Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 04-02-06

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From: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.

CONTENTS

[01] NEW PROCEDURE

[02] THE AUTHORITY CHANGES PASOK'S "FRIENDS'" PARTICIPATION

[03] MARGIN WIDENING AND NARROWING

[04] KARAMANLIS CERTAIN OF ND VICTORY

[05] BEGLITIS ON THE TERRORIST ATTACK IN MOSCOW'S SUBWAY

[06] CONDOLENCES BY KARAMANLIS TO THE RUSSIAN PRESIDENT

[07] PAPANDREOU GOT THE NOMINATION FOR THE PARTY PRESIDENCY

[08] LOSSES IN THE ASE

[09] PROGRAM FOR THE TRAINING OF PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS IN ALBANIA

[10] AN ORDER FOR CHANGE

[01] NEW PROCEDURE

The change in the procedure for the election of the party's President will be decided on today at PASOK's convention. Before the vote on the change in the statute for the election of the President by the basis, the departing President of PASOK and Prime Minister, Costas Simitis, Secretary of the Central Committee Michalis Chrysochoidis and the only candidate for the Presidency and Foreign Minister, Giorgos Papandreou, would address the convention participants. Approximately 4000 party members will participate in the convention.

[02] THE AUTHORITY CHANGES PASOK'S "FRIENDS'" PARTICIPATION

PASOK's leadership is determined to move to the procedure for the election of the party's President with the participation of the party's friends, while securing their personal data, after the decision of the Personal Data Protection Authority, which forbade the drawing up of a list with the names of those who will participate in the procedure for the election of PASOK's new President. PASOK had asked for the opinion of the Authority. Party friends were to vote with their identity cards.

[03] MARGIN WIDENING AND NARROWING

A difference of 4.5% in favor of ND was ascertained by the MRB poll which was carried out after the Pachtas amendment, but before the announcement of ND's financial program. The KKE is steadily above 5%, the Coalition is on the borderline, while LAOS and DIKKI are below the minimum vote limit. According to a VPRC's telephone survey, carried out on February 2-3, ND is ahead with 32.7% to PASOK's 29.2%, while during the January 28-January 29 period, the percentages were 32.6% and 28.1%. ND has a serious lead in electoral victory probability.

[04] KARAMANLIS CERTAIN OF ND VICTORY

His certainty that ND will be elected to government on March 7 was expressed by President of ND C. Karamanlis, speaking at the 16th convention of the European People's Party. In about a month we will proceed together as another government of the EPP, he said characteristically. In his speech, the President of New Democracy referred to a Europe more political, more democratic, to spread its wealth to more of its citizens and do so justly. We are called to achieve a Europe more socially just, economically competitive, and intellectually powerful on a global scale, concluded Mr. Karamanlis.

[05] BEGLITIS ON THE TERRORIST ATTACK IN MOSCOW'S SUBWAY

Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman Panos Beglitis referring to today's terrorist attack in Moscow's subway stated that it is strongly condemned and extended condolences to the Russian people, the government and the families of the victims.

Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreou sent a letter of condolences to Russian President Valdimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov.

[06] CONDOLENCES BY KARAMANLIS TO THE RUSSIAN PRESIDENT

Right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis sent a letter of condolences to Russian President Vladimir Putin for the victims of the terrorist attack in Moscow's subway today.

In his letter, Mr. Karamanlis expresses repugnance for the terrorist act and support to the families of the victims.

[07] PAPANDREOU GOT THE NOMINATION FOR THE PARTY PRESIDENCY

Giorgos Papandreou got unanimously the nomination for the presidency of PASOK by the 4,500 delegates participating in the extraordinary party congress held in Athens today. Mr. Papandreou was the only candidate and there were no blank or negative votes.

Addressing the party delegates, he stated that he accepts the challenge and thanked them for their vote.

PASOK Central Committee Secretary Michalis Chrisochoidis had presented earlier the amendments in the party charter the most important of which was the one concerning the election of the candidates for the post of the leader of PASOK by the delegates in the party congress. The election of the party president will now be made directly by party members and friends.

Smaller and more effective will be the new government that will be formed by Giorgos Papandreou when PASOK wins the elections, according to Mr. Papandreou who addressed the party delegates in the extraordinary party congress.

Mr. Papandreou stated that the basic principles in the new governance he backs are decentralization, transparency and a new morality in exercising power, adding that this will be a new era without social exclusions and xenophobia.

He called on the people to participate in the Sunday vote for the election of the President of PASOK, adding that their participation will signal the signing of a new contract for reforms in the state, the citizen's protection network and the investment in the people.

[08] LOSSES IN THE ASE

Losses were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index dropped to -0.32% at 2445,16 points, while the volume of transactions was at 169.0 million euros.

Of the stocks trading today, 68 had gains and 246 had losses, while the value of 69 stocks remained unchanged.

[09] PROGRAM FOR THE TRAINING OF PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS IN ALBANIA

A number of training visits to agencies of public health in Athens will be held on February 9-13 by 20 public health officials from Tirana, Albania within the framework of the International Development Cooperation Agency development program of the Greek Foreign Ministry.

The program Health Management Training of Public Health Officials in Albania is implemented through the cooperation of the documentation scientific center of the Public Employees' Union with the Independent Workers' Union in the sector of health in Albania (ITUHEA). The goal of the initiative is the modernization of the health sector on Albania.

[10] AN ORDER FOR CHANGE

PASOK candidate President Giorgos Papandreou will ask for a powerful order, for a new era in the democratic front, the government, the state and society, at the emergency PASOK convention, which started at 12:30 at the Nikea Olympic Stadium. On arriving at the convention, Mr. Papandreou stressed that a new era is beginning, while top PASOK officials criticized the decision of the Personal Data Protection Authority to obstruct the elections on Sunday.

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