The Hellenic Navy (HN) (Greek: Πολεμικό Ναυτικό, Polemikó Naftikó, abbreviated ΠΝ) is the naval force of Greece, part of the Greek Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy has its roots in the naval forces of various Aegean Islands, which fought in the Greek War of Independence. During the periods of monarchy (1833–1924 and 1936–1973) it was known as the Royal Navy (Βασιλικόν Ναυτικόν, Vasilikón Naftikón, abbreviated ΒΝ).The total displacement of all the navy's vessels is approximately 150,000 tons.The motto of the Hellenic Navy is "Μέγα το της Θαλάσσης Κράτος" from Thucydides' account of Pericles' oration on the eve of the Peloponnesian War. This has been roughly translated as "Great is the country that controls the sea". The Hellenic Navy's emblem consists of an anchor in front of a crossed Christian cross and trident, with the cross symbolizing Greek Orthodoxy, and the trident symbolizing Poseidon, the god of the sea in Greek mythology. Pericles' words are written across the top of the emblem. "The navy, as it represents a necessary weapon for Greece, should only be created for war and aim to victory."...............The Hellenic Merchant Marine refers to the Merchant Marine of Greece, engaged in commerce and transportation of goods and services universally. It consists of the merchant vessels owned by Greek civilians, flying either the Greek flag or a flag of convenience. Greece is a maritime nation by tradition, as shipping is arguably the oldest form of occupation of the Greeks and a key element of Greek economic activity since the ancient times. Nowadays, Greece has the largest merchant fleet in the world, which is the second largest contributor to the national economy after tourism and forms the backbone of world shipping. The Greek fleet flies a variety of flags, however some Greek shipowners gradually return to Greece following the changes to the legislative framework governing their operations and the improvement of infrastructure.Blogger Tips and Tricks
This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς....This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς.........

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Polls in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan [ 270 ]

Iraqi Kurds head to polls

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) 25-7-09

Polls opened Saturday in presidential and parliamentary elections in Iraq's autonomous region of Kurdistan, an official with the regional government told CNN.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, shows off his ink-stained finger as he votes in Sulaimaniyah.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, shows off his ink-stained finger as he votes in Sulaimaniyah.

About 2.5 million eligible voters in the Kurdish region's three northern provinces of Irbil, Dahuk, and Sulaimaniya will elect their 111-seat parliament and next president.

Nechirvan Barzani, the prime minister of the Kurdish regional government, voted along with his wife when polls opened at 8 a.m. (1 a.m. ET), the official said.

Since 2005, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has maintained a secure region that has been largely free of the violence seen in other parts of Iraq. But a lack of government transparency, corruption, difficulty in delivering basic services, and political rivalries continue to plague the KRG.

A transparent and fair election, accepted as legitimate by voters, would be another step toward democracy and reform in Iraq and within the region.

"We hope that these elections will be a step forward that will help solve the disagreements with Baghdad," said KRG President Masoud Barazani, who held a news conference after he voted in Irbil.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki congratulated the Kurdish people on their elections in a speech delivered in Washington and broadcast on Iraq's state TV.

"It is necessary that the Kurdish people will go and vote, and give this day great attention," he said. "It is also necessary that the the elections should be honest and transparent, and the good choice should be the result of this process."

Al-Maliki said the elections will help a "great deal" in solving the region's problems and "dealing with all the inherited issues that we got from the former regime."

The Kurdistan Parliament-Iraq (KP-I) is a democratically elected legislature that governs the three KRG provinces. The region is run semi-autonomously from the Republic of Iraq's central government, affording the KP-I the right to amend any national legislation that falls outside the federal authorities' exclusive powers.

Once sworn in, members of the KP-I will elect the region's prime minister and confirm the Kurdistan cabinet.

The election is based on a proportional representation system that requires voters to select a party's list of candidates rather than one specific individual.

Of the 111 parliamentary seats, 11 are allotted to minorities that include a mandatory five Turkmen, five Christians and one Armenian.

CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq and Yousif Bassil contributed to this report.

All About Iraq


No comments: