Greeks complained in many ways". NIKI: "PASOK's clear victory". RIZOSPASTIS: "Communist party's is the driving force for the rejuvenation of the people's struggle". TA NEA: " Papandreou: National elections immediately Mr. Karamanlis". TO VIMA: "Vote of change - PASOK's major victory - Disquiet over high abstention rate". VRADYNI: "Citizens sent a resounding message to government and parties: Change policy". 36, TSOCHA ST. ATHENS 115 21 GREECE * TEL: 64.00.560-63 * FAX: 64.00.581-2 INTERNET ADDRESS: http://www.ana.gr * e-mail: anabul@ana gr * GENERAL DIRECTOR: GEORGE TAMBAKOPOULOS Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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