Page 9 - Aruba Today

WORLD NEWS 9
Friday 18 September 2015

AP: Greek election campaign People push through a police line in Tovarnik, Croatia, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015. Hundreds of
migrants have pushed through police lines in the eastern Croatian town of Tovarnik, with people
underwhelming most voters trampling and falling on each other amid the chaos, waiting to board trains and buses for
transport to refugee centers.
EREK GATOPOULOS
ELENA BECATOROS (AP Photo/Marko Drobnjakovic)
Associated Press
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Cheered by thousands in a Croatia army on alert over migrant influx
central Athens square, Alexis Tsipras made a prom-
ise that proved impossible to keep. A vote for his D. STOJANOVIC “Don’t come here any- country’s state news agen-
left-wing Syriza party would change Europe and VANESSA GERA more. Stay in refugee cen- cy. Croatian President
punish the creditors who had imposed economic Associated Press ters in Serbia and Macedo- Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic
austerity on Greece. BATINA, Croatia (AP) — nia and Greece,” Ostojic asked the country’s military
That was eight months ago. Croatian leaders asked the said. “This is not the road to to be on higher alert and
Prominent party members who deserted Syriza army to be on alert after Europe. Buses can’t take be ready to act if needed
stood in the same spot Tuesday night, lining up to chaos erupted Thursday you there. It’s a lie.” to protect the border from
attack Tsipras and his short-lived government as at the border with Serbia, Hungary sealed off its bor- the migrants. The country’s
Greeks head back to the polls Sunday with political where thousands of mi- der with Serbia this week interior minister meanwhile
parties fractured by the weight of a massive new in- grants and refugees have with a razor-wire fence suggested that his coun-
ternational bailout that aims to prevent a potential- poured into the country. and began arresting peo- try may close its borders
ly catastrophic default and Greece being forced Some trampled over each ple who tried to cross. Po- if faced with thousands
out of the eurozone. other in a rush to get on lice used tear gas, batons more newcomers.
Tuesday’s crowd at Omonia Square was much limited buses and trains, and water cannons on After bus trips through Ser-
smaller and the rhetoric more bitter. causing dozens of injuries those who tried to push bia, many migrants crossed
“A small group in the (government) leadership has amid the mayhem. open a border gate on fields on foot to enter Cro-
surrendered and humiliated us,” said Panagiotis La- The huge masses descend- Wednesday. Croatia rep- atia, where dozens of po-
fazanis, a former Syriza hardliner who served as Tsip- ed on Croatia after Hun- resents a longer and more lice at first directed them to
ras’ energy minister and formed a breakaway party gary took tough measures difficult route into Europe, trains and buses heading
after Tsipras reached an agreement with eurozone to stop migrants entering but those fleeing violence to refugee centers. Author-
countries to continue receiving rescue funding in its southern border. As Hun- in their homelands had ities warned them to avoid
exchange for harsh new spending cuts. garian officials hailed their little choice. By late Thurs- walking in areas along the
“Some people have turned the euro into religion. success in stopping the day a total of 9,200 people Serbian border that were
But it has become a dictatorship,” said Lafazanis, massive influx and moved had entered the country in still being demined from
who advocates Greece leaving Europe’s joint cur- ahead with plans to build the past two days, police the country’s 1991-95 war.
rency. yet more border fences, said, and already groups Soon matters got out of
Unlike the January election that brought Tsipras to leaders in Croatia pleaded were trying to cross into control. Hundreds of an-
power and a hastily called July referendum in which that their country was at neighboring Slovenia and gry asylum seekers pushed
voters soundly rejected creditor reform proposals — full capacity and unable to Hungary. Yet Slovenia, like through police lines in the
only to see Tsipras’ government later agree to them cope with the sudden flow. Hungary, appeared unwill- eastern Croatian town of
— Sunday’s poll has drawn little enthusiasm. It is the Interior Minister Ranko Os- ing to take in the inflow. Tovarnik after waiting for
third time this year that Greeks will be voting, with tojic told reporters he had Slovenian police said those hours in the hot sun, de-
the economy still in dire straits, a quarter of workers a message for migrants: freshly arrived from Croatia manding to be allowed to
jobless and capital controls limiting cash access to Don’t try to go to Western would simply be sent back move on toward Western
savings to 420 euros ($470) per week. Europe through his country. there, according to the Europe.q
“What’s the point of going back to the voting booth
all the time? Nobody trusts anyone anymore,” said
49-year-old Varavara Michaliarakou, who trained
as a nursery school teacher and works as a nanny.
She has voted for four different parties since 2009
and still hasn’t decided who to back on Sept. 20.
“They all lied to us and nothing has changed — it’s
still terrible,” she said.
It is the significant percentage of undecided voters
that the parties are vying to woo in the last few days
of campaigning.
Opinion polls indicate a race too close to call, with
Tsipras struggling to maintain the narrowest of leads
over his main opponent, center-right New Democ-
racy leader Evangelos Meimarakis.
Late Thursday, about 5,000 supporters — a low num-
ber by Greek standards — gathered to attend Mei-
marakis’ main election rally in Athens.q