MPA NEWS IN BRIEF (23/06/1996)

From: Macedonian Press Agency <mpa@philippos.mpa.gr>

Macedonian Press Agency Brief News in English Directory

BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN BY MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY

Thessaloniki, June 23, 1996

TITLES

[01] FORMER GREEK PRIME MINISTER ANDREAS PAPANDREOU DIED THIS MORNING

[02] THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ANDREAS PAPANDREOU

NEWS IN DETAIL

[01] FORMER GREEK PRIME MINISTER ANDREAS PAPANDREOU DIED THIS MORNING

Andreas Papandreou, Greece's Socialist Party leader, died of heart failure at 2:30 am this morning in his home in Athens, after a prolonged illness. He was 77 years old.

The PASOK Party Executive Bureau issued an announcement at 5:00 am stating that "today Greece is mourning. The founder of our Movement, the great Greek patriot and the Leader of our people, Andreas Papandreou has passed away. The PASOK Central Committtee Executive Bureau will convene in an extraordinary session at one o'clock this afternoon."

Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis, who is in Florence, Italy where he participated at the European Union Summit, will return in Athens this afternoon and at 6 pm will hold a ministerial council extraordinary meeting.

Mr. Simitis announced that "I am shocked by the sad news of Andreas Papandreou's death. The great leader is no longer alive. Yet, he leaves with us the heritage of his works, since his political path is interwoven with our country's modern history.

"His death is a national loss for Greece. PASOK will always seek in its works, documents and precepts the signs of his victorious road. All of us, with the same respect in his name, will work as a strong and united PASOK for all which he envisioned."

Since the early-morning hours, hundreds of friends and supporters gathered outside the deceased leader's Ekali home, among whom were the PASOK Secretary-General Kostas Skandalides, Minister of the Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization Akis Tsohatzopoulos, Minister of National Defense Gerasimos Arsenis and others.

Mr. Papandreou's death came four days prior to the party's fourth congress, which is scheduled for the upcoming Thursday. According to Mr. Tylemachos Hytiris, one of the socialist leader's closest associates, Mr. Papandreou was planning to address the congress and, up to one hour prior to his death, was adding the final touches on his speech.

[02] THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ANDREAS PAPANDREOU

Greece's Socialist Party (PASOK) leader Andreas Papandreou died this morning in Athens at the age of 77 after a prolonged illness.

The Harvard-educated Papandreou had been Prime Minister of Greece for almost ten years, after winning general elections three times, the first in October 1981, then in June 1985 and, his latest term, in October 1993. In January of 1996, half way into his third term, Mr. Papandreou resigned after having been in the hospital for two months for lung and kidney failure. He nevertheless remained a powerful force in the Socialist Party.

Mr. Papandreou was born at the island of Chios in 1919, son of later prime minister George Papandreou and Sophia Meneiko.

A graduate of Athens University Law School, Andreas Papandreou was arrested in 1939 for his political activities during the Metaxa dictatorship and, after beign released from prison, departed for the United States.

In 1943, he earned his PhD in Economics from Harvard University and, having become an American citizen, he served with the US Navy during World War II.

Having taught as lecturer at a number of univerisities in the US, among which University of California Berkeley, Mr. Papandreou returned to Greece in 1959 where he headed an economic development research program, and one year later was appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors and General Director of the Athens Economic Research Center and Advisor to the Bank of Greece.

His first official involvement with politics came in 1964 when he was elected deputy for Achaia with the Center Union Party. In that two-year period he served as Minister to the Prime Minister's office and subsequently Alternate Coordination Minister.

Mr. Papandreou was arrested in April 1967 by the military junta only to be released eight months later and be sent to exile, first in Sweden and later in Canada. He lectured Economic Science at Stockholm University (1968-1969) and at Toronto's York University (1969-1974).

In February 1968 Mr. Papandreou founded the Panhellenic Liberation Movement (PAK) and struggled against the coup until the junta fell in July of 1974.

Andreas Papandreou returned to Greece in August 1974 when he founded the Panhellenic Socialist Movemenent (PASOK). During that year's elections, the party received a mere 13.5 per cent of the vote, but three years later it rose to 25 per cent, thereby giving Papandreou the spotlight as the country's main opposition party.

In 1981's general elections, PASOK won a landslide victory, with Papandreou becoming Prime Minister, only to repeat his success in June 1985. He held the Premiership post until the June 1989 elections, during which PASOK lost to the New Democracy party.

At the turn of the decade, the country was rocked by a series of scandals and Papandreou's health began to show signs of strain, having undergone open heart surgey in 1988. In July 1989 he married the Olympic Airways hostess Dimitra Liani, divorcing his American wife of 38 years Margaret Papandreou with whom he had three sons and one daughter. Also the same year, Mr. Papandreou was indicted by Parliament in connection with the $200 million Bank of Crete embezzelement scandal. He was accused of helping the embezzlement by ordering state corporations to transfer their holdings to the Bank of Crete, where the interest was allegedly skimmed off to benefit the Socialists. He was cleared of all wrongdoing in January 1992.

Andreas Papandreou bounced back in October 1993 when he began his third four-year term as prime minister. While his charisma never eclipsed, his fragile health kept him from exercising the active political leadership he once had been famous for. He was hospitalized at Athens' Onasion Cardiosurgery Center in November 20 for lung and kidney failure and returned to his home on March 21. He continued to undergo dialysis every other day.

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