Antenna: News in English (PM), 98-04-23

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

Last Updated: Thursday, 23-Apr-98 20:37:54

CONTENTS

[01] Greece mourns C.Karamanlis

[02] Karamanlis' village

[03] Kosovo

[04] Privatisations

[05] AEK-Final Four

[01] Greece mourns C.Karamanlis

It was a quarter to one Wednesday night when he passed away quietly. He was 91.

Karamanlis had been admitted to the hospital on April 7th with a bronchial infection. In the days leading up to his death, doctors held out progressively less hope of a recovery, as his major organs deteriorated.

Petros Molyviatis, one of Karamanlis's closest friends and associates told the press at the hospital that the great leader had died of a heart attack.

Asked about Karamanlis's final hours, doctor Haralabos Paskalis said, "They were trying moments. It was a quiet end, very decent, as is appropriate for such a great leader. His family took the news of his death calmly".

Shortly after the death, and in the presence of Karamanlis's nephews, New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis and MP Michalis Liapis, Molyviatis opened a letter containing his last wishes.

In it, Constantinos Karamanlis expressed his desire to be buried on the grounds of the foundation he founded, which bears his name and contains his archives. There will be no funeral orations, and the funeral will be a private, family affair at the church of Agia Filothei in Athens, as he wished.

On Thursday morning, Karamanlis's body was taken to his home in an Athens suburb, where it will remain until the funeral Friday evening.

Karamanlis's family has asked all those who would like to send wreaths to donate the money to charity.

[02] Karamanlis' village

The church bells rang in mourning Thursday morning. The Karamanlis home was open all day - residents of the village stopped by to write their farewell messages in a visitors' book.

A memorial liturgy was said at the church of Agia Paraskevi.

Sadness was written on the faces of the people of this quiet village, which had nurtured the boy who would become one of Greece's greatest statesmen.

"My soul weep's", said one woman. "I truly loved him".

Added another villager, "He loved us like a father. He always talked to us about love and concord".

The young people also remember him. "He used to eat with our parents and grandparents", recalls one girl. "When we played, he always came over and talked to us. He was especially fond of children".

Respecting Karmanlis's wish for a private, family funeral, the residents of Protis will not try to

attend the service Friday. But they are sending to handfuls of soil form their village, his village, to be buried with him.

[03] Kosovo

Polls opened at 6am and closed Thursday night. The results will be announced Friday.

Kosovo erupted in violence in early March, as Serbian special police forces attacked a number of villages Belgrade claimed were militant separatist strongholds.

After the raids, which left 80 Albanians dead, the west pushed for direct dialogue between Belgrade and the Kosovo Albanians.

Yugoslav president Slobodan Milovevic offered Kosovo some autonomy, but the ethnic Albanians said that wasn't good enough. They also insist that any talks must be overseen by foreign mediators.

Serb leaders urged their voters to vote "no" in the foreign mediator referendum Thursday. Belgrade argues that Kosovo is an internal matter, and should not be internationalised.

In the latest violence in Kosovo, earlier this week, two people were killed and several houses destroyed in Serbian bombing attacks in the Drenica region.

[04] Privatisations

Iannos Papantoniou said after huddling with other

government ministers that market reception of two earlier OTE share packages was good. He added that the current bull market also makes prospects for the next share sell off bright.

Papantoniou says the partial privatisation will do much to further OTE's investment plans.

OTE isn't the only state enterprise being at least partially turned over to the private sector.

The mortgatge and national banks are merging. The Piraeus Bank is buying into the Macedonia- Thrace Bank.

And the Central Bank and Cretabank are expected to be sold by the summer.

What the future holds for two other state banks, the Ionian and the Commercial, is uncertain.

Employees at the state-owned banks are opposed to giving private owners majority contol of their institutions.

[05] AEK-Final Four

Aek made it into the final by beating another Italian team, Benetton of Trevizo in Tuesday's semi- final.

In that see-saw battle, Guard Pane Prelevich hits a three-point bomb with a minute eleven to play, putting Aek ahead 66-63. Then with just 28 seconds to go, he hits one of two free throws - that turns out to be the game- winner, as the Greek team goes on to a 69-66 victory.

Willy Anderson shines for the winners, leading

Aek with 21 points on 10 of 18 shooting.

(c) ANT1 Radio 1998

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