Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 98-05-24

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

Sunday, May 24, 1998

CONTENTS

[01] US will persevere with Cyprus effort

[02] Crisis at the English School

[03] Economy to come under close scrutiny in Economist conference

[04] Limassol water strike

[05] Women demonstrate for peace

[06] Blue flags for 25 beaches

[07] Postal workers suspend their strike

[08] Dane faces extradition on drugs charge

[09] British tourist recovering from drunken fall

[10] Black spot claims new victim

[11] Italy wants to limits number of foreign players

[01] US will persevere with Cyprus effort

Speaking at a lunch organised by Europe Magazine in Washington, Pickering said the US was disappointed with the outcome of Holbrooke's mission, and in particular with Turkey for raising preconditions for further talks, including the recognition of the 'TRNC' and the suspension of Cyprus EU accession talks.

But in spite of this, he said, the US would "keep on moving" in the area.

There was, he added, no reason to abandon the process, stressing that what was needed was harder work "to persuade those who are not yet ready to move the process ahead."

The US was, Pickering concluded, justifiably anxious to get somewhere on Cyprus, as the situation always posed a threat to stability, tensions and security in the region.

Meanwhile, US President Bill Clinton delivered a report to Congress on the results of the US administration's investigation into the fate of the five American citizens missing since the invasion.

State Department Spokesman John Rubin said the report outlined the developments which had led to the discovery of the remains of Andreas Kassapis, one of the five, and concludes that "in all likelihood" the other four had not survived the invasion.

The investigation team, which worked closely with the Committee on Missing Persons on both sides of the island, found that despite the lack of "physical evidence" of the deaths of the other four, it would be "unrealistic" to hope that any were still alive -- not least since the youngest would now be 84 -- Rubin concluded.

Confirmation of Kassapis' death had been given to his family by State Department Special Co-ordinator for Cyprus Thomas Miller, Rubin said.

Miller arrives on the island for further contacts today.

[02] Crisis at the English School

AFTER almost a century of consistent academic achievement, the reputation of the English School has become mired in a swamp of allegations of favouritism, malpractice and lies.

Never in its existence has the exclusive Nicosia secondary school come so close to the whiff of a tabloid-like scandal as it has in recent weeks after allegations of blatant bias in the promotion of a female member of staff by Headmaster Thomas Thomas.

The married Briton -- whose family remained in the UK when he took up his Cyprus posting in September 1996 -- has been accused of fixing the promotion to senior teacher of Antigone Kiliari, the ex-wife of a former cabinet minister.

The specific issue comes on the back of broader staff concern at what they perceive to be Thomas's consistent favouring of certain teachers, and the intimidation and humiliation of others from his earliest days at the school.

"It was becoming difficult, but it was contained until the recent appointment," according to a senior source at the school.

For the teachers, the promotion of Kiliari -- with whom, a Staff Association (ESSA) report says, the headmaster "was known to have such a close relationship" -- was the last straw in a long line of differences.

"Initially, although Thomas was close friends with three female staff members, no one accused him of any favouritism at all," the school source said.

"But his constant statements that others were accusing him led people to believe that he doth protest too much. He just kept bringing it up."

Thomas has denied any romantic involvement with any female member of staff.

"Is that what they're saying about me?" he told the Cyprus Mail.

"I haven't heard this allegation".

Pressed further, Thomas said allegations of an affair were "absolute and total nonsense".

He also "refutes entirely" ESSA's allegation that he belittled or acted aggressively with several staff members. "I'm not perfect of course," he added.

"Basically, all I'm interested in is the best interests of the pupils," he said, adding that mechanisms were in place for the resolution of disputes within the school.

However, the situation appears to be drastic enough to prompt 18 of the schools' 20 Senior Masters and Heads of Department to threaten to resign their posts, and drastic enough to lead the union towards industrial action.

A dossier of documentation released by ESSA in an unprecedented move includes testimony from 12 Heads of Departments, only one of whom did not criticise Thomas.

"The staff are not objecting to Kiliari, but to the way she was appointed," the senior source said. The source said the two issues -- the head's dismissive attitude and the controversial promotion -- should not be linked.

"The two issues should have been separate, but now they are closely linked, " the source said.

But the source made clear that the nature of the relationship between the headmaster and Kiliari was not the major concern. The problem lies in the belief that, whatever friendship the two may have, their relationship could have led to the ditching of proper promotion procedures in Kiliari's case.

"We are not interested in their sex lives, but he and she have done so many thing together that they do give that impression," board member Nicos Saveriades said referring to allegations of their involvement.

"But this is not important. The point is that there were other people more qualified for the promotion".

Saveriades said that when the board had been considering Kiliari's appointment, he had been the only one to voice concern over the headmaster's recommendation.

"They sacrificed the future of the school just to fulfil a stupid demand from the headmaster," he said. "Instead of him being the Board's 'yes man' they are his 'yes' men. I told them that headmasters come and go but the school is here to stay.

"But it was a lost cause."

According to ESSA documentation, Thomas has since he arrived at the school referred to Cyprus society as "bitchy", threatened to sack any teacher who questioned his professionalism, called some of the teachers "spineless", shouted at parents and publicly humiliated a 12-year-old boy in front of 400 others at assembly.

One Head of Department's testimony made to a four-man ad-hoc investigating committee said Thomas appeared to have miscalculated Cypriot mentality and culture.

Another said Thomas had threatened to "make things unpleasant" for a secretary. A third said the headmaster claimed he could run the school "with one third of the staff for him, one third indifferent to him and one third against him".

The senior source at the school told the Cyprus Mail that, before coming to Cyprus, Thomas -- who when he first arrived appeared to be a mild- mannered gentleman -- had been "dramatically successful in getting things changed at some difficult schools in the UK."

"But the staff here do not feel this sort of autocratic management style was needed or useful at the English School," the source said.

"The sad thing is to have reached the position where there is a lack of trust; he didn't seem to accept his style of management might be at fault."

Although he has been reticent in speaking out, Thomas hints at some ill- feeling in his foreword to last year's school magazine, referring to "some occasions for apology".

"Unfamiliar attitudes, emphasis on externals, jealous guarding of perceived positions, distrust of change... precedent rules... confusion between longevity and loyalty," are just some of the problems he highlights.

The ad-hoc committee of Board members which looked into the dispute dismissed ESSA's demand that Thomas resign and that Kiliari's promotion be rescinded.

ESSA reacted with "disgust, anger and dismay" to what it called the "legalistic manipulations" of the Board.

But the Board is unrepentant and backs Thomas's position, and Kiliari's promotion to the hilt.

Chairman John Hadjiantonas dismissed the notion of an improper relationship between the two: "There is no evidence that this is the case," he said.

Hadjiantonas admits there are problems between the headmaster and the teachers, but believes the situation can be solved with "goodwill and acceptance".

He said anyone who is aggrieved over the promotion could "go to court and challenge the decision".

"It is a question of the integrity of the reports and recommendations made to the Board of Directors by the head teacher," Hadjiantonas said.

According to sources at the school, most of the board members did want to question the promotion, "but it was difficult for them to go against him (Thomas) without seeming to question his judgment."

"The board had already got a lot of stick for losing one head. They couldn't lose two heads in two years and have to admit they had made a mistake," the source said.

Ironically, the last headmaster, Albert Hudspeth, far from enjoying the cosy relationship with the board of which Thomas is accused, is widely believed to have left because he disagreed with an allegedly "political" promotion foisted on him by the board.

Hadjiantonas denies this and says there is nothing in the school records which indicates that Hudspeth ever came into conflict with the board over appointments, though in a recent letter to the Cyprus Mail, the former headmaster suggested such a problem had existed.

The source said the Board had also wanted to get rid of Hudspeth because they felt discipline at the school had lapsed during his eight years as head.

"In the end, he felt he should resign to leave space for things to change," the source said. "He left without making any public accusations, though he told ESSA a list of terrible things."

The current crisis will tomorrow be the subject of a round table discussion at the school involving the teachers, the board, parents and the Old Boys and Girls Association, which has volunteered to help.

"There is an element of affection for the school by all the parties and this will help in efforts to resolve the problem," Hadjiantonas said.

[03] Economy to come under close scrutiny in Economist conference

THE CYPRUS economy, its direction the subject of a deepening controversy, will go under the microscope next week when a conference attended by a host of prominent economists, bankers and politicians gets under way in Nicosia.

The two-day gathering, organised by The Economist Conferences and entitled Doing Business with Cyprus, will be addressed by nearly 40 speakers, including President Glafcos Clerides and several members of his cabinet.

Opening tomorrow at the Nicosia Hilton, the conference will review the island's banking, tourism, industry, shipping and off-shore sectors.

The discussions could not have come at a better time.

Emerging from two years of sluggish growth, the economy began 1998 in a flurry of optimistic forecasts as the country geared for a February election which gave business-friendly Clerides a second, five-year term in office.

Economic forecasts released at the time had a distinctive electoral slant, but remain largely credible at present and, barring unforseen developments in the Cyprus problem, are expected to hold true for the remainder of the year.

"I don't think we have reason not to see all these 1998 forecasts actually coming true," said Agni Iacovides, the Bank of Cyprus' chief economist.

"The economic indicators announced were all pre-election, so we should perhaps slightly discount them," she said.

Adding to the positive mood early in the year was the opening of EU accession negotiations in late March, creating much euphoria and building on a feel-good factor already strong from the victory of the 79-year-old Clerides.

The picture, however, has become confusing over the past few weeks, with a mildly negative sentiment setting in as many speak of a hot political summer ahead.

"My thinking is that, overall, we are getting less than expected in the economy and I don't see much change by way of an upsurge," said Yiannis Tirkides, the Popular Bank's chief economist.

His boss, Popular Bank chairman and chief executive Kikis Lazarides, also warned this week that the economic slowdown of 1996 and 1997 would not entirely disappear this year.

Lazarides' counterpart at Hellenic Bank, Panos Ghalanos, added to the concern over the direction of the economy when he warned on Thursday that the fiscal deficit was a cause for concern.

He also predicted the economy to grow by only 3.5 per cent this year, down by one per cent from government forecasts. Iacovides, the Bank of Cyprus economist, said her institution saw a 4 per cent growth.

But the answer to who or what should take the blame for the conflicting signals on the economy remains far from clear and depends on who you ask.

The list of suspects features Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash for insisting that his self-styled state be recognised before negotiations with Clerides can resume. Accusing fingers also point at US presidential envoy Richard Holbrooke, whose latest visit to the island failed in a hail of publicity to narrow the gap between Denktash and Clerides.

"The political stalemate is detrimental to long-term investments and the stock market," said Tirkides.

Share prices have been caught in a violent roller-coaster ride since May 4, the first trading day of the month, and have shed about five per cent of their prices since the start of the month.

Many traders attribute the fall largely to Holbrooke's failure.

A potentially dangerous confrontation between the government and the powerful trade unions is also brewing, with cabinet ministers stoking an already tense atmosphere with frequent statements about privatisation and the need to "modernise" legislation governing the right to strike.

Already, the government is embroiled in a tussle with postal workers who went on a one-day strike earlier this month and until yesterday were continuing a work-to-rule protest with disastrous results.

There have also been protests this week by music teachers and Larnaca port workers. A strike by construction workers earlier this month was narrowly avoided, but a battle of wills continues with public sector workers.

"As an indication, the one thing that we may worry about is labour relations and its likely effect on GDP," said Iacovides, the Bank of Cyprus economist.

Finance Minister Christodoulos Christodoulou, speaking last Thursday to reporters, said the government would soon submit a draft law regulating strikes in sectors providing vital services.

"The draft bill does not abolish the right to strike," he insisted.

Christodoulou has identified another potential enemy of the economy -- the media. Speaking last Tuesday, he said extensive media coverage of the deployment of the Russian-made S-300 missiles due in late summer could negatively affect the performance of the economy. His view is shared by others.

"We seem to have made a habit of talking about the missiles just when the tourists begin to arrive in the summer," said Yiannos Andronikou of Suphire Stockbrokers.

[04] Limassol water strike

The strike is likely to aggravate a situation already made worse by the continuing drought, which has seen water cuts introduced in the city.

Staff say they can no longer avoid industrial action in the face of "unjustified delays" in implementing a re-organisation plan agreed with the management.

Unions warn that if the management response to the strike is negative, then the action will continue indefinitely.

[05] Women demonstrate for peace

A statement, prepared on both sides of the divide by members of the Cyprus Women's Movement (Pogo) was read out. In it, the women called for peace in the face of the deadlock between the two sides and the dangerous situation resulting from this.

The statement went on to say that Pogo was concerned that Cyprus was turning into an arms depot, with more weapons than were needed for the of the island. It also called for a solution to the Cyprus problem by peaceful means through negotiation between the two sides.

A new approach, the statement concluded, was needed if peace was to be found.

Pogo also pointed out that the Denktash regime had put a stop to bi- communal contacts, and Pogo members from the two sides could now only communicate by telephone.

The demonstrations were held between midday and 2pm. The demonstrations went ahead in spite of protests earlier in the day at the Ledra Palace Checkpoint by anti-occupation demonstrators who object to the bi-communal contacts.

[06] Blue flags for 25 beaches

In order to be awarded the prestigious blue flag, beaches must meet 26 criteria in four categories: environmental awareness, environmental action taken, quality of water for swimming and beach safety.

This year a total of 1,927 flags were given to beaches in 19 countries. The number given to Cyprus is up from last year, when 13 beaches were awarded flags out of the 18 entered.

This year's Cypriot blue flag beaches are: Protaras, Makronisos, Lanta, Nisi and Vathia Gonia in Ayia Napa, Finikoudes and Mackenzie in Larnaca, Aorati-Panayies in Pyrgos, Armonia, Vouppa, Santa Varvara, Loures and Kastella in Ayios Tychon, Dasoudi in Yermasogeia, Pissouri, Pahiammos, Vrysoudia A and B, Alykes and the public beach in Paphos, the public beach and Laoros in Peyia, and the public beach and Lasoudi in Polis Chrysochous.

The official awards ceremony will take place on June 10 in Paphos.

[07] Postal workers suspend their strike

POSTAL workers are to tackle the huge backlog of letters in earnest after suspending their overtime ban in favour of talks.

With millions of letters and parcels stacking up during the industrial action, it is expected to take weeks before the system gets back to normal.

And extra part-time staff may be called in to speed up the process.

Postal employees, represented by civil service union Pasydy, agreed to suspend their work to rule and any further strike action in favour of mediation.

Union representatives will hold a meeting with Finance Minister Christodoulos Christodoulou and Labour Minister Andreas Moushiouttas on Thursday.

Previously, the government had refused to negotiate a settlement under the threat of strike action.

Both sides have agreed to honour and apply agreements signed in 1990 and 1993, which concern pay and conditions in the postal service.

Postal workers took industrial action claiming the government had reneged on agreements to phase out contract staff and provide permanent positions in the public sector.

They also raised fears that the government was planning to privatise the service because it was employing temporary staff only.

However, Communications Minister Leontios Ierodiaconou has denied that the postal service will be sold off to the private sector.

He said there might be some form of liberalisation, but ownership would still belong to the state.

[08] Dane faces extradition on drugs charge

Kurt Nielsen, 32, from Copenhagen, was detained by a Larnaca district court yesterday while local authorities await his extradition order from Denmark.

The court said Nielsen would be given until Wednesday to decide whether he wanted to return home voluntarily or go through extradition proceedings.

Nielsen was arrested on Friday after Cyprus police received a message from Danish Interpol saying he was suspected of importing cannabis into Denmark.

Investigating officer Theophanis Georgiou told the court an international arrest warrant had been issued for the Dane.

According to the charges, Nielsen conspired to import 100 kilos of cannabis from Norway to Denmark between 1997 and 1998.

Georgiou said the suspect had no fixed address in Cyprus since arriving on April 21.

[09] British tourist recovering from drunken fall

Briton Andrew Steven Little, 39, suffered broken chest bones after falling three metres from his apartment building in Ayia Napa.

Police believe the tourist was so drunk he failed to find his apartment and then tripped down a shaft.

Little is recovering at Larnaca General Hospital.

[10] Black spot claims new victim

The fatal crash came less than 12 hours after two people died in a horrific three-car smash.

Costakis Yiorgos Constantinou, 33, from Dherynia, crashed at around 6.30 am, and was taken to Paralimni General Hospital. He was then moved to Larnaca General Hospital where doctors were unable to save him.

The accident occurred at the same spot where a 17-year-old motorcyclist was killed four years ago.

[11] Italy wants to limits number of foreign players

ITALY has successfully organised a buffer against the Bosman ruling, which radically changed the face of sport in Europe, securing support for restricting the number of foreign players in clubs sides.

The Italian initiative was adopted by a majority during a Council of Europe Sports Ministers informal meeting held in Nicosia 10 days ago.

The fact that the Italian "non-foreigner quota" proposal came just a week after Inter Milan won the Uefa Cup with only three Italians in the side - an unthinkable scenario in the pre-Bosman era - was not lost on the conference.

Although the conference's working sessions were closed to the media, informed sources said the Italians put forward a proposal which stipulated that there should be a minimum of six national players in a club team, in order to stop the "muscle drain".

Italian ambassador Francesco Basconi, speaking on behalf of the Italian sports ministry, argued that a right balance needed to be struck between the free circulation of players under the Bosman ruling, and the need to invest in and support national training schemes and improving standards of local players.

Diplomats also said that Basconi criticised the post-Bosman era for creating a two-tier system between major clubs within the EU and of countries which were losing their best players.

There is a growing fear that relying heavily on foreign imports prevents serious investment at grass roots level and nurturing local talent through the ranks.

Italy's minimum-quota proposal won the support of EU member states and will now be considered by Council of Europe (CoE) foreign ministers for further action.

However it is hard to see how there can be a successful attempt to create a legal framework for the idea as it runs against the Treaty of Rome and the single market.

"This is a problem and we have to see what can be done about it, seeing as the Treaty of Rome allows the free movement of workers which includes footballers," said the CoE Sports division head George Walker.

"Any legal framework depends on the willingness of the EU Commission to make exceptions."

Walker said that football, and sport in general, could seek an opt-out clause.

"There could be a good case for specificization in this area to be recognised."

He explained why CoE members support the Italian move. "The problem is more a pragmatic one, if clubs have as many international players as they like, how do you preserve nurseries for local clubs?"

"And why should clubs help young talent if they are going to be poached and how do you reconcile the principles of free movement with the practical necessity of keeping the national game strong?"

Walker said some national leagues were suffering because clubs saw no point in investing in young players as they were unlikely to see a return. Under the circumstances, the future for many international teams looked bleak.

The CoE parliamentary assembly was preparing a report on the consequences of the Bosman ruling and had planned its first hearing for October, said Walker.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1998

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