On prostitutes, Venizelos, Austrian documentary

Publishing details of HIV+ sex workers

This is appalling.

While HIV is increasing because of massive cuts in health services, prevention and care, sex workers are scapegoated as the cause for HIV… so practical!

Only condom use protects against HIV transmission. Clients are as responsible as sex workers to use condoms. This is not a one-way transmission only!

Outing HIV+ sex workers is doing nothing to stop HIV. It only increases stigma and discrimination.

This is an abuse of sex workers? human rights. This is disgusting.

Sex workers are not guilty for HIV. We are not the problem, we are part of the solution.

Thierry Schaffauser

Re: ?Greece in Bloom?

The general tenure of this article is correct. I have travelled to Greece every year since 1968. Why, because the Greeks have a true heart, Their affection to their families and to foreigners such as me is paramount. Greece will win through in the end. They only have to stay the course. I will still visit Greece whatever happens and I urge everyone else to help the country get back on its feet.

Anthony Smith

UK

Mr Venizelos

I know this is a serious subject, but Mr Venizelos reminds me of an overweight Benny Hill — could the cheeky smile be part of his appeal?

Michael Dugdale

UK

Re: Venizelos warning us not to take EU membership for granted

Is the typical arrogance that Greek politicians show towards citizens of this country. When Greek politicians were bribing, robbing, pillaging and allowing the utter corruption that has destroyed this country to take place under their watch, why did they not fear their actions would jeopardise EU membership, which as we all now see and are paying for, it was PASOK/ND’s actions and the Left parties silence that have brought us here?

Venizelos should rather tell his corrupt, lazy and incompetent ministers to do their jobs, where we the overtaxed taxpayers are paying for their salaries.

Lionel Luthor

Re: ?Long distance voting

Absolutely correct. Delusion is the mother of disaster.

Constantine Sirigos

Indictment of sex workers

This is a highly sexist, and an aggressively anti-immigrant action. Why should protection be the woman’s responsibility? Men who employ sex workers are perfectly capable of providing their own protection. Why are the clients not arrested for having unprotected sex. After all, many of them will have had sex with other sex workers, too.

Diana Wright

Seattle, Washington

Virgin voter

As a first time voter in a Greek general election — more used to the British system of elections — I’ve been surprised by the undemocratic nature of the Greek electoral system; in particular (i) my inability to transfer my vote from one party list to another; (ii) the additional 50 parliamentary seats given gratis to the winning party; and (iii) the automatic re-selection of former prime ministers.

Surely the very essence of a democratic system is that (i) the voter can choose his/her candidate as MP irrespective of the party to which the latter belongs; (ii) it’s one-man(or woman)-one vote not one-party-one vote (contra 50 additional seats); and (iii) I know of no other electoral system in the world (except Russia) where former prime ministers get a free ride in the polls.

As for Monday 7 May I hope some senior European statesman has had a quiet word with the Greek president. If we have to wait until Sept/Oct for another election Greece will already have exited the eurozone!

Dr David Green

Athens