Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 98-03-18

Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Cyprus Mail at <http://www.cynews.com/>

Wednesday, March 18, 1998

CONTENTS

[01] Edek calls for inquiry over Solomis coup claims

[02] Market in new leap

[03] Overwhelmed by demand for mobile phones

[04] Britain to struggle on to get T. Cypriots on board

[05] Cyprus is just too expensive

[06] Villagers complain of mine dust

[07] New minister pledges education improvements

[08] Police at the cinema doors

[09] Foreign ministry strike

[10] Swedes on a missile mission

[11] Clerides to meet Israeli president

[12] More olive oil shortages on the way

[13] Cup draw keeps Anorthosis and Apollonas on course for double

[14] 14 missing 'still alive'

[15] Cypriot air companies in dogfight

[01] Edek calls for inquiry over Solomis coup claims

EDEK IS calling for an independent enquiry into allegations that Health Minister Christos Solomis took an active part in the 1974 coup.

Socialist party leader Vassos Lyssarides expressed his support for an in- depth investigation at a press conference n Nicosia yesterday.

Though he said Solomis could not be condemned on the basis of press allegations, Lyssarides was in no doubt of what should happen if the minister was found to be a coupist.

"If the allegations are proved correct, then (Solomis) has no place in government," said Lyssarides.

The only way to clear up the matter, he said, was with an independent inquiry where witnesses would be invited to come forward and testify.

Akel mouthpiece Haravghi has published allegations by several people who claim a gun-totting Solomis acted as an interrogator for the Greek military junta during the coup.

Solomis has strongly denied the allegations and has threatened legal action against the newspaper.

"Despite where the allegations originate," the Edek leader said, "there should be an independent investigation into the charges. It is a serious political issue..."

But Lyssarides added: "we can't judge people without hearing the evidence."

He said he would raise the issue with President Clerides when returned from Israel today.

Edek's executive committee is expected to meet and agree on a letter to be sent to Clerides, requesting a full inquiry into the matter.

Allegations of coupists in the cabinet are particularly sensitive to Edek members who were among the victims of the plot to overthrow Makarios.

The party secured a pledge from Clerides not to appoint known Eoka B activist in his cabinet before it agreed to join a multi-party government.

But apart from dealing with the past, Lyssarides also looked to the future by announcing his party's efforts to establish a new social democratic movement.

Lyssarides will spend the next two months contacting party leaders and other public figures to prepare the ground for a new political force based on the European model.

[02] Market in new leap

THE STOCK market's all-share index leapt by 1.77 per cent yesterday to close at 88.48 with all seven sub-indices gaining on a record volume of £2.48 million.

With a little more than two weeks gone of March, the index has already risen by a staggering 6.06 per cent so far this month and by more than 10 per cent since the beginning of February.

The market's seemingly unstoppable surge is by far its best run since it began operating two years ago and has more than compensated for the ground lost in 1997. Its dazzling performance, however, is believed to be something of a mixed blessing.

"More people and more confidence are returning to the market with the acceptance of a better economy in 1998 winning wider acceptance," said Stavros Agrotis of CISCO, the Bank of Cyprus Group's securities firm.

"There is so much confidence now that some investors are moving away from the secure haven of the bank shares to the very high-risk warrants," he said.

"This is all a bit worrying because we don't know whether we are standing on firm ground or yet," he told the Cyprus Mail.

"I would rather see a bit of conservatism in the market," he added.

No one seems to be listening.

All bank stocks rose yesterday, with the Popular Bank closing 8 cents higher at £3.625 followed by the Bank of Cyprus by three cents at £3.455.

In the insurance sector, whose sub-index rose by 2.74 per cent, Universal Life shares closed 15 cents higher at £5.825 while Paneuropean, a member of the Shacolas Group, rose by 5.50 cents to close at £1.065.

In industrials, Cyprus Cement shares were the biggest winners in yesterday's trade, adding 9 cents to close at £2.585, compared to six cents by Vassiliko, which closed at £1.725, and five cents by Cyprus Forest Industries which ended trade at £1.265.

Woolworth, another member of the Shacolas Group, continued its recent good run, rising by five cents to close at £0.785 with a total of 203,092 stocks changing hands.

[03] Overwhelmed by demand for mobile phones

CYTA, the Cyprus Telecommunications Authority, yesterday played down complaints of problems with its GSM system, but said infrastructure was being rapidly expanded to cope with unprecedented demand.

Officials told the House Communications Committee that 50 new stations would be built this year under a programme of priorities worked out with foreign consultants.

Inevitably, the discussion - initially prompted by complaints GSM reception was unsatisfactory in some areas - touched on the possible health hazards of mobile phones, a controversial issue on which nothing definitive has yet emerged.

Cyta officials said "logical use" of mobile telephones was considered safe. They indicated that excessive use of mobile telephones without external aerials in cars was not advisable and said new headphones were now available to allow users to keep the phones on the table in front of them - and not held next to their heads.

On infrastructure, the authority said a plan of action was in place to improve reception facilities, particularly in the countryside.

Reception in the towns stands at 100 per cent, while villages have 89 per cent. The reception island-wide is 74 per cent.

But officials noted there could never be 100 per cent reception, unless a satellite system was installed.

And they said complaints from users that they could not get a signal did not necessarily mean there was no reception. Thus when the US fleet held exercises off Cyprus, there was interference, while congestion could be another problem.

Using mobile phones in cars without an external aerial also made reception more difficult, was a driving hazard and perhaps also a health risk.

It was complaints about poor reception that prompted the discussion in the committee in the first place. Diko deputy Nicos Pittocopitis, echoed by other colleagues, said GSM telephones were useless in many parts of Cyprus. Cyta, he said, had an obligation to expand and upgrade infrastructure to ensure a better service.

Disy deputy Andreas Mouskos was more explicit. He said he knew people who had thrown their mobile phones away after realising they couldn't get a line, let alone stay in touch when they went off to their fields.

Cyta representatives listed the morphology of the ground, the difficulties or delays in finding locations for stations and shortage in staff as obstacles. But they said every possible measure was being taken, and that the situation on the ground was much better.

The Cypriots' love affair with the GSM had not been anticipated. Cyta had seen GSM subscribers run to 25,000 within 10 months. They had initially estimated they would have 30,000 in five years. Cyprus now has 84,000 subscribers - 11th in the world in the number of mobile phones per capita.

Development plans had been brought forward to expand the system and were progressing according to plan.

[04] Britain to struggle on to get T. Cypriots on board

Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash on Monday officially rejected an offer made to him by Madden for the Turkish Cypriot side to participate in the EU accession talks to begin at the end of this month.

"We still very much hope that it will be possible to fulfil the wish which has been expressed many times by EU member states to have Turkish Cypriots participating in the EU accession process," Madden said yesterday after a meeting with Commerce Minister Nicos Rolandis.

Madden acknowledged that Denktash's stance left little room for manoeuvre, but underlined that Britain, which holds the six-monthly EU rotating presidency, would "continue to see that some substance is given to the wish of the EU that Turkish Cypriots are included in the accession process at some stage."

He added he would be briefing EU partners on the details of his Monday meeting with Denktash.

Denktash on Monday described the government's offer to join its EU negotiating delegation as a trick to get the Turkish side to recognise the Greek Cypriot side as the legitimate government of Cyprus, a concept he said they would never accept.

Denktash also claimed Britain was also trying to block his request to meet UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan.

[05] Cyprus is just too expensive

COSTS, complaints and character were the chief concerns expressed at a tourism seminar organised yesterday by the Hoteliers Association.

The two-day seminar entitled 'International trends, European accession and upgrading of the tourist product' opened in Nicosia yesterday.

Hoteliers Association Chairman Avgerinos Nikita complained that the cost of a package deal to Cyprus was now the most expensive in the region.

"For the UK and Germany at least, Cyprus has serious problems of competitiveness," Nikita said.

He said holidays in Cyprus were 15 per cent more expensive that Greece and 40 per cent more expensive than Turkey.

But he said the increased price of the package deal was not filtering through to the hotel coffers.

"Local hotel prices have remained the same for the past seven years," he said. "But at the same time, the hotel labour cots continue to rise."

He called on all sides in the tourism industry to pull together and co- operate and appealed particularly to the unions, which have been asked to consider a new form of collective agreement at the end of this month.

Next week, Limassol hotel workers will meet to discuss planned strike measures over pay and other problems the industry is facing.

"Unions won't profit by being negative and hostile," Nikita said.

Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) Chairman Andreas Erotokritou also focused on cost, but made it clear there were problems in other areas of the industry.

He said the message from abroad was that complaints were up: the number one complaint was about the standard of service.

Erotokritou warned that negative effects in the tourism industry affected not just the industry itself, but "all of us".

Addressing delegates, Commerce Industry and Tourism Minister Nicos Rolandis said that although all the indications were that 1998 would be a good year for tourism - with estimates of a 5 to 10 per cent rise - caution remained imperative.

He also spoke of the high cost of a holiday in Cyprus and the fact that other countries in the region were cheaper.

"This is a warning that we must heed," he said. "We must control our costs."

Rolandis also warned the "old character" of Cyprus was fast disappearing.

"The hospitality factor is not the same as it was some years ago," he said.

The Minister also called on the media to show restraint when reporting on matters that could affect the tourism product.

"Despite its problems, Cyprus offers a good product," Rolandis.

[06] Villagers complain of mine dust

AUTHORITIES are satisfied that a newly re-opened copper mine at Skouriotissa is doing all it can to minimise the nuisance caused.

But as the House Environment Committee heard yesterday, some residents in the area say they - and their trees - are suffocating in dust.

The mine, re-opened in 1996, has all the necessary permits, is subject to stringent controls and has undergone environmental impact studies, officials said.

Tests have shown no effect on the underground water supply. The company has co-operated to minimise nuisance to residents in the nearby village of Katidata. It has paid dearly for special explosives that cut down the effects of blasts, had the roads and working area covered in asphalt and installed sprinklers to fight the dust. It is now considering a proposal to build hangers to cover the mine area, while a levee near the lake aims to block sulphuric acid being carried into the atmosphere, they added.

The company said it was ready to take any measure required to keep nuisance to the minimum. It noted that foreign experts brought in by the government had described the mine as a model.

But Pantelis Andreou, who has trees right next to the mine, had different views. He said thousands of tons of dust and chemicals was drying up the trees. "And if something affects the trees, then it also affects people," he said. He complained someone who had eaten an apricot off his tree had fallen ill and threatened to sue him for using pesticides, while his strawberries had been sent back for being bitter. He ended up uprooting them altogether, while his wife wipes clean the peaches one by one before they send them to the market.

Patroclos Socratous said his grandchild had eye problems because of the dust. Trees were covered with dust all the way to Phlassou.

Kyriakos Tyrimos, the Akel deputy who took the issue to the committee after receiving complaints from residents, noted that the mine was a "necessary evil". But he said it was important authorities and the company in charge do everything they could to keep the nuisance to a minimum.

His own visits to the area had shown that much had already been done, but he asked for pledges from the mine that it would pay compensation for any possible damage to crops or buildings, and undertake to take any additional corrective action required. The pledges were given, but company representatives said complaints about the dust had been exaggerated.

[07] New minister pledges education improvements

THE INCOMING Education Minister yesterday vowed to work closely with the House of Representatives to improve the country's education system.

Nominated for the post by socialist party Edek, Education Minister Lycourgos Kappas pledged yesterday to co-operate with the House Education Committee so as to improve education methods in Cyprus.

"We at the Ministry place great importance to the co-operation between legislature and executive and will always be at the service of the (House Education) Committee to discuss proposals and offer solutions to problems," Kappas said.

He said "education was to be above politics", pointing out that one of his first activities as Minister had been to meet with political party leaders to press this point home.

He also had an early meeting with Archbishop Chrysostomos, since "Orthodoxy formed a fundamental part of education".

Kappas said ministry officials would be proposing changes to public education programmes after studying a damning Unesco report and expressed hopes that a common approach could be found between his ministry and the University of Cyprus.

"I met with the university dean yesterday," he added, "in order to find channels which will lead to the good of the whole education system."

The Minister stressed he would "not intervene" in matters of government funding to the university, offering instead "all the support we can".

This stance was challenged by Akel deputy George Lillikas, who stressed the importance of the Education Ministry in deciding which faculties should receive government funding.

Such things shouldn't be controlled by the Finance Ministry, said Lillikas, adding Kappas had a significant role to play in these matters.

[08] Police at the cinema doors

POLICE are to ensure that no-one under the age of 18 gets in to see the film Boogie Nights when it opens at Nicosia's Cine Studio next week.

At a meeting of the censorship board yesterday, the committee granted the film a '3' certificate, branding it suitable for over-18s only; but Vassiliki Karaniki of the censorship board said that since the film was so daring, police would be on hand to ensure that no-one under age slipped through.

Boogie Nights, for which ageing Hollywood star Burt Reynolds has been nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar, tells the story of a 1970s porn film production team, including Reynolds as a director, Julianne Moore as his wife/star and former rapper Mark Wahlberg as a young man he grooms for stardom in the adult film world.

The film features full nudity, and includes a scene where Wahlberg displays the large prosthetic penis which brings his character adult film stardom.

Karaniki explained the censorship committee was within its rights to demand police monitoring, as it felt the film was so extreme.

Under normal circumstances, she said, police simply made periodic checks to ensure that no under-age viewers watched adult films.

But Traude Chrysanthou, whose company Nea Proptiki imported the film, said that the board needed to understand the film in question was art and not pornography, citing a previous occasion when the board wanted a lesbian love scene removed from the film Night is Falling as another example of this.

She also said police had once descended on a film club showing of the banned movie Crash, but had been unable to take the matter further, as the showing was officially mounted by a private cinema club, and as such was breaking no laws.

As the Boogie Nights ruling stands, two policemen will guard the cinema entrance and ensure that anyone allowed in to watch the film first shows their identity card or any other form of ID.

[09] Foreign ministry strike

Around fifty diplomats at the foreign ministry walked out between 10am and midday, demanding the implementation of an October 1997 agreement preventing the position of acting-minister being granted as a first promotion.

This would effectively rule out the chances of outsiders being appointed to the senior position over those gradually rising through the ministry's ranks.

Diplomatic personnel were also protesting the government's recent appointment by contract of retiree Nicos Agathocleous to head the Cypriot diplomatic mission to Brussels.

The Ministry in a statement yesterday defended Agathocleous' appointment as being in accordance with an agreement between the government and civil servants union Pasydy in 1989, allowing an outsider to head a diplomatic mission in "exceptional circumstances".

The island was passing through a critical time in the lead-up to EU accession talks, the statement added, and such circumstances called for someone with the requisite experience in the field.

"The Minister for Foreign Affairs does not envisage a repeat of such an extra-diplomatic appointment, at least in coming years," the ministry added.

It also pointed out that new missions were expected to be set up, opening up wider "horizons" of opportunity for current personnel, and that the 1997 promotion agreement was to be discussed by the Council of Ministers.

Nonetheless, a spokesman for the strikers did not rule out stepping up the protest if their demands were not met.

[10] Swedes on a missile mission

Central to the three-man Swedish delegation's visit is likely to be the proposed deployment of the Russian S-300 missiles later this year.

John Hagard, Sweden's Tel Aviv-based ambassador to Cyprus, told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) that the issue of the missiles would more than likely be raised during contacts with the Greek Cypriot side.

"It as an armament issue in a volatile situation and not conducive to calm the situation," Hagard said.

[11] Clerides to meet Israeli president

He will also meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, though it is not yet know when.

The meetings will also be attended by Israeli ambassador to Cyprus Shemi Tzur, who flew to Israel yesterday.

Clerides is in Israel with his wife, Lila-Irene, who is undergoing optical treatment there. They return to Cyprus today.

[12] More olive oil shortages on the way

There were olive oil shortages just a month ago when 40 tonnes of Cretan oil were impounded by customs authorities.

Sekep director-general Yiorghios Christodoulou warned of prolonged shortages to the home market if a further 310 tonnes of oil imported in February were not released by customs.

Christodoulou attributed the delay in releasing the oil to a Sekep request in December for the government to lower import tax on olive oil from 240 per cent to 140 per cent.

This marked an attempt by Sekep to cover consumer demand - which outstrips local production capacity - without passing the cost onto the public.

But Christodoulou said the decision to cut import duties was yet to be debated by the House of Representatives, adding that the matter "should have been settled much earlier".

[13] Cup draw keeps Anorthosis and Apollonas on course for double

ANORTHOSIS and Apollonas look likely to meet in the final of the Coca-Cola Cup after yesterday's draw for the semi-finals kept them apart.

Of the two favourites for the final, Anorthosis have the more daunting tie - a clash with the formidable Ethnikos Achna - while Apollonas were drawn against Apop.

The village club from Achna, currently fourth in the league table, are one of only two sides to have beaten Anorthosis this season.

Even more astonishingly, Achna's 2-0 league victory was scored on Anorthosis' home ground where they had been undefeated for almost four years. The hero of that match was Achna keeper Shimitras, who is on loan from Anorthosis.

In fact there are several former Anorthosis players who have moved to Achna, including Ashiotis, Neocleous and Kastanas. They will have an added incentive to knock out the team which had let them move to another club.

Achna have one of the best league records, having lost just once in their last 16 games. Their counter-attacking game, based on a solid defence, could once again surprise the champions who remain on course for a league and cup double this season.

Apollonas are also on course for the double. They are in third place in the league table, three points behind Anorthosis and Omonia, with seven games to play.

Of course, first they have to overcome Apop who, under new coach Nicos Argyroullis, have shown marked improvement in the league. The prospect of reaching the first cup final in their history will act as an additional spur for Apop.

The first legs of the semi-finals will be played on March 25.

[14] 14 missing 'still alive'

FOURTEEN of the 1,619 Greek Cypriots listed as missing persons since the 1974 invasion are alive and well and living in a nearby country, not Turkey, a Canadian Cypriot claimed yesterday.

The sensational claims were made by Michael Kyprianou, a Greek Cypriot living in Canada.

The government has already contacted Kyprianou, Humanitarian Affairs Commissioner Takis Christopoulos told the Cyprus Mail last night, "but there are no results yet," he said.

The Commissioner said he found the entire tale "strange" and that the government had no prior knowledge of it.

Kyprianou came forward in support of a Greek Orthodox priest representing relatives of the missing, who was strongly criticised yesterday after going public with the information.

Larnaca radio-station owner Kyprianou's claims were aired on Sigma and Antenna TV channels, and on CyBC radio last night.

He told how after 23 years in Turkish jails, the half-dead Greek Cypriots were thrown into the sea by Turkey only a year ago and left to die, but were rescued by fishermen and brought to a safe country where they now live.

Kyprianou also claims at least one of the Greek Cypriot missing was, at least until 1988, living in the occupied areas and married to a Turk with whom he had two children.

According to Kyprianou, the man's family knew of his whereabouts and even used to see him occasionally near a buffer-zone village, "but they were sworn to secrecy".

Nothing has been heard of this man since 1988, Kyprianou said, and the case is currently under investigation.

Kyprianou, who says he has worked with secret service agencies around the world selling surveillance equipment, said the government was aware of all of the information, although he was not its informant. But he did identify himself as the man who told the priest, Father Economos Christoforou, about the 14 missing.

He has, he said, "solid evidence in his hands" to prove his claims and told the channels he is expecting to receive photographs of one of the 14 people which was taken in 1994.

All 14 persons, according to Kyprianou are in good health, apart from one man who is suffering psychological problems.

He dismissed questions as to why none of these people had contacted their families.

"If you had spent 23 years in a Turkish jail close to death and if you were thrown into the sea and survived...," Kyprianou said.

He added there were also other reasons why no contact was made. He said the 14 people live in fear of Turkish agents finding them if they return to Cyprus.

That's why he refused to reveal which country they were taken to, he said. He claims they are being well looked after in a country "near you".

"Any hint of where that is will only hurt the families," Kyprianou said.

Government spokesman Christos Stylianides said yesterday he could not comment or speculate on the claims. He said everything depended on how soon evidence could be collected, but that "the government cannot ignore information (on the missing), valid or invalid."

Father Christoforou, president of the National Struggle Committee for the Missing, yesterday repeated the claims before Kyprianou came forward.

He was adamant the information given to him by the then unnamed source was reliable.

According to the priest, the 14 are living in a country

and having a "wonderful time", though they are being "constantly watched".

He said no harm has come to them but a way must be found to get them out.

Asked why none of them had contacted their relatives in Cyprus for the past 23 and a half years, the priest said he supposed there were no telephones where they are.

He said the government should ask this particular country to allow them to return to Cyprus and that he himself would be passing further information to the secret service KYP.

He said President Clerides and the presidential palace were already aware of the information and had been for months.

The priest said he went public on the issue because the relatives had a right to know. However he never informed the second such committee, the much larger Pancyprian Committee for the Relatives of the Missing.

It's president Nicos Theodosiou yesterday criticised the priest while trying to maintain a united front.

Theodosiou said the information should first have been cross-checked before being made public.

His committee should also have been formed beforehand he said. Father Christoforou said there had not been time to do this.

Theodosiou suggested both men resign, hold elections with two months and form a new common committee for the relatives.

However this notion was rejected by the priest.

Theodosiou however said he wished to make it clear there was no rift between the two committees and that on the issue of the missing "there was no room for a second opinion".

"We will never stop to chase up or study whatever information we receive, whether it is founded or unfounded," Theodosiou said.

In a separate development yesterday Logos TV revealed details passed on by the Turkish side in relation to the location of mass graves.

Information on some 400 Greek Cypriot missing were passed on in January and Logos claims these people are buried in three mass graves, one outside occupied Nicosia.

The station said however the figures do not add up and that of the 400 listed by the Turkish less than 100 appear on the official missing list.

[15] Cypriot air companies in dogfight

EUROCYPRIA pilots have declared war on their counterparts in parent company Cyprus Airways (CY) in a fight for the charter firm's survival.

The rebel pilots also claim to face massive problems within Eurocypria due primarily to a poor management which fears the CY unions.

The clash between the pilots came to light earlier this week when it was revealed that over half of the low-cost charter operation's 30 pilots had left their CY union Pasipy to create their own representative group.

Pasipy members said their charter counterparts were attempting to grab promotions to captain rightly belonging to CY pilots.

"Perhaps the Pasipy spokesman was alluding to that union's demand that Cyprus Airways pilots should fill any command vacancies in Eurocypria, regardless of the fact that our company has senior first officers qualified to commence command training... who have proved their loyalty and willingness to get the job done without leaving aeroplanes stranded away from their destinations", a statement from the rebel pilots said yesterday.

They decided to break away from Pasipy in order to form a "less confrontational" relationship with the company but without surrendering members' rights.

"We recognise that our future and best interests are inextricably bound up with the success of Eurocypria and that no one owes us a 'free lunch'. In a nutshell, we work harder and for much less money than our colleagues in the scheduled airline and we also appear to have a stronger sense of mission," the pilots said.

"Our approach will therefore be driven by wider considerations than pure self-interest."

According to informed sources, the massive internal problems faced by the charter firm include not having enough pilots in line for the summer season, the resignation of a senior operations manager and having decisions blocked from above.

"There are massive problems in the company. Management is dreadful," the sources said.

"We see Eurocypria as having a future but not if it is run by morons. We want it to go forward uninhibited."

First, Eurocypria needs to promote two people to captain but CY pilots are claiming seniority in the fight for the promotions, the sources said.

CY pilots' union Pasipy believes in "common seniority", meaning their pilots can claim the top jobs at the charter firm. Eurocypria wants to promote its own people but their CY counterparts are pulling rank.

The sources also said CY management made a deal with the "palace" (presidential) prior to the elections in February in which it was agreed all pilots at entry level would be members of the airline's largest union Cynika, to which some pilots, but not the majority, belong.

"Eighty-two people have applied and we want the best ones, not political stooges," the source said.

The source also said the charter firm's operations manager had just resigned, not for the reasons stated, but because he is "fed up" with management's inability to make decisions.

Decisions for the future development of Eurocypria are being blocked at the highest level, the sources said, because senior management are afraid to cross the powerful CY unions.

Unanimous decisions of the Eurocypria board are allegedly being blocked by one person. "They (senior management) are petrified of the unions. We can turn profits when they can't, if we're allowed to get on with it. But we are being hamstrung by CY management," the sources said.

CY sources said the problems were being caused by the pilots in the two companies themselves. "The pilots are quarrelling and the company will be blamed," the CY sources said. "It's always the company that gets damaged."

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1998

Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article