GREECE: THEODORAKIS VS PAPANDREOU, NO TO EARLY ELECTIONS

28 October

The Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis, one of the symbols of the struggle against the military junta, has lashed out at Greek Prime Minister Giorgio Papandreou and announced that if the latter were to call early elections in the country he wouldcreate a Movement of Civic Resistance.

Over the past few days, in a televised interview Papandreou did not rule out calling early legislative elections if in the upcoming local ones on November 7 Greek citizens do not confirm their confidence and if this were to block the reforms that he intends to bring in. It was a statement meant to resist the ''protest vote'' hoped for by the opposition. In statements broadcast by the Skai television channel, Theodorakis, 85, called the prime minister's words ''blackmail'' to force Greeks to vote for Pasok, which in the polls seems to be losing support though still enjoying a clear lead.

''With his interview Papandreou is blackmailing the Greek populace by telling them that if they do not vote for him then he will call early elections,'' said Theodorakis, who said that ''in the current circumstances new elections would mean the end of Greece, its dissolution and paralysis.'' According to the well-known composer, if the things that Papandreou does and says were done by a centre-right government, the left would have ''set Greece on fire''.