greek Election Set for April 29th , Cutting Folks Power If The Special Property Tax Not Paid Unconstitutional , Greek Samurai Bondholder May /be Exempt From The Debt Swap

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_1_03/03/2012_430946

CoS rules against power cut if property tax is not paid Electricity supply cannot be cut anymore to users who have not paid for the special property tax through the electricity bill, as the Council of State ruled late on Friday that the measure violates the Greek Constitution. In its ruling the CoS, whose plenary convened behind closed doors on Friday, said that the imposition of the emergency tax through the power bills is constitutional and legal provided it is not a permanent tax, as it has been imposed for just two years: 2011 and 2012. However, cutting the electricity supply cannot be justified and runs against the country's constitution, the plenary of the CoS ruled. It followed a recourse to the country's top constitutional court by a number of lawyer associations who had asked whether imposing the tax and threatening to cut the power supply contravened the Constitution. The CoS reserved the right to examine the case again should the government render the tax permanent. and.... http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite2_1_02/03/2012_430726 Greece Samurai holders in Japan may be exempt from bond swap Holders of 108.7 billion yen ($1.33 billion) of Greece’s yen-denominated bonds who live in Japan may not be affected by an agreed debt swap as part of the biggest restructuring in history. The swap agreed on Feb. 24, known as private sector involvement, or PSI, doesn’t apply to the holders because of the time limits and Japanese legal requirements, Shinsei Bank Ltd. said in a statement Friday. The bank is one of three that manages the securities in Japan. “The Greek government isn’t in a position to promise anything at this moment regarding the treatment of the aforementioned bonds owned by residents in Japan,” Shinsei Bank said in the statement. “The Greek government will notify the result of the current PSI offer to the representative management companies without any delay.” Greece negotiated the largest debt restructuring on record as it seeks to reduce national debt to 120 percent of gross domestic product by 2020, from 160 percent last year, and to meet the terms of a 130 billion-euro ($173 billion) international bailout. [Bloomberg] and... Snap polls set for April 29, PM tells Barroso Early general elections will be held on April 29, Prime Minister Lucas Papademos told European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso during their summit talks in Brussels, Kathimerini has learned. According to sources, European Union officials are all but certain that Greece will have a new government in May. At a press conference in Brussels on Friday, Papademos refused to respond to questions regarding the date of elections.