PASOK Approves Proposal Regarding a New Government

Athens.- PASOK’s Covention came to a close last night with the election of the members of the National Council, the body that will replace the Central Committee. On Saturday, the delegates heard the political proposal by George Papandreou regarding a new government.

The third and last day of the Convention, was dominated by positions taken by both the President of the Movement and by senior members at the dialogue tables, which were organized on the matters of Cyprus, relations between Church and State, and the Charter of the party. In the meantime, several members, including Christos Verelis and Andreas Andrianopoulos, responded negatively to the return of Kostas Laliotis, who, according to information, is to lead Political Planning. On the other hand, speaking on NET 105.8, Maria Damanaki referred to a “gathering of the forces of PASOK, in order to reestablish the party.”

Intervening in the discussion on the relations between Church and State, George Papandreou voiced his opposition to the usurping of values, such as religion, for personal reasons. The discussion was dominated by the notion of separation of the relations through a careful and consensual process.

“We support safeguarding our values, the values of democracy, and our traditions of Hellenism and Orthodoxy. We do not, however, accept certain parts of the establishment using these for their own ends,” PASOK leader George Papandreou said in a brief contribution to the debate.

PASOK on Saturday bestowed conferred an award on Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, chief organiser of the Athens 2004 Olympics, for her contribution to the global event.

“The award is for her personal endeavour, and I would say, sacrifice, as she devoted her whole life to the effort in those years,” PASOK leader George Papandreou told the ceremony.

Daskalaki has recently resumed public appearances after being hospitalised in New York..

Akis Tsohatzopoulos criticized independent MPs Manos and Andrianopoulos. He said that tactical cooperation was judged to be a mistake by the people of PASOK, when in exchange for the support of an independent MP, the impression is given that an attempt is being made to integrate other political ideology into PASOK, which is neither needed nor accepted by the Movement. Mr Tsohatzopoulos also stressed that some people could not insist that when the people do not like us, it is their fault and not ours.

Nikos Sifounakis expressed his support for the separation of Church and State, underlining that just as the army went back to its barracks after 1974, in the same way the Church should return to its pastoral, spiritual and social role. “The government majority is fully responsible for opening the way to a healthy co-existence of Church and State, with respect to discreet roles,” stressed the former minister.

GSEE President Christos Polyzogopoulos raised the issue of clear positions for the world of employment.

“It’s good that we are in Opposition, because modernization policy was at the wrong pace,” said Vaso Papandreou in her speech, adding that it is a mistake to say that ND will play the role of a rightwing parenthesis, because that only happen through PASOK’s efforts, while she considered that with George Papandreou as the leader, PASOK would return to government much sooner than many people believed.

Former Minister Giannos Papantoniou disagreed with the ripe fruit reasoning in the party’s Opposition tactics. He stressed that renewal and change are not empty shirts, but must be linked with respective poltical positions and not just symbolic communications.

Greece was described as the last communist country in Europe by Anna Diamantopoulou, who claimed that 55% of the Economy was oppressed by the government, and noted that for the next few years, PASOK’s motto would be “good work for all.” Referring to the scene within the party, Mrs Diamantopoulou observed that the Convention’s logo, a tree whose leaves represent the Movement’s values, lacks branches, implying that the new leadership group is missing.

Thodoros Pangalos described the opinion that PASOK lost the elections because the people do not understand as wrong and criminal. He claimed that PASOK lost the elections through inconsistency in goals and their implementation. He answered indirectly to the double-sided widening of PASOK, saying that it fulfilled the proletariat and international duty, but PASOK is not ready to vote for the supporters of those opinions. He also hailed the fact that party “armies” are breaking, also stating that we was optimistic with the results of the latest opinion polls.

In the new PASOK, there is room for differing opinions, but not for dominating behaviour and arrogant interpretations, stressed Giorgos Panagiotakopoulos of the Left Initiative, and referring to George Papandreou, he said that the captain is responsible for avoiding the storm.

Former Speaker of Parliament Apostolos Kaklamanis proposed that all of PASOK undergo financial audits.