Election items of interest and PM L Papademos reminds there is a lot of unfinished business for the next government which is allegedly obligated to be completed by the end of June !

http://www.athensnews.gr/portal/8/55251

Venizelos says election could decide euro membership

1 May 2012

The Pasok leader believes that Greece's euro membership is at stake in the coming elections. (file photo) Evangelos Venizelos, who will lead Pasok into the May 6 election, said in a newspaper interview on Tuesday that euro membership is not a certainty regardless of the outcome.   "There are certain misconceptions that worry me: for instance, the misconception that whatever happens we are not going to leave the euro," Venizelos is quoted as saying in the Guardian.   "Europe and the euro zone have no reason, rationally, to push Greece out of the euro. But this is a system in which many parties, many countries, many governments, many electorates participate and we could have events which, rationally, are not controllable," he is cited as saying.   He said Sunday's election is Greece's "most critical," with polls showing a rise in support for anti-bailout parties.   "The Greek people will have to give a clear answer as to whether it wants (to follow) a pro-European course, which is safe and responsible, or something else," he said in the article. Venizelos, a constitutional law expert turned politician, was elected in March to take over Pasok from former Prime Minister George Papandreou with a mandate to revive the party's chances ahead of the polls. (Reuters) and.... http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_15411_01/05/2012_440134 Parties emerge into the open for final stretch of election campaign Having spent most of this election campaign behind closed doors, Greece’s main political parties are preparing to take their message to the street - albeit under controlled conditions - in the final push toward May 6 polls. PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos and New Democracy chief Antonis Samaras are due to speak in Athens over the next couple of days as both parties seek to rally flagging support in the hope of securing the type of support at the ballot box on Sunday that would allow them to create some form of coalition government. Samaras and Venizelos have spent most of this election campaign speaking to party supporters at indoor arenas or journalists in TV studios. This reflects concerns about poor attendance at traditional public rallies and the possibility of attacks on politicians, given that dozens of MPs have been barracked in public over the last two weeks. After speaking in Thessaloniki over the weekend, Venizelos is gearing up for a public rally at Syntagma Square in Athens on Friday. Samaras is due to return to Zappeio Hall in the city center on Thursday to deliver his penultimate speech of the campaign, which will culminate with an address in Alexandroupoli, northeastern Greece, on Friday. Unlike his previous speeches at Zappeio, Samaras is due to speak at an open-air event tomorrow. PASOK and ND will attempt to ensure that both events will be trouble-free. On Tuesday, both leaders focused on employment issues. Samaras promised that with ND’s growth strategy, Greece would reduce its unemployment rate to less than 10 percent within the next few years. It is currently at 21 percent. “By implementing growth policies, we can reduce unemployment by more than half within three years,” he told supporters in Lavrio. Samaras suggested that the economy, currently in its fifth year of recession, could grow by 9 percent over this period. He said that by using just half of the 14 billion euros in European Union structural fund due to Greece, the country could boost the economy by 7 percent of GDP and create 300,000 new jobs. Speaking at the Skaramanga shipyards west of Athens, Venizelos also pledged to focus on job creation in the private sector. Sources said that Venizelos would this week stress the need for the next government to have at least 50 percent of the vote as he attempts to deter traditional PASOK supporters from voting for other parties. and.... http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_1_01/05/2012_440122 Reminder of upcoming bailout obligations Prime Minister Lucas Papademos is due to hold his final cabinet meeting on Wednesday but, according to sources, will steer clear of making any references to the upcoming elections after reported comments from the premier’s office relating to the next government’s busy schedule caused controversy. Reports on two news websites quoted sources close to the prime minister as pointing out that Greece’s loan agreement with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund bind the next government to certain immediate obligations. These include the overhaul of the tax system, the reform of the public procurement process and sweeping changes to the justice system. In total, there are some 70 requirements that have to be completed before the end of June, including the sale of Public Power Corporation lignite units. Apart from that, whatever government is formed after the May 6 elections will have to agree with the EU and the IMF another 11.5 billion euros of savings for 2013 and 2014. The fact that reminders about these imminent commitments apparently came from the prime minister’s office was seen by some as an attempt by Papademos to intervene in the election campaign just days before the polls. Government sources however deny that any of the premier’s aides had made such comments. They added that given the tense atmosphere ahead of Sunday’s vote, Papademos will simply repeat on Wednesday the message he delivered last week, which is that Greece has to strive to remain in the eurozone and the European Union. The Cabinet is also expected to approve the release to Greek banks of 18 billion euros’ worth of European Financial Stability Fund bonds that are currently held by the Hellenic Financial Stability Facility. The banks will be able to use these bonds as collateral to secure loans from the European Central Bank.