Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 00-04-21

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

Friday, April 21, 2000

CONTENTS

[01] Murder victim probably a British tourist

[02] Denktash calls on Eroglu to resign

[03] Fresh trouble brews over Eurocypria promotions

[04] Profit taking on BoC drags the market down

[05] Prepare for a magical Miss Universe show

[06] House puts off VAT vote till after Easter

[07] Hopes rise for Kemal transplant

[08] Europeans not too keen on Cyprus

[09] Cabbies see red over ivory taxis

[01] Murder victim probably a British tourist

A MAN thought to be a 41-year-old British tourist was found battered to death yesterday morning near the old port of Limassol.

Two soldiers came across the body at 2am yesterday, close to the seafront, and face down in the mud.

Pathologist Sophoclis Sophocleous, who carried out an autopsy on the scene, said lacerations to the man's head and face indicated he had died from multiple blows with a blunt instrument, possibly a metal crowbar.

"We checked hotels in the area. At one hotel there was a report of a Briton who was missing. We saw his passport and the photo has a resemblance to the victim," Limassol divisional police commander Charalambos Koulendis said yesterday.

The man, who had recently come to Cyprus, had been missing since Wednesday afternoon from the hotel where he had been staying.

Police found the man's passport in his room. They declined to release his name, saying they were contacting the man’s family through Interpol to confirm the identification of the body.

Forensic evidence suggested the man had been beaten to death 30 metres from where he was found, and probably dragged towards the sea in an attempt to dispose of the body.

No murder weapon has been found.

Police said that a motorcycle, found by a member of the public in the sea near the Famagusta Sailing Club a couple of kilometres away, could have been used by the suspected killer to flee the scene. They believe only one person was involved in the savage murder.

The motorcycle was stolen the same morning from an apartment block 200 metres from where it was found.

Police said that the owner had not reported its disappearance.

They have ruled out theft as a motive for the killing, since money and personal effects were found on the victim.

Friday, April 21, 2000

[02] Denktash calls on Eroglu to resign

TURKISH Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash was officially proclaimed ‘president’ for the sixth consecutive term yesterday, after rival ‘Prime Minister’ Dervis Eroglu pulled out of the second round of elections on Wednesday night.

Denktash immediately called on Eroglu to resign as ‘Prime Minister’, after a bitter election campaign fraught with controversy on both sides.

"A prime minister who said he has no faith in me... will be trying to undermine me behind my back. Our people do not deserve this," Denktash said.

But it remains to be seen how Denktash can legally persuade Eroglu to step down.

Eroglu's National Unity Party, (the NUP) is the largest single party in the ‘parliament’ of north Cyprus, occupying 24 out of 50 seats.

Many NUP party supporters are still reeling from Eroglu's shock decision on Wednesday.

One property owner in Kyrenia and NUP activist said, "no one believes Eroglu willingly withdrew".

Conspiracy theories, accusations of partisanship and vote buying are rife, but as nothing can be proved they remain only speculation.

One Turkish Cypriot journalist said he expected more information to emerge over the next few days.

Denktash supporters, however, are insisting that democracy has won, citing it as any candidate's democratic and legitimate right to withdraw at the last minute.

Turkey's Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit yesterday congratulated Denktash - always Ankara's favourite - on his victory.

"Your leadership is a guarantee of peace and tranquillity in Cyprus," he said.

Ankara denied any influence in Eroglu's withdrawal, referring to it as an "internal matter" separate from their concerns."

While it’s not the desired outcome for either Denktash or Eroglu, the feeling is that the election is over and it’s time to move on, tackle internal economic problems and prepare for the third round of UN sponsored proximity talks in New York next month," Reuters journalist Gokhan Tezgor told the Cyprus Mail.

"To be honest it would have been illogical anyway for Denktash not to be in New York, regardless of the outcome of the presidential elections," he added.

Denktash has been the Turkish Cypriot leader for the last 24 years. His sixth ‘presidential’ term, and his call for Eroglu's resignation are unlikely to abate criticisms of his 'democratic dictatorship'.

Friday, April 21, 2000

[03] Fresh trouble brews over Eurocypria promotions

CYPRUS Airways (CY) is prepared to violate a binding labour agreement with its charter firm to satisfy its own troublesome pilots, Eurocypria sources have revealed.

They also charge that opposition politicians, and at least one government minister, are backing the CY board's decision to contravene Eurocypria pilots' collective agreement by giving the lion's share of captain promotions to their CY colleagues.

Eurocypria pilots have been given until this weekend to respond to a proposal by CY chairman Haris Loizides to allot two out of every three captain promotions in Eurocypria to got to CY co-pilots.

CY's collective agreement with the charter firm clearly states that captain vacancies can only be given to Eurocypria pilots with at least three years experience within the company.

A Eurocypria promotion last June led CY pilots’ union Pasipy to stage two crippling strikes because it wanted the vacancy for its members.

Months later, binding arbitration ruled that the position should go to a Eurocypria pilot.

The decision has created a legal precedent, which has been recognised as such by CY because the airline's lawyer used the argument during its arbitration defence.

During the arbitration summations, CY said finding in favour of Eurocypria would bind them to a precedent as to how future vacancies in the charter firm would be filled.

According to the Eurocypria sources, CY management is now prepared to throw aside what it knows to be a valid precedent, and to ignore the existing collective agreement because it fears the reactions of Pasipy.

"As soon as the new chairman was appointed, Pasipy was already threatening the usual strikes and sickness so the new chairman started trying to convince us to agree to a new settlement," a Eurocypria sources told the Cyprus Mail. "However he failed to say if CY promotions would apply to Eurocypria pilots as well."

The sources said there were other reasons behind the proposed deal with Pasipy. They said CY wanted Pasipy to accept lower pay scales for new pilot recruits. "And of course they are scared to death of them," the source added.

"As a matter of principle we can't come and say we will change our collective agreement to accommodate these guys," the source said. But it appears CY is presenting them with a fait accompli. "They told us the offer and said if we don't accept it they would implement it anyway," the source said.

During last year's furore, CY consistently insisted it would honour the collective agreement with Eurocypria pilots, but the company sat on the fence until the situation deteriorated to the point where arbitration was the only answer.

"It seems they respect the agreement as long as they don't have to implement it," the source said, adding they had been told by CY that any strike by Eurocypria pilots would be easier to deal with than a strike by Pasipy.

"Why do we have to accept it for the sake of Pasipy? Why should Eurocypria guys not demand CY salaries? Why should they be paid less if the company says they are not separate companies?" the source said. "We don't have any demands. We just want agreements implemented, but they (CY) chose to satisfy them (Pasipy) and create an injustice for us."

The Eurocypria pilots say the only hope for them at this stage is the intervention of the Minister of Communications and Works Averoff Neophytou, whom they are meeting today, and Labour Minister Andreas Moushiouttas.

The sources said Moushiouttas had already told them that what CY was proposing would signal the collapse of the industrial code because if one company refused to honour labour agreements and got away with it, others could do the same.

"CY is trying to avoid its pilots going on strike and is willing to sacrifice Eurocypria pilots to do so," the source said. "Basically it's about who is strong and who is weak. But not only that: it’s also about who is capable of doing the most damage."

CY spokesman Tassos Angelis said negotiations with pilots on various issues were ongoing and that no final decisions had been taken on anything.

Friday, April 21, 2000

[04] Profit taking on BoC drags the market down

SHARE prices sank back down yesterday, with a weakness in banking stocks dragging an otherwise stable market 1.5 per cent lower.

Profit taking hit the blue-chip sector which had more than two per cent snipped off its value, depressed almost entirely by Bank of Cyprus, which registered a turnover of more than 600,000 shares.

There was profit taking in the heavyweight stock, which some dealers partly attributed to the bank failing to give shareholders at itsWednesday AGM a firm date for its Athens debut.

They knocked 41 cents off the share price, which slipped to £8.59, ignoring other news that the bank planned bonus issues and would spin off a lucrative property unit.

"A lot of people are just hanging around waiting for the Athens listing. I could also say that some of them have already discounted the announcements, " a fund manager at one Nicosia financial services firm said.

However, stockbrokers publicly sided with BoC's argument that the actual listing date was irrelevant -- the fact that it was going to list was enough, they said.

"A time span of one month or two months is irrelevant for a 100-year-old bank," said Yiannos Athienitis of Severis and Athienitis.

Laiki, which yesterday said it was in agreement to buy 90 per cent of Greek brokerage Attalos at a premium of eight billion drachmas, rose 13 cents to £13.20.

The deal, which would give the bank a foothold in the Greek financial services market, has been approved by the Central Bank. Approval from Greek monetary authorities is pending.

There were marginal declines and advances in the rest of the market, bringing the all-share CSE index down 1.52 per cent on dealings worth £46.4 million, off Wednesday's year-high of £57.2 million.

Two companies which made their debut yesterday ended with substantial appreciation.

Phoenikas Investments opened at one pound and closed at £1.32 on 101,800 shares changing hands.

Farmakas Quarries closed at £1.68 after opening at £1.45 on 631,606 shares traded.

Friday, April 21, 2000

[05] Prepare for a magical Miss Universe show

THE MISS Universe set design for the Eleftheria Stadium was unveiled yesterday morning at a news conference in Nicosia.

The set was designed in Los Angeles by husband and wife team and veteran Miss Universe designers Gerry Hariton and Vicki Baral.

Speaking to journalists, Hariton underlined their intention to reflect the soul, as well as the history of Cyprus.

"We searched for clues in the villages, in the streets of Nicosia, in the museums and in the tavernas of Cyprus," he said.

The couple travelled all over the island, but it was at Curium and Paphos that they found their focal inspiration.

Indeed the centre of the set is a recreation of the Curium amphitheatre. On each side of the arena, there are stone walls, fashioned with windows, archways and portals.

During the three events for which the set will be used - the Millennium Presentation Show, The Dress Rehearsal and the actual Final on May 13 - lights will shine through the windows.

The painted backdrop will be a chameleon sunset and night sky.

The floor will be tiled in a resplendent mosaic - the central motif of which is Aphrodite, the first goddess of beauty and love, and the theme of Miss Universe 2000.

The curve of the stage will fan out into a series of angular platforms, which will thrust forward into a central catwalk.

And as the curves of Curium reflect antiquity, apparently these angular shapes reflect a modern Cyprus, jettisoning towards the future.

Hariton said "the idea was to draw from architectural sources all over the island. One thing I can promise you is that you won't recognise the Eleftheria stadium."

The Eleftheria is smaller than previous Miss Universe venues, but the set maximises its 5,000 seating capacity.

The Millennium Presentation Show, presented by Ronn Moss on May 7, will be the set's first public appearance.

Hariton would not go into details, but promised an evening of spectacular special effects, which will see the entire stage shrouded in fog and performers flying through the air.

"The overall effect will be extremely magical and will express the mythology of Cyprus", he announced.

The set was constructed in Greece, by the same team that builds sets for the National Theatre in Athens. It will be assembled piece by piece in the first week of May.

Paula Shugart, Miss Universe Vice President extended her thanks to the Cyprus government, to Tourism Minister Nicos Rolandis and to all those who had worked for the pageant.

"Everything is right on schedule for what will be a spectacular show. Cyprus should be truly proud of what its broadcasting to the world," Shugart said.

Friday, April 21, 2000

[06] House puts off VAT vote till after Easter

THE HOUSE Plenum yesterday postponed its decision on the government’s VAT tax package.

The delay means the issue will not come before the Plenum for another fortnight because of next week’s Easter break.

It was requested by the main opposition party, Akel, through its parliamentary spokesman Andreas Christou.

Twenty-two deputies from Akel, Edek, Diko and the United Democrats voted in favour of the delay, while the 17 Disy deputies present voted against the delay.

Androulla Vassiliou of the United Democrats abstained from the vote.

The package includes a two per cent hike in VAT and a number of compensatory measures to soften the blow for lower-income groups. Akel says these are not enough.

Disy parliamentary spokesman Panayiotis Demetriou said the delay could cause problems for businesses, which would have trouble adjusting in time for the planned June 1 implementation date.

He also said that the later the rise in VAT was passed, the more difficulty the government might find it to afford the compensatory measures, which might be approved before the VAT increase. The government expects to raise £62 million from the rise in VAT. Compensatory tax breaks will cost the state £47.2 million.

Christou countered that the fact that the House Finance Committee's report on the tax bill had not been submitted to the House 48 hours before the Plenum, as required by the constitution, was reason in itself for a postponement.

And in the end deputies also agreed to delay their vote on the compensatory tax breaks.

Deputies considered that one of the measures - the plan to readjust income tax brackets - was urgent, but it was also postponed as the Committee report had not been submitted in time.

The reports on changes to income tax scales and on inheritance tax, which the government has offered to sacrifice in return for the VAT rise, were not ready, and nor was a proposal to abolish the levy paid to the CyBC through electricity bills.

The Council of Ministers on Wednesday approved the government's tax proposals put forward by Finance Minister Takis Klerides last week.

Klerides wants to raise VAT from eight to 10 per cent. The government insists it must increase the rate of VAT to come into line with EU norms of 15 per cent. Akel says the government is hiding behind the EU to introduce policies that will hurt the man in the street.

Friday, April 21, 2000

[07] Hopes rise for Kemal transplant

The official said a sample had already been sent to the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Bank in London for further detailed examination. This is the second stage in the procedure for confirmation of a compatible donor, she said.

Kemal Saracoglu has been receiving treatment in a London Hospital for several months now. His case and that of six-year-old Greek Cypriot Andreas Vassiliou stirred thousands of people on both sides of the island to give blood in the search for a compatible donor.

It also emerged yesterday that a British donor had been found for another young leukaemia sufferer, a boy from Ypsonas near Limassol. Neophytos Nicolaou is today flying to London for the bone marrow transplant.

Kemal's father Suhar, speaking to London Greek Radio, said yesterday that there were two more compatible donors for his son in Turkey and that all samples would be checked at the Bone Marrow Bank.

"The campaign should go on," Saracoglu said, adding that even if it did not help his son "there is still Andreas and a lot of other people who would benefit."

A matching donor has not yet been found for Andreas, who is currently undergoing chemotherapy in the United States.

Friday, April 21, 2000

[08] Europeans not too keen on Cyprus

The EU poll, carried out last autumn, drew up a popularity table for 13 prospective EU countries. Cyprus was ranked a meagre fourth.

The most avid Cypriot supporters were the Greeks - of whom 88 per cent interviewed thought Cyprus should join.

The least enthusiastic were the French and Germans, of whom only 32 per cent favoured the island's membership.

Malta was the most popular choice, with 49 per cent of the total poll in favour of its candidacy.

Turkey was the least popular choice, with only 30 per cent of those asked wanting it in the EU.

Germany, home to millions of Turkish immigrants, was particularly hostile towards Ankara's EU bid. Only one in five Germans said they would welcome the Turks.

The Irish were the most friendly to Ankara, with 44 per cent in favour of Turkey's membership.

Hungary was the people's second choice, supported by 47 per cent of the respondents. Poland was in third place, backed by 44 per cent.

Preference aside, only 43 per cent of EU citizens said they were in favour of a widening of the European Union.

But this is up one per cent on a previous survey carried out in the spring of 1999.

The nationalities most in favour of expansion were the Swedish who polled 62 per cent, the Danish 60 per cent and the Greeks 57 per cent. The three least in favour were the Germans with 38 per cent, the Austrians with 35 per cent and the French, 34 per cent.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 2000

Friday, April 21, 2000

[09] Cabbies see red over ivory taxis

The announcement comes in a climate of increasing tension over the issue, with a taxi union leader who favours the colour change allegedly receiving anonymous death threats.

Cyprus Urban Taxi Union president Kypros Andreou yesterday brushed aside the threat, revealed on Wednesday by Communications Minister Averoff Neophytou.

"It was no big deal, " Andreou told the CyBC yesterday.

Neophytou told reporters on Wednesday that Andreou had received death threats over the phone because he backed the Ministry colour scheme.

But Andreou said yesterday he had not seen the phone call as a real threat to his life. "The anonymous phone call was more a strict recommendation," he said."

(The Minister) used this revelation to give certain impressions and to give credence to his inexcusable (comments)."

On Tuesday, Neophytou launched a virulent attack on taxi drivers operating out of Larnaca airport, describing them as "murderers, drug addicts and people of the night."

Taxi drivers affiliated to the Povek union are set to strike for 12 hours on Monday, along with other drivers who oppose the Ministry's colour plan.

A representative from the union yesterday told the Cyprus Mail that the strike would start early in the morning and would last 12 hours.

The Ministry says the colour change is an effort to bring Cypriot taxis in line with their European counterparts.

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