Greek potest resumes as gov't rejects default reports

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　　Some 3,000 demonstrators non-affiliated to political parties gathered in front of the parliament building. Chanting slogans such as "No to further taxes, no to salary cuts, no to poverty", they protested fresh austerity measures launched last week to address the deepening debt crisis.

　　The protest ended in minor¹ scuffles with police amidst tear gas and the slight injury of a woman, according to local media. The number of demonstrators of Sunday was nothing close to the hundreds of thousand Greeks who followed the example of Spanish protesters last May and June protesting austerity.

　　But still the rally reflected the growing dissatisfaction and anger among people, since despite the 20-month painful austerity drive, scenarios² of a Greek bankruptcy³ continue.

　　During a visit to Washington for the annual International Monetary⁴ Fund meeting, Greek Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos sought again to ease fears over a possible default.

　　Greece will do anything possible to secure the implementation⁵ of the July 21 agreement over the release of a second EU/IMF bailout pact⁶ to Athens, he repeated in a statement released to the press on Sunday evening.

　　He dismissed scenarios in Greek and international media over the past three days over a "secret" plan to restructure the Greek debt.

　　"Apparently⁷ the media promoting such bad quality political fiction reports based on rumors⁸ do not realize the danger for Greece," he stressed, repeating confidence that Greece will not declare bankruptcy and will remain a part of the eurozone.

　　EU/IMF auditors⁹ will return to Athens shortly, he reassured¹⁰, and Greece will receive the sixth 8 billion euro (10.79 billion U.S. dollars) aid tranche to cover urgent financial needs this autumn, as scheduled.

　　Greece was granted two multi-billion aid packages by EU/IMF creditors¹¹ to escape default since May 2010 in exchange for a three-year austerity and reform program that is implemented¹² on a slower than initially¹³ agreed pace due to recession and strong domestic political opposition¹⁴.

　　Amidst missed timetables, a regular inspection¹⁵ of Greek finances ahead of the release of the next tranche by foreign auditors has been delayed, sparking worries about scenarios that Greece could go bankrupt as soon as next month. Greek officials have said that without foreign loans the country runs out of money by mid-October.

　　As labor¹⁶ unions of civil servants launch a fresh round of 24-hour strikes and protests this week, the results of three public opinion polls released by local dailies on Sunday showed that eight out of ten respondents feel that sacrifices made since last year through cutbacks on salaries, pensions and tax hikes do not lead to positive results.

　　Six in ten Greek citizens fear that there is still a possibility of a bankruptcy, while 66 percent of respondents do not support the idea of a Greek exit from the eurozone.

　　In regards to politics, according to the latest surveys, the conservative main opposition New Democracy party widens the lead over the ruling socialist¹⁷ PASOK party by 6 percentage point on average in a month, securing some 21.3 percent of votes against 15.5 percent for PASOK.

　　The next general elections are scheduled for the autumn of 2013, but scenarios of snap polls this November persist.

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