Karamanlis: Fight against Vested Interest and Corruption

Athens – On Saturday, in the ND Central Committee meeting that took place in a central Athens hotel, Prime Minister, Kostas Karamanlis repeated his decision of going forth with a frontal attack with vested interest and corruption phenomena. The Prime Minister austerely criticized PASOK and critics of the government over the main shareholder bill, while he made reference to the economy giving special emphasis to reform and denationalization issues, targeted at the country’s development. He also repeated Greece’s support to Turkey’s accession to Europe, wished for success of the upcoming discussions with his Turkish counterpart, and also for Turkey to respond to its European duties.

“We made a commitment to the citizens to dispose of the grey of corruption, to make common rules for all, to enforce substance and the quality of democracy. We have committed ourselves to the above and we are not abandoning them. We are abolishing vested interest bills, advancing measures that put a stop to mismanagement and waste, we support the institutions and are guarding the state,” stated Mr Karamanlis in his speech.

“The citizens will be the winners from the frontal attack with corruption,” he stated.

Mr Karamanlis also attacked PASOK, saying that on this day the opposition has abandoned its commitments.

He unleashed a harsh attack at the opposition, saying that while both parties voted for the Constitutional reform of the main shareholder bill “today only we defend it and they undermining it.”

“The oligopoly situation and the favorable handling of businessmen against healthy antagonism affected our country’s prestige, whose side do they take, what are their aims, what are they supporting?” asked Mr Karamanlis.

Mr Karamanlis made extensive reference to the economy, saying that Greece has no limits for delays and that in 2005 they will go forth with decisive structural changes and interventions for the purification of economy.

The Prime Minister asked for the consensus and cooperation of the political forces for the counter of the country’s great problems.

Apart from the economy, the Prime Minister included education and health in the government’s priorities list.

Mr Karamanlis made mention to the implementation of the European Constitution from the Parliament, saying it is a historic step in the road of a common European future.

He also made clear that the same practices followed in previous years are included in the implementation of the Euroconstitution.

The Prime Minister made mention to the country’s relations with FYROM and specifically the pending issue of the name, reminding, “Besides the negative inactivity of several years, a common acceptable solution through constructive dialogue has become accepted in an international level” while he hopes that the other side will respond.

MEIMARAKIS
After the Prime Minister’s speech, the Secretary of ND Central Committee also spoke, letting out a harsh attack to PASOK for the situation of the economy that it passed over to the ND government. Also, Mr Meimarakis made harsh criticism to the opposition for the way it reacts to the main shareholder bill.

He asked the party of PASOK “for which issue does it believe that Greece is called on by the European Union, what has it done all this time, what is its current position and what does it defend.”

He added that everyone worries because the law in its implementation of the Constitution protects competitiveness and fights vested interest. He also said that if PASOK wants to defend the Constitution and not something else, it owes to conform to the government.

Mr Meimarakis said that the party’s members cannot take a different position from the main decisions of the government and asked for the party to be careful to what they say.

As far as DAKE is concerned, Mr Meimarakis stated that it remains an independent organization, which submits its views.

The new regulations of Regional Organization and the Trade Union Secretariat were given out to the members of the Central Committee, in order to be approved.

PASOK
Nikos Athanasakis commenting on the speeches said that “instead of apologizing for a lost year of rule, the PM continuously repeats his pre-election speeches, just as he has today.”

PASOK Press spokesperson noted that besides the big talk over vested interest, corruption and the government’s attempt to focus on the Constitution for the government’s handling of the main shareholder, its unreliability once again is apparent.

Responding to PASOK’s Press spokesman, Minister of State Thodoros Rousopoulos stated: “PASOK unsuccessfully exhausted both its 20-year term in government and its serious business talk.”