Antenna: News in English, 97-02-20

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From: Antenna Radio <http://www.antenna.gr> - email: antenna@compulink.gr

News in English, 20/02/97

TITLES

• A younger face among those vying for the New Democracy leadership.
• Greece reaches out to its expatriates.
• And, an Orthodox feast day with a pagan flavour.

ND

The nephew of the party founder said he feels honoured by 31 New Democracy MPs who are urging him to seek the top spot.

As we here in this report, his supporters say young blood is needed at the top of the party, and that he can provide that, and unite the ranks.

Kostas Karamanlis all but confirmed his intention to run for party leader Wednesday, at a meeting attended by New Democracy vice president Iannis Varvitsiotis and 28 other MPs, who support his candidacy.

Karamanlis will now in all likelihood join MP Giorgos Souflias and current party leader Miltiades Evert on the candidates' list.

Though he would not say directly whether or not he intends to run, Karamanlis called the support for his candidacy an honour, and pledged to do his duty with a sense of responsibility.

Sources say that Varvitsiotis called Karamanlis's decsision to run for the leadership an historic moment, one that will radically alter the country's political scene.

MP Yiannis Kefaloyiannis said those words are proof that Kostas Karamanlis has a sense of obligation to his country as well as to the party. He added that the new candidate carries with him the hope of all that New Democracy can give its supporters a new vision, and new prospects for the future.

Two local party organisations have already come out in favour of Karamanlis.

Wednesday's meeting came on the heels of a marathon session Tuesday night, where Varvitsiotis and 30 MPs discussed the issue in Karmanlis's absence.

At Tuesday's meeting, Varvitsiotis said he is putting aside his own personal ambitions as far as the leadership goes. He also said that Evert and Souflias are out of step with the party's rank and file voters.

It was after 4 in the morning when Varvitsiotis emerged from his home and read the declaration he and the 30 other MPs had come to.

"We all concluded that the party needs a new leadership", he said, "someone who can unite the party, give it hope and the prospect of electoral victory, and make the structural changes the party needs. The time has come for a leader from the ranks of the younger generation of politicians. We are certain most New Democracy supporters will agree with us".

Kostas Karamanlis's name was never mentioned, but it was clear that he was the man Varvitsiotis had in mind. The omission was apparently made to give other MPs the chance to sign the declaration.

Evert and Souflias had a number of meetings with aides Wednesday. The word from the Evert camp is that the party leader will run again at the congress.

People close to Souflias say that the Karamanlis candidacy creates problems for Evert, not for Souflias.

Karamanlis gave a speech Wednesday night, that many observers say sounded like what you would expect from an aspiring party leader and aspiring prime minister.

The MP said the economy is in crisis and that the current crop of political leaders have lost their credibility in the eyes of the voters. He also said that the state needs to be made smaller and efficient, and New Democracy's structure needs to be modernised.

ALBRIGHT

Madelaine Albright was in Brussels for a Nato summit on extending the organisation eastward.

Albright proposed a brigade composed of Nato and Russian troops be set up.

But Turkish foreign minister Tansu Ciller tried to tie Nato enlargement to her country's admission into the European Union. Turkey's march into Europe has been delayed because of Greek and EU disapproval of Turkey's treatment of Greece and of its human rights record.

Asked about Ciller's statemens, Nato secretary general Xavier Solana said Nato cannot make decisions that interfere with EU affairs.

In Brussels, Greek deputy foreign minister Yiannos Kranidiotis met with Solana, who repeated a Nato proposal that hot lines between Greece and Nato, and Turkey and Nato be set up, for use during crises.

LABRINIDES

Stavros Labrinides announced the launch of a special internet programme designed to make communication between Greeks everywhere, easier.

Athina Krikeli was with Greece's secretary general of the diaspora during his US visit.

Stavros Labrinides told Greek and Greek-American journalists at a press conference in New York that the aim of the secretariat of the diaspora is to strengthen the bonds between Greeks in America and Greece.

The first task this year is starting up an internet programme, scheduled to go on line on February 20th. The net link will strengthen the communication and information chain of Hellenism around the world.

Labrinides laid emphasis on the importance of making sure Greeks in the US are fully briefed on foreign policy issues of importance to Greece.

The secretary underscored that point during a conference at Yale Law School.

The conference looked at ways of getting Greeks in America better information on developments on issues of foreign policy importance to Greece.

"Yale is known for its great influence in American politics", said Labrinides. Those who work and study here should know Greek issues in depth".

Like the Internet, educational establishments can play a major role in defending Greek interests.

Philip Christopher, chairman of thee Pancypriot Union and the International Cypriot Coordinating Committee, points out that Turkey spends hundreds of millions of dollars maintaining 89 Turkish Studies programmes at universities.

Making it vital that the presence of Hellenism is also felt in higher education.

One of the cornerstones of Hellenism around the world is the Orthodox Church. In New York, Labrinides paid a visit to archbishop of the Americas Spyridon. It was a first meeting of two men dedicated to strengthening Hellenism.

TEACHERS

Primary school union reps voted 213 to 147 to end their strike at a stormy meeting Wednesday. There were angry voices of protest at the back-to-work decision, and some 200 teachers later occupied the union offices. It remained unclear Wednesday night whether or not the schools would open or not.

There's no doubt that secondary schools will be CLOSED Thursday. Striking high school teachers demanding better pay and conditions rallied outside parliament Wednesday. Inside, MPs debated the education issue.

Prime minister Kostas Simitis stuck by his offer of a 9 per cent raise to primary school teachers, and of 11 per cent to high school teachers.

What the STRIKERS want is for the entry level teaching salary to be set at a thousand dollars a month.

Communist party secretary Aleka Papariga said the government has been in conflict with one section of society after another since it was elected. She accused the prime minister of being indifferent to people's economic problems.

SEAMEN

The club's members are all alumni of the Merchant Marine Academy on the island of Hydra.

Honorary plaques were given to Thanassis Martinos, Nikos Seretis, and Zissis Dimitriou, for their outstanding achievements.

The Hydra school is the oldest merchant marine academy in Greece. Founded in 1749, it has turned out four thousand captains.

Like all sailors, the captains' club members had plenty of stories from their travels around the world to exchange at the award ceremony.

Captain Tilemachos MarAtos said he hopes the tradition of independence and personal responsibility that the Academy imparts to its graduates, will continue.

BOOK

The author of "The Pontus, An Open Issue", is Vlassis Agtzidis.

Thousands of Pontian Greeks were slaughtered by the Turks. Agtzidis says the Pontian issue is alive, and should be a national issue for Greece.

This is the writer's fourth book. Pontian Association president Stephanos Tanimanides attended its launch.

KITROS

In the village of Kitros in Pierria, Dionysian tradition was preserved and tranformed in the feast day of St Trifonas.

And rituals with their roots in ancient times are practised to this day.

In ancient times, the god of wine and the vineyard was Dionysos.

It is said that he was succeeded by the Christian saint, Trifonas, whose feast day is bathed in ritual and celebration every year.

Trifonas is the patron saint of those who work in vineyards and gardeners.

On the feast day, work in the vineyards is forbidden. Tradition has it that a man who once through the prohibition to the wind, cut his nose while cutting vines on the day.

And so the feast day starts with the ritual re- enactment of him cutting his nose - blood and all.

One man taking part in the festivities explains: "The man who broke with tradition, cut his nose. Everyone ran to help him, and no one ever worked on the feast day again".

Another man says "Our community is rich in history and tradition. Together, we try to keep tradition alive, and guarantee its future".

The residents of the village brought the traditions of this day with them from the north, from eastern Roumelia.

This man explains, "We came here from Bulgaria in 1925. We've hung on to the traditions. We started by enacting the wrestling, then we got the dances going".

The wrestling ritual symbolises the struggle between winter and spring, a battle always won by spring.

The winner's prize is a lamb, which symbolises purity.

The day's events conclude with celebration and dance....And plenty of wine.

CLOSE

© ANT1 Radio 1997

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