Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - September 23, 1981, Winnipeg, Manitoba Free september 1981 focus leftists look 1 like winning greek vote by William Calbourne the Washington Post Athens against a background of growing anxiety among policymakers in the United states and the Western Greece approaches National elections october 18 to decide whether to reject a Century and a half of virtually uninterrupted rightist Rule and install its first socialist it will be the third election since the 1974 collapse of the military dictatorship and there Are indications Here that greek voters May now feel secure enough to follow the example of the French and turn to socialism in the Hope of alleviating pervasive social and economic prob the already acrimonious election Campaign has polarized the seven Andone half Earold panhellenic socialist movement led by an Dreas a former professor at York University in and the protest Ern new democracy party of prime minister George at Issue Are questions no less important to the West than Greece relations with the North Atlantic treaty the european economic Community and the continued presence of military bases on greek after the fall of the expectations of a Sharp swing to the left did not As the greeks voted in new democracy with an overwhelming 54 per cent majority against Only 12 per cent for the a centrist coalition won 21 per the socialists doubled their support to 25 per cent in the 1977 largely at the expense of the centrist continued fragmentation of the Centre and growing disaffection with the new democracy govern ment has led to the Socia lists optimism that they May carry the next under the slogan of Al or causing considerable alarm in some Western Capi Papandreou defines closing Down the bases in Greece As a strategic aim of his and says that in principle his party is opposed to Greece being a member of but in an interview at his the socialist Leader dramatically moderated past slogans and stressed that his government wants to enter into a Dia Logue with the allies and the United states Over both in contrast to earlier state Papandreou also said that the Issue of Greece membership in the Europe an economic of which Greece became a full member in would be tackled not by direct confrontation or unilateral with but by negotiating for better terms and in some areas by there Are escape clauses in the treaty of we will use it is All within the rules of the he Papandreou said that his position n the possible Clos ing of the military bases in Greece had been exaggerated and misinterpreted and that although not abandoning the ultimate goal of dismantling the he would like to negotiate issues of their control and the quid pro quo of arms sales to Greece and we do not wish to have foreign bases in but we Are aware we May have to live with them for some Papandreou we dont seek direct confrontation with the United we expect to sit Down with the american Side and address certain Concrete while new democracy is capitalizing on Papandreou Early Radical positions the elections which bring the left to Power might be the last free elections in said one new democracy vice minister the socialist Leader said his government would be a prag Matic one modelled closely on that of the French Socia our positions Are dictated not by a but by the Concrete situation in which Greece finds he the greek people want but they do not want that what we Are offering change with out defence minister Evanghelos who is vice president of new democracy and Leader of the right Wing of the responded that change is a magic and the most dangerous for but we will face it with when we remind people How they were living 10 and 20 years the majority will understand that there is Good and bad he also said his party was certainly very concerned Over the socialists foreign policy but we be Lieve Papandreou will not pull out of he do it because of he May make gestures to prove he is More Independent than new democracy within the a Victory for greek socialists could bring changes in Greece relations with nato and the United in some Nat country embassies a More pessimistic View prevails of Greece relations with its allies in the event of a Socia list but there is a wide spectrum of views ranging from fears of a dangerous undermining of natos strategically vital Southern flank to a More cautious Waitan see Atti throughout there Are indications cutting across different social and economic Levels that voters Are restless Over 25 per cent a stagnating econ inadequate health and social a Cumber some and a Quality of life that lags be Hind that of the other coun tries in the european com greeks attitudes toward the nations prospects As a Community member Range from uncertainty at Best to outright disaffection As con Sumers Are faced with climbing prices and farm ers expectations of common Market benefits Are not so far in the election Campaign the socialists have concentrated on economic and social issues in the belief that these Are the main con Cern of the Papandreou has promised to socialize some key industries such As mining and Metal Lur Cement and Energy and Public he also wants to introduce worker participation in Man reduce bureaucracy and decentralize the and while this would mean in some cases nationalization and in others merely Reform aimed at promoting efficient As in the Case of the slogans of marxism have not figured in Papandreou vocabulary for some Papandreou attacks on what he terms an economic oligarchy and his promises to redistribute wealth have prompted new democracy to pin the marxist Label on the panhellenic socialist new democracy aimed at the centrist and t i undecided has concentrated heavily on foreign policy in an attempt to cast the socialists As a danger to Greece party leaders argue that severing ties with nato would turn Greece traditional into a favored West Ern no Small country can afford the luxury of remaining outside of one of the two major military alliances without running the risk of being confronted with and rallis Averoff said Papandreou commitment to the non aligned movement and his Hartline stand against tur key May bring Greece into a very difficult in employing this Prelec Tion which Papandreou has branded As scare new democracy apparently Hopes to conjure up recollections of april when As minis Ter of his fathers Centre lib eral was Alleg edly involved in a left Wing conspiracy within the this contributed to bringing about the military these scare tactics wont be effective because the government has lost All pres Tige there is no possibility of a we have nothing to argue about with the greek armed he Papandreou has gone out of his Way to Appeal to the army promising them a review of pensions and the continued presence of Konstantin Karamanlis As president after the elections May also reassure voters if seen As a possible balancing Factor in the event of a socialist gov besides attempting to frighten voters away from the new democracy is relying heavily on the advantage of with a flurry of ribbon Cut Tings and Cornerstone laying ceremonies All attentively covered by the state con trolled radio and As Well As the pro govern ment Papandreou has demanded equal time on television and he is ready to accept a Challenge from rallis to a televised Papandreou stands on a Balcony in Georghiou Square in the peloponnese port City of beaming in a Shower of confetti As he overlooks a sea of Green and White flags bearing the rising Sun Emblem of the panhellenic socialist known As it is his Kickoff Campaign rally and the crowd of is Pasok and the people to Power Papandreou warms up the crowd by evoking deafening cheers with references to the resistance fighters of Greece and derisive Hoot ing at the mention of the deposed monarchy and the 1967 colonels i be Lieve the election has already been he change int just a its what the greek people demand of the socialist Leader out lined his vision of change by concentrating on Domestic issues and referring to the recent election of president Francois Mitterrand in As a gov we will have unqualified support from eur which with the double Victory of Mitterrand has embarked on its own Road of socialist Papandreou characterized the economic policies of new democracy As inconsistent and income its not democracy that is in but new Papandreou omitted from his speech the foreign policy issues new democracy has sought to he said afterwards that he will address these issues in a speech in Salonika later in the but the Patras crowd in thu Attinato socialists led by Papandreou left appear Likely to defeat rallies righting government in october election spastic ally at his promises elections is the maturity of that in 1977 went to the ability of an arrangement could end up holding the for economic and social re the extreme right National with the far Papan balance in parliament and and did not seem Dis ramp to my front the Reou on the other hand has assure socialist ascension to appointed that he failed to not new of Are studiously rejected the possibility of a Power even if Only by Pas mention nato or the ase every the avoidin8 an areal to the coalition with the comm sively supporting the Socia every Mig 1q77 in Csc Bivey Pic when asked in the inter you Promise but we Are pre View whether he Felt that he pared to risks alienating the left Wing in their bid for an electoral or things will be very of his party by muting his both parties have As for forming a coalition he earlier attacks on the looked to the centrist to gain the necessary 151 dec and the american new democracy is also at seats in Greece 300mem voters who under the 1975 Constitution enjoys Strong if the communists Muster presidential Powers with Papandreou tempting to recover the Ber new demo what is expected to be about which to try to Avert Early one thing i feel about these seven per cent of the vote racy has kept open the Possi 12 per cent of the they Farmy with aft Jefe special 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