From: miltos@nfl2.irc.nrc.ca Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Tue, 12 Oct 1993 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, October 12, 1993 Athens, 12/10/1993 (ANA): Socialist PASOK party leader Andreas Papandreou, winner of Sunday's general elections, will be given today the mandate to form a government by the president. Mr. Papandreou, 74, will call on president Constantine Karamanlis at noon today to receive the mandate, in accordance with the Greek Constitution, the president's office announced yesterday. Conservative Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis, whose New Democracy (ND) party was defeated in Sunday's polls, submitted his government's resignation to the president earlier yesterday. Replying to press questions, Mr. Mitsotakis stated that the election of a ND party leader was "an internal party issue" and he did not discuss it with the president. Mr. Mitsotakis said New Democracy was "the only hope at this difficult stage and we must make sure that it continues its political presence in the country". He declined to comment on the reasons for his party's defeat, adding "we shall discuss it at another time". To another question, Mr. Mitsotakis did not clarify whether he would run again for the party leadership, but referred to his statement late Sunday that he would set in motion the procedures for election of a party leader. Meanwhile, according to Interior Ministry results, PASOK won four of the five key single-seat constituencies (Zakynthos, Cephalonia, Samos and Lefkas). The fifth constituency, Evrytania, was won by New Democracy's candidate Dora Bakoyianni with a slim majority of 176 votes. --- Interim Press Under-secretary George Kontogeorgis said yesterday the Zappeion press centre had operated impeccably in every respect on Sunday night, adding that the election results had been broadcast with the most modern technology. Mr. Kontogeorgis said no complaint had been made by either Greek or foreign journalists. Athens, 12/10/1993 (ANA): The Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) has won a comfortable majority of 171 seats in the new parliament, the Interior Ministry said yesterday. It said that, based on results from 16,554 of Greece's 16,608 polling stations, PASOK had won 46.89 per cent of the vote in Sunday's elections, followed by New Democracy with 39.29 per cent, Political Spring with 4.87 per cent and the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) with 4.54 per cent. Final results are expected to be released today. The following are the results of the October 10 elections, available as of yesterday evening: Registered voters: 8,940,342 Ballots cast: 6,995,023 Valid: 6,875,961 Invalid: 88,779 Blank: 30,283 Participation: 78,24 per cent Votes received and seats earned: Party Votes Percentage Seats New Democracy 2,701,535 39.29 110 PASOK 3,224,128 46.89 171 Coalition of the Left 202,155 2.94 - KKE 312,068 4.54 9 Political Spring 335,125 4.87 10 Athens, 12/10/1993 (ANA): Outgoing Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis met successively yesterday with senior New Democracy members George Souflias, Miltiades Evert, Ioannis Varvitsiotis and Stephanos Manos for talks on the issue of electing a new leader of the New Democracy party. According to official ND sources, Mr. Mitsotakis will not be a candidate for party leader. New Democracy Director General Costas Pylarinos stated that "only elected members of ND prefecture committees will participate in the process of electing electors". According to the party's charter, the New Democracy leader is elected by the members of the parliamentary group and electors. The election process will take place immediately after the new parliament is sworn in and the New Democracy party's parliamentary group is formed. Bonn, 12/10/1993 (ANA - P. Stangos): German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel yesterday declined to comment on the results of the Greek elections in any manner that might be interpreted as interference in the domestic affairs of the Greek people. Instead, Mr. Kinkel said: "Formation of a new government in Greece is significant for many reasons ... A very prominent one is that Greece will assume the EC rotating presidency before Germany will, and we shall both be part of the "troika" ... The Greek decision might have significant repercussions on the problem of Macedonia, the Cyprus question and a whole series of problems, which are far from insignificant, and remain outstanding within the framework of the Twelve". Bonn, 12/10/1993 (ANA - P. Stangos): German Social Democratic Party (SPD) president Rudolf Scharping yesterday sent PASOK president Andreas Papandreou congratulations on his Sunday election win. Athens, 12/10/1993 (ANA): President of the European Socialist Party Parliamentary Group Jean Pierre Cot yesterday sent a message of congratulations to PASOK leader Andreas Papandreou on his victory in Sunday's elections, stressing that the Greek socialists' victory in the wake of those of Spain's Felipe Gonzalez and Norway's Gro Harlem Brundtland, "confirms the liveliness of the socialist movement". The right has lost because of its failure to address the economic crisis and to lead the Greek people and other peoples of Europe to prospects for recovery. It is up to us socialists to take an initiative to meet the challenge of our times", his announcement said. "I am particularly happy PASOK will assume the presidency of the European Community on January 1, 1994. We believe you can put into application the Maastricht treaty on the basis of such significant aims to us as solidarity and peace", Mr. Cot's message concluded. Athens, 12/10/1993 (ANA): US President Bill Clinton has congratulated Prime Minister-elect Andreas Papandreou on his victory in Sunday's elections. A statement released by the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) yesterday said Mr. Clinton had also extended an invitation to Mr. Papandreou to visit Washington at a date to be established through diplomatic channels. If added that the US President had also underscored the "important and positive role" Greece could play in the Balkans and said he looked forward to building a "good" relationship of "co-operation" with the Papandreou government. ANA Skopje, 12/10/1993 (Macedonian Press Agency): Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia President Kiro Gligorov hopes negotiations between the two nations will continue for a solution to their dispute, according to statements he made to a private TV station yesterday. Referring to the result of Sunday's general election in Greece, Mr. Gligorov congratulated PASOK leader Andreas Papandreou, wishing him every success in his task. "Every government elected by the friendly Greek people is accepted as a partner in the Republic of 'Macedonia' with whom Greek-'Macedonian' negotiations should continue with goodwill for the finding of an agreement as soon as possible for a solution to existing differences and the restoration of friendly and good neighbourly relations for the benefit of the two countries and peoples and peace in the Balkans", he said. Athens, 12/10/1993 (ANA): There have been no further developments in the matter of Maria Damanaki's continued leadership of the Coalition of the Left and Progress party, following her resignation earlier this morning after the Coalition's failure to achieve the minimum three per cent required to gain a seat in parliament. Ms Damanaki's resignation was discussed at a morning meeting of the political leadership of the party, and a further meeting was to be held last night. Party spokesmen Nikos Konstantopoulos and Fotis Kouvelis said they would request a recount as the party's total vote of 2.92 per cent had fallen short of the required percentage by only a few votes out of hundreds of thousands. "Causes and responsibilities do exist, and they will be examined with calm and serenity", Mr. Papadimoulis added. Many members of the Coalition leadership are reported to be opposed to Ms Damanaki's resignation. Ms Damanaki announced her intention to resign in a statement after the announcement of the election results, saying that her contribution as Coalition president had come to an end. "The Coalition put up an extremely hard fight against tremendous odds and obstacles. The present results of the election appear marginal. It would seem they do not permit the Coalition to be represented in parliament", she said. "The causes that led to such a result should be sought with serenity. I believe our policy was right. Our voice did not reach out to the people loudly enough. This determining factor was affected by the party's internal problems and the public image of its leadership, which went so far as to even undermine our seriousness. Personally, I feel that I have done my duty in full, despite opposition which I encountered. However, my efforts were unsuccessful. In shouldering my own share of responsibility, I deem it self-evident that my contribution to the Coalition as president has come to an end ... I wish to assure everyone that nothing of the effort which we have made will be lost, and I shall help with all my strength in ensuring that it will continue". Istanbul, 12/10/1993 (ANA): European Parliament President Miguel Agel Martinez will pay an official visit to the Ecumenical Patriarchate today to meet Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos. Mr. Martinez and Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos will discuss matters concerning the Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos will discuss matters concerning the Ecumenical Patriarchate and Orthodoxy in general, according to the Holy Synod's secretariat. Athens, 12/10/1993 (ANA): President Constantine Karamanlis yesterday sent King Juan Carlos of Spain a letter expressing his best wishes on the occasion of Spain's national holiday. "I wish to address to you on behalf of the people of Greece and on my behalf my sincere congratulations and warmest wishes for your personal happiness and the progress of the friendly people of Spain. "I am convinced that the relations of traditional friendship and co-operation existing between our two countries will continue developing in future, both on a bilateral level and in the context of European Union", the message said.