Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 00-04-18

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From: The Cyprus Mail at <http://www.cyprus-mail.com/>

Tuesday, April 18, 2000

CONTENTS

[01] Kyprianou: ‘I thought long and hard about decision to stand down’

[02] Local investors ignore the global bloodbath

[03] Denktash and Eroglu prepare for round two

[04] Government prepared to discuss tax reform once VAT increase passed

[05] Church will call on faithful to resist introduction of ‘degrading’ new ID cards

[06] Greek firm blames red tape for Miss Universe ‘chaos’

[07] Woman in solitary protest against smoking

[08] Fire destroys repat's belongings

[01] Kyprianou: ‘I thought long and hard about decision to stand down’

DIKO Chairman Spyros Kyprianou yesterday insisted his decision not to run for the party's presidency had not been taken at the last moment.

Speaking on Sunday at Diko's constitutional conference, Kyprianou announced his decision not to stand again for the post he has held for 24 years when it goes to the vote in June.

He noted yesterday he had made up his mind after much thought.

"It was not a last moment decision, but one taken after much pondering," he said.

"It is wrong to say I resigned because of recent incidents; completely wrong," he added.

Kyprianou also said he would not be a candidate in the next presidential elections, but he would support Diko's Parliamentary Spokesman Tassos Papadopoulos for President of the Republic.

Though he would complete his term as House President, he said he had not yet decided if he would run for re-election to parliament at the next general elections.

Kyprianou said he had always believed in renewal and that this was the moment for Diko to get on course for the next elections.

Diko Deputy Chairman Nicos Cleanthous told reporters that Kyprianou’s decision could become the catalyst to boost Diko.

Party deputy Nicos Pittokopitis on Sunday said the party had given a lesson in political ethics and democracy.

But he refused to comment further on how he felt about Kyprianou's decision.

Pittokopitis last week said openly he did not favour Kyprianou staying on as Diko leader.

"There cannot be renewal in the Centre with Kyprianou," Pittokopitis said last Friday.

He added there had been an "orgy" of backstage contacts, trying to postpone the party's annual conference to November instead of June.

Yesterday, he said he would not comment or answer any questions about anything that had happened before midday on Sunday.

Politicians from outside the party broadly agreed Kyprianou’s decision was an internal matter for Diko.

Left-wing Akel General Secretary Demetris Christofias said yesterday he did not wish to comment on Kyprianou's decision, saying it was clearly personal.

"I do not wish to get involved. It is not my job," Christofias said.

He did say Kyprianou -- a two times former president -- should be commended for what he had done for the island.

"Irrespective of whatever people might think, Kyprianou is a person who cannot under any circumstance be underestimated. He devoted his life to the Cyprus question and politics in general," Christofias said.

Social Democratic Movement Leader Vassos Lyssarides also said he did not wish to give his opinion, not wishing to meddle in another party's business.

Asked if he would consider following suit, 79-year-old Lyssarides reminded reporters his offer to stand down at the movement's recent founding conference had been turned down by party members.

United Democrats Chairman George Vassiliou said merely that "others" should follow Kyprianou's example.

"In Cyprus we have had the same people for 40 years," he said.

Tuesday, April 18, 2000

[02] Local investors ignore the global bloodbath

LOCAL shares were oblivious to the bloodbath on international equity markets yesterday as they edged 0.8 per cent lower in a mixed performance where cement stocks ended at limit-up, buoyed by reports the government had approved increases in the retail price of cement.

The Cyprus Stock Market shed 4.7 points, ending at 537.34 as it rebounded from a more pronounced decline in the region of 2.5 per cent when it opened.

Traders said that reports of a rout on global markets had unnerved some investors at the outset, but the shortfall was narrowed when bargain hunters moved in to the market.

"Our market is not really affected by what happens overseas. Companies on the market do not have exposure there," a broker said.

An impact, if any, would be indirect because of the plans of such large companies as Bank of Cyprus to seek a dual listing of its stock on the Athens Stock Exchange. That market was down more than 9 per cent yesterday, following in the steps of aweak performance in many European bourses and Asian ones.

"It might eventually be positive for a delay in the listing of the stock," said the trader, referring to previous expectations' of investors that the bank would list by April.

The banking sector moved 1.03 per cent lower yesterday. Bank of Cyprus were down five cents to £8.62, Laiki were off 23 cents to £12.82 and Hellenic Bank closed at £3.15, 10 cents lower than on Friday.

Industrial stocks outperformed the broader market with a six per cent climb, centred entirely on significant advances for Cyprus Cement, Vassiliko and Keo.

Vassiliko climbed 34 cents to £2.62 and Cyprus Cement 10 cents to 76 on reports that the Commerce Ministry had approved increases in the retail price of cement.

One trader said that an increase could bring in extra annual profits of two million pounds for Vassiliko, the larger of the two cement factories.

In the case of Keo, insiders said there were some rumours on the market that the firm was "close" to an acquisition locally, but could not be more specific.

"The rumours have been pretty strong for the past two trading sessions," said one insider.

In terms of volumes, Aiantas Investment topped ranks with 1.9 million shares changing hands, rising 1.1 cents to 45. It was followed by Droushia Heights on a turnover of 1.4 million, retreating four cents to £1.08.

Severis and Athienitis denied market rumours yesterday that it was in talks to take over Aiantas. It however confirmed that it was in discussion with a number of unnamed companies exploring the possibility of participating in their share capital.

Tuesday, April 18, 2000

[03] Denktash and Eroglu prepare for round two

TURKISH Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash topped the first round of voting in Saturday's ‘presidential’ elections but failed to secure the 50 per cent he needed to beat ‘Prime Minister’ Dervis Eroglu in the first round.

Amid accusations of dirty dealings and election law-breaking on both sides, Denktash secured 43.7 per cent of the vote to Eroglu's 30.1 per cent, leading to a run-off between the two on Saturday.

Denktash, 76, on Sunday appealed to voters to place their trust in his experience, particularly on the Cyprus issue.

"You know that the person who wins the election will perform a duty of vital importance to your future and freedom," Denktash said in a written statement. "Since I will be in preparatory meetings we have started for the New York talks on May 23, I will not be among you as much as I was for the first round. I trust you however my brothers."

Turnout was down almost five per cent on the last elections in 1995, with 81.02 per cent of the electorate going to the polls on Saturday.

Denktash and Eroglu each claimed victory in Saturday's election, and both scored higher than they had done in 1995, Denktash by 3.27 per cent and Eroglu by six per cent. Each claimed he would win on Saturday.

Denktash said the results were important as they showed to the world that the people had confidence in him. In reality there are few policy divisions between the two men.

The Turkish Cypriot leader is banking on his years of experience on the Cyprus issue, while Eroglu will hope for the joint support of the parties if they unite against Denktash.

Speaking on television after voting ended, Denktash claimed that members of the Eroglu’s family had been seen giving money to various people the night before the elections.

He also claimed that members of Eroglu's National Unity Party (NUP) party had interfered with his campaign in the villages.

Eroglu, interviewed by the same reporter a minute later, claimed those were Denktash's tactics.

Mustafa Akinci, whose Communal Liberation Party (CPL) is already in a coalition with Eroglu, and who received 11.7 per cent of the vote on Saturday, said his party would play a key role in the second round.

Republican Turkish Party (RTP) leader Mehmet Ali Talat, who garnered a disappointing 10.03 per cent, said the elections had failed to reflect the true will of the people.

He complained about interference from Turkey and told journalists there was little to choose between the two candidates, saying who his party backed in the second round would depend on certain conditions. The elections, he said, had been tainted with "blackmail, pressure and threats".

Tuesday, April 18, 2000

[04] Government prepared to discuss tax reform once VAT increase passed

He was speaking after a meeting with the trade unions, whom he briefed on the government's proposed tax breaks to offset the imminent two per cent rise in VAT.

On Thursday, Klerides told a news conference the government would return £47.2 million in tax breaks from the £62 million it expects to reap from the VAT rise.

The Finance Minister said there had been no agreement at yesterday’s meeting since the trade unions had different views on the issue.

He did say, however, that the government was willing to discuss an overall tax reform to take effect in 2001.

"The new tax scales when approved by the House will be effective for the year 2000.

"For later, the whole tax system is open for discussion," Klerides said.

The trade unions said yesterday there was a huge gap between them and the government on the tax issue.

They said they would no focus on the House and parties to pursue improved proposals since, as they said, dialogue with the government was over.

The trade unions nevertheless saluted the government's decision to open dialogue on tax reform.

To counteract the increase in VAT, the government last week pledged it would increase the tax-free threshold to £6,000 from the current £5,000 and modify income tax scales.

Klerides said the minimum pension would rise 10 per cent, while inheritance tax would be abolished, costing the government an annual income of £4 million.

The minister also said the administration was scrapping the CyBC levy currently raised as a proportion of consumers' electricity bills.

<title>Church will call on faithful to resist introduction of ‘degrading’ weight: bold}

Tuesday, April 18, 2000

[05] Church will call on faithful to resist introduction of ‘degrading’ new ID cards

THE CHURCH yesterday warned that it would call on the faithful to resist government plans to introduce a ‘smart’ identity card.

In a statement issued after a meeting yesterday, the Holy Synod called on the government to reverse its decision to issue the smart cards from June this year.

"We hope that the state will realise the dangers and problems stemming from the introduction of this idea," the Synod announcement said. "If it doesn't, the Holy Synod will have to call on the faithful to refuse the new identity cards and continue to place their hopes in Jesus Christ."

The Synod, which has already set up a special committee to deal with the issue, is calling on the government and the House of Representatives to find alternatives to the new cards, which will not "jeopardise the private life and dignity of the citizen".

The Interior Ministry has already received the prototype of the new electronic card, which is to replace current identity cards.

The new cards will initially be issued to children reaching the age of 12. Adults can exchange their old cards for the newer ‘smart’ version whenever they wish.

The Ministry has dismissed Church concerns that a bar code on the cards might contain the apocalyptic number ‘666’. Officials said personal information would be contained on a chip, and would not include the ‘number of the beast’ as described in the Book of Revelations.

The Synod announcement does not make any reference to the biblical connotations. It concerns itself only with the possible violation of human rights that might stem from the cards.

"The recording of information on a person's life on an identity card degrades the person by turning them into a number instead of a person," the Synod said.

"There are a lot of dangers involved because today there is no way of safekeeping data and the information could be used in other ways or used by unauthorised people. The Church cannot condone the targeting of any person by means of information kept in clandestine files."

According to the Interior Ministry, the microchip fitted on the new cards is capable of storing four kilobytes of information on an individual, though for the foreseeable future it will only contain the same information as the regular identity card.

This is because government services such as hospitals and police are not yet equipped to deal with the cards. Extending the scope of the cards to include driving licence, passport or health details would require changes in the law.

The Ministry has said information on the cards will only be accessible to government officials.

"The new cards are replacing the old ones, nothing more, nothing less," a Ministry official said.

Tuesday, April 18, 2000

[06] Greek firm blames red tape for Miss Universe ‘chaos’

A GREEK firm sacked by the government from the production of the Miss Universe contest yesterday blamed red tape for a recent parting of the ways.

Athens-based Omega Entertainment, led by Nicos Mastorakis, had its contract terminated by the government earlier this month, following differences of opinion over the organisation of the May 13 pageant.

Production has now been taken over by the pageant’s American organisers, in co- operation with the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism.

Speaking out yesterday for the first time since the rift first emerged last month, Omega said in a statement it had been unable to deal with the amount of red tape involved, and wished the government "good luck in the chaos of this production".

Commerce, Industry and Tourism Minister Nicos Rolandis immediately hit back, saying there was no "chaos".

"The delays are over and everything is okay," he told the Cyprus Mail. "There was no chaos."

Omega, which has 7,000 hours of television production under its belt, said it had agreed not to comment on the problems until the dissolution of the contract.

Severance papers have now been signed, and Omega said it believed there were issues that needed clarifying.

It said the company always believed the production should have been handled as an independent entertainment event, disassociated from the "complicated and slow process" of government bureaucracy.

The differences between Omega and the Ministry centred on the event’s budget, although the company says money was not an issue per se. Rather, the company became frustrated at having its hands tied by the need for all expenditure to be approved by government committees and for large projects to be put out to tender.

"Due to the incredibly slow governmental procedures and the lack of funds in the CTO's relevant account, Omega found it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to operate and deliver," the company's statement said.

The House of Representatives refused earlier this year to approve the Cyprus Tourism Organisation’s (CTO) budget, which included funds for the pageant. The CTO budget of £20 million was only approved by the House last Thursday and included £4.5 million for Miss Universe.

Rolandis told the Mail that in some ways he could understand the company's grievance as regarded the pace at which government services moved.

"In a way it's true that government procedures are slower than the private sector, but we are under strict instructions to abide by the law," Rolandis said, referring to the tenders’ procedure.

"Mr Mastorakis was always in a hurry and wanted things done fast. Unfortunately when a government is paying for something it has procedures."

He said the government could not just sit back and settle any bills presented to them by a private firm.

Rolandis said the initial sum earmarked for the pageant had been around £2.8 million, but he was unable to estimate how much costs had gone over budget.

He said there were so many different aspects involved that it was too soon to estimate total costs. Rolandis added though that costs would be offset by revenue accrued from the event, such as ticket sales, advertising sponsors and television revenue.

Tuesday, April 18, 2000

[07] Woman in solitary protest against smoking

Andri Olympiou has quit her managerial position at an offshore company because she could not stand her colleges smoking in the office.

"I have had enough with laws that existing on paper without being respected by the very people who have voted for them. With a struggle we must make things right. How can a law protect non-smokers from passive smoking and at the same time public places be as smoky as they are? Why do people have to put up with rooms full of smoke at work? It’s unfair. We do not want to ruin our relationships with our colleges nor deprive them of the right to smoke. But we must defend our right to be healthy," she said.

Olympiou added said was determinate to fight a legal battle, as far as the European Court of Human Rights if necessary, to ensure the implementation of the anti-smoking law.

She has already sent her demands to the Minister of Health, to various deputies, to the Attorney-general and to women’s organisations.

Olympiou says she is determined to stay outside the House, moving on to a hunger strike if necessary, until the law becomes practice.

Last week, Health Minister Frixos Savvides told a news conference that although the maximum penalty for smoking in public places was £500, fines were often much lower, if the cases ever came to court. The minister said it was essential to protect non-smokers from passive smoking, adding four million people died in the world from smoking every year.

The Ecological and Environmental Movement is backing Olympiou's efforts.

"We think she is doing the right thing and should go after her rights. The law should be put into practice," they said.

Tuesday, April 18, 2000

[08] Fire destroys repat's belongings

The owner who recently moved back to Cyprus from South Africa could not believe his bad luck as he watched helplessly while fire fighters tried trying to put out the fire.

The incident happened at around 2pm on Troodos Avenue near Strovolos and a few kilometres from the family's new home in Makedonitissa.

The truck driver said he stopped when he saw the fire through his rear-view mirror and passing drivers jumped on the truck to try and salvage what they could.

The blaze destroyed a fridge and several other household appliances. Cardboard boxes helped the blaze to spread.

The family's effects arrived at Limassol port from South Africa on Friday and were loaded on the truck to be carried to Nicosia yesterday.

"They came all the way from South Africa and burned here," said the distraught owner looking at the charred remains of his possessions.

Thanks to the help of other drivers and the fire service's prompt action, some boxes at least could be salvaged.

The fire service believes the fire could have started by a cigarette butt thrown from a passing car.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 2000

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