Athens News Agency: News in English, 09-11-18

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] ND leader election procedure announced

[02] Police arrest ten after Polytechnic march disturbances

[03] Breach of duty charges filed against NTUA rector, vice-rectors

[04] Papoulias in Slovenia

[05] EU defence ministers' meeting

[06] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] ND leader election procedure announced

The election of the new ND leader will take place on Sunday, Nov. 29 from 7am to 7pm. A second round with the participation of the two candidates that will win most of the votes will be held on Dec. 5 if none of the initial three candidates gets a majority.

All registered ND members have the right to vote in the secret ballot that will take place in 1,540 polling stations across Greece.

Greek expatriates living in Germany, UK, France, Belgium, Sweden, Italy, Austria and Cyprus also have the right to vote if they have acquired the party member identity no later than Oct. 4, 2009.

Caption: Main opposition New Democracy Election Organising Committee Dimitris Sioufas announces the procedure for the election of the party's new leader on Tuesday 17 November 2009 in Athens. ANA-MPA/SYMELA PANTZARTZI

[02] Police arrest ten after Polytechnic march disturbances

[03] Breach of duty charges filed against NTUA rector, vice-rectors

The reports alleged that, with the tolerance of the Polytechnic's prytaneum, the technological equipment for internet access assigned to the university for educational purposes also serves the website of the so-called anti-authoritarian area.

More specifically the Polytechnic's web server is used also for the operation of the website Indymedia, where proclamations warning of imminent "hits" by anti-authoritarian organisations, according to the reports.

[04] Papoulias in Slovenia

In the afternoon Papoulias held talks with Slovenian President Danilo Turk and immediately afterwards the two leaders made statements, underlining the excellent, as they said, relations between the two countries, while adding that these relations can be improved even further.

Replying to a question by a local reporter on the issue of the name of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (fYRoM), Papoulias said that Greece has made all of the concessions so far, and pointed out that "it is up to the leadership of fYRoM to take the (next) steps and abandon anachronisms and fixations."

Papoulias will meet his Slovene counterpart again on Wednesday, as well as with the country's political leadership, and will attend a business forum scheduled in the framework of the official visit.

Caption: Slovenia's President Dr. Danilo Turk (R) receives the President of Republic Karolos Papoulias (L) in Ljubljana on Tuesday 17 November 2009. ANA-MPA/VANGELIS VARDOULAKIS

[05] EU defence ministers' meeting

Describing the positions he outlined at the meeting, Venizelos said that he had stressed the need for autonomy and equality between the two organisations, combined with regular contact between them. He also noted the need for all 27 EU member-states to participate more actively in related activities.

He went on to convey the Greek government's decision to extend its participation in operation Atalanta with one Navy frigate and one helicopter by one year. Venizelos said that the EU would act within the framework of the mandate given by the UN Security Council and that practical ways must be found to lead the pirates to an international judicial body.

The minister noted Greece's intense interest in the naval part of the Atalanta operation, given the country's very huge commercial fleet, adding that this imposed a great interest in both Atalanta and its NATO equivalent, Ocean Shield.

On the issue of a common EU foreign and security policy, Venizelos said that it was vital to preserve the role of some crucial bodies, such as the EU Military Committee and military staff.

Commenting on the reports in Greece on the NATO anti-missile shield, Venizelos termed the discussion "premature" and pointed out that Greece had not yet made any promises or taken any decisions concerning the plan.

The minister also pointed out that the new plan presented by the U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in late October took into account the concerns of Russia and ensured interactivity with Russian systems, if the Russian side desired this - a view that met the agreement of several countries that included Greece, Germany and Norway.

He also pointed out that this was the first stage of a plan that had not yet been presented in its complete form.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Defence Minister Evangelos Venizelos

[06] Athens Newspaper Headlines

The curtailment of expenditures and additional cutbacks in the State Budget following EU pressure, the dialogue on social security, the annual report on world transparency with Greece in the last place in Europe, a NOTAM by Turkey that disputes the Greek-Turkish sea borders, the new scenarios for changes in University entry exams and the prosecutor's investigation of MIG chairman and Olympic Air president Andreas Vgenopoulos' charges regarding remote routes tenders, dominated the headlines on Wednesday in Athens' newspapers.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "Greece in the last place in transparency in Europe - Corruption is prevalent".

APOGEVMATINI: "Banks halt the freezing of debts".

AVGHI: "Immediate compliance with the (EU) recommendations - Additional cutbacks in state expenditures, jobs and labor rights included in the draft State Budget that is slated for approval on Wednesday by the Inner Cabinet".

AVRIANI: "Prosecutor's intervention on remote islands routes".

CHORA: "Social security funds are collapsing - Storm of measures in social security sector".

ELEFTHEROS: "Ankara calls for new delimitation of borders in the Aegean Sea".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Maximos mansion (government headquarters) pulls the carpet out from under Ministers' feet - Education Minister Anna Diamantopoulou was the first victim".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "Polytechnic commemoration event: Large turnout and minor scuffles at the end of the march - 200 taken in for questioning".

ESTIA: "Papandreou's government loses its chance to give a new vision".

ETHNOS: "Cold shower from Brussels for salary earners - State Budget: Additional cutbacks of 700-800 million euros in expenditures".

IMERISSIA: "2.5 billion euros curtailment in expenditures - Additional cutbacks in State Budget".

KATHIMERINI: "ECB president Jean Claude Trichet's recommendation on Greece's credibility - State Budget to be discussed by Inner Cabinet".

LOGOS: "More citizens will be included in the list for the social solidarity benefit"

NAFTEMPORIKI: "Banks hesitant on the 'freeze' on overdue corporate debts".

NIKI: "Dominion of corruption".

RIZOSPASTIS: "Council on Primary and Secondary Education's report".

TA NEA: "Three scenarios for University entry exams".

TO VIMA: "Taxes for all - Curtailment of expenditures and ceiling on large salaries".

VRADYNI: "Brussels-made State Budget - Government backs down under (European Commissioner for economic and monetary affairs) Joaquin Almunia's pressure".

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