Antenna: News in English (AM), 97-03-21

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

News in English, 21/03/97

TITLES

• Greek support for the Albanian government's attempt to restore order.
• A post-Byzantium exhibit in Athens.
• And, Marianna Vardinoyianni pays tribute to women and Europe.

ALBANIA

Albania's newly-appointed prime minister rejected a rebel demand that president Sali Berisha resign by midnight Thursday.

And members of the ethnic-Greek organisation Omonia agree that Berisha should stay on, at least for now.

The rebels in southern Ablania say president Sali Berisha must step down before they put down their weapons.

Berisha and the nation's opposition parties appointed Baskim Fino, a former mayor of the rebel city of Argyrokastro, prime minister last week, hoping to appease the rebels.

Fino and his cabinet are charged with taking the country to elections in June. And the new prime minister says this is not the time for Berisha to go. Fino says he's fine with Berisha, as long as he sticks to his formal duties. Fino also says HE will fulfill HIS duty: to respect the nation's political institutions.

Members of the ethnic Greek minority organisation Omonia, who fear for their safety in lawless Albania, are also doubtful that forcing Berisha from office is the right thing.

Andreas Apostolides says "We don't think the president's resignation will solve anything. We think things will get worse".

One rebel leader has retreated from his threats of using violence to get Berisha out. Tsevat Gotsiou now says that the south will try to get Berisha out through democratic means.

The political chess match has another element to it: even within the interim national unity government, there are concerns about Berisha's ongoing control over the secret services, and Berisha's opponents are trying to neutralise them.

And Berisha has support in the north of the country. There, backers in his native area are organising themselves to take on the rebels in the south.

With the political situation in the air, there are indications that Italy is preparing to send marines to the Albanian ports of Avlona and Durres, to protect shipments of international humanitarian aid, and deter the flow of refugees to Italy.

The Albanian foreign minister visited Rome Wednesday. On Thursday, the Albanian defence minister said there is no Italian military intervention on the cards. But ten Italian warships sailed off the Albanian coast Thursday. Italian commandos helped land 450 Albanians whose ship bound for Italy came in danger of sinking off the Italian coast. And there were unconfirmed reports that 100 Italian troops are in Durres.

But the Albanian authorities have so little control over the situation at home. They've asked the Italians NOT to deport Albanian refugees deemed to be criminal elements - the Albanian police is not yet strong enough to arrest and imprison them when they return.

In Argyrokastro, the police are making tentative attempts to reassert their control, and there are reports that they've began checking cars for stashes of Kalashnikov rifles.

The international community hopes that Albanian can get through its crisis peacefully. Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas says Athens backs the attempt by the Albanian government to bring the situation under control. He added that Greece is expecting a formal request from Tirane to help reorganise the country's army, which virtually dissolved with the onset of the crisis.

SIMITIS

During their first meetings, Kostas Simitis and Romanian leaders said that there are stong bonds of friendship between their countries. During this time of upheavel, they repeated their commitment to the inviolability of Balkan borders. They agreed that all differences between and within nations should be settled in a peaceful manner. Simitis said that understanding and cooperation are what the Balkans need.

ND

Mitsotakis, who headed the last New Democracy government, talked to Antenna's Yiannis Pretenderis a day before the start of the congress where a new party leader will be chosen.

Constantinos Mitsotakis says there will be quote unforunate developments if Giorgos Souflias is not elected leader of New Demcracy, unquote.

Mitsotakis explains that it will be very hard, maybe impossible, for the party to win the next national election, and form an effective government, with anyone else at the helm.

Mitsotakis frowns on two of the candidates, current leader Miltiades Evert and MP Kostas Karamanlis, saying Evert has failed, and Karamanlis is immature.

"I predicted that Pasok would choose Kostas Simitis as ITS leader", says Mitsotakis, adding, "to do otherwise would've been suicide. Today, I say the same thing: our party will elect Souflias, because to do otherwise would be suicide". Mitsotakis believes that if anyone else is made party leader, then New Democracy is sure to lose the next parliamentary elections.

With the congress just hours away, all four candidates - Evert, Karamanlis, Souflias, and Vyron Polydoras - are meeting with congress delegates.

In an interview with Antenna radio, Giorgos Souflias said that he's able to bring the different political strands of New Democracy together.

In Crete Wednesday, Karamanlis said the congress is of great importance. "We need a party that will put aside personal vendettas and personal conflict", he said.

CIA

President Bill Clinton has nominated 44- year-old for the post.

With the selection, Clinton hopes to avoid another round of long and dragged out selection hearings with Senate republicans.

Tenet, whose roots lie in Himara, in southern Albania, has been deputy CIA director since 1995. For the past three months, he's been handling the duties of the director.

The senate is expected to approve Clinton's latest nominee without compliant, since Tenet's relations with Capitol Hill are good.

Tenet was born in 1953 two months after his mother arrived in the US from Himara. He attended a greek school in New York, and is an active member of the Greek-American community in Washington, DC.

JOURNALISTS

Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said the aim of the event was to bring journalists closer to modern Greece, to its modern democratic and cultural institutions.

The message from the event was that Greece has kept its cultural traditions and character in tact.

BYZANTIUM

Culture minister Evangelos Venizelos launched the event, which includes 52 icons, 13 marble reliefs, gold coins, and funeral gifts from Byzantine graves.

Venizelos says this is only a taste of what's to come: "This museum will become an international centre of byzantine culture and civilisation, like the Byzantine museum in Thessaloniki", he explains.

The exhibition in Athens ends on May 26th. But there's more on tap: an exhibition of Orthodox treasures from the monasteries of Mount Athos opens in Thessaloniki in mid-June.

BASKETBALL

Olympiakos and Aek moved their league-leading records out to 20 and 5. Olympiakos dumped Piraikos 85-58, while Aek made short work of Sporting. The score there, 74-60.

Aris was a 74-57 winner over Larisa, Papagou upended Paok 78-67, and it was Panionios 98, Vao 81.

Peristeri, this year's surprise team, ran into trouble on the road against Apollon. Peristeri dropped from third to fourth place after going down to Apollon, 94-82.

© ANT1 Radio 1997

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