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Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 00-12-05
Tuesday, December 5, 2000
CONTENTS
[01] Minister warns of bogus asylum claims
[02] Education crisis as more strikes loom
[03] `Proximity talks have come to an end'
[04] Trade union plan for foreign maids
[05] Five per cent up, but `we're not out of the woods]
[06] Archimandrite barred from holding services
[07] Fraudster fakes judge's signature
[08] Planeload of tourists `milliseconds from disaster'
[09] US coy on latest claims of Cyprus link to Milosevic cash
[01] Minister warns of bogus asylum claims
INTERIOR Minister Christodoulos Christodoulou yesterday accused officials
of encouraging bogus asylum claims by making it too easy for illegal
immigrants to stay in Cyprus. He was speaking after another 35 boat people
washed up off the coast of Cyprus at the weekend, claiming they were
fleeing persecution in their countries of origin. Coming out of a special
meeting on the issue with officials from the interior, justice and foreign
ministries, Christodoulou said: "Some officials in the government services
and others who present themselves as the protectors of foreigners' rights
have made it easier for illegal immigrants to remain in Cyprus." The
Interior Minister charged many were bogus asylum seekers, falsely claiming
their lives were in danger if they were returned home. "All the illegal
immigrants that come say their lives would be in danger if they were sent
back where they come from. This is a story they have been taught off by
heart by the people who profit from this smuggling trade from Syria and
Lebanon. "Some illegal immigrants come complete with contact telephone
numbers and addresses (for Greek Cypriots). The police are taking all the
necessary measures provided to them by the law," Christodoulou added. The
latest batch of immigrants included 20 Iraqi men, one of whom was
accompanied by his wife and four young children, a Turkish Kurd with his
wife and six children, a Lebanese man and a Syrian man. The Iraqi children
are aged between five and 10 while the Kurdish children are between one and
15. The two families are being held in the Famagusta district, with the
rest housed at special holding facilities at the Nicosia Central Prisons,
pending the resolution of their status. An Interior Ministry official said
any applications for political asylum would be treated appropriately. "As
far as I know, they have not applied yet, but when they do each one will be
investigated and a decision will be taken." An Immigration Department
source said yesterday that the families -- 14 people in total -- were
staying at an undisclosed venue in Famagusta -- "not police holding cells" -
- while the 21 single men in the group were at the holding facilities in
Nicosia, "which have every convenience and were inspected by the Attorney-
general and Ombudsperson when they were built." The Central Prisons denied
permission for a reporter and photographer to visit the facility: "If we
let one newspaper come, we'll be overrun by the television channels and all
the other press. It is just something we cannot allow," said one official.
The police picked up the 35 illegal immigrants in the early hours of
Sunday; 16 were spotted in Konnos near Paralimni and the rest at Cape
Greco. The immigrants told police they had all sailed from Lebanon,
arriving on the island on Saturday. They said they thought they had been
taken to Italy and were now seeking political asylum in Cyprus. They told
police that they had each paid $1,000 to be taken to Europe. The Iraqis
said they were trying to flee Saddam Hussein's regime, the Kurd said he was
trying to prevent his children from having to join the Turkish army, and
the Syrian was simply on the lookout for a better life. Cyprus has over the
last two years fallen prey to an increasing amount of illegal immigrant
arrivals with additional police patrols on the coast introduced in an
attempt to stem the flow. The government is also in the process of ordering
sophisticated radar equipment expected to be able to spot the small wooden
fishing boats so popular with the crews paid to bring in the illegal
immigrants. Cyprus has agreements with Lebanon and Syria, which provide for
illegal immigrants setting out from either country to be returned to their
point of departure.
[02] Education crisis as more strikes loom
SERIOUS disruption loomed for the island's schools yesterday, with primary
and nursery school teachers threatening to resume their strike action and
secondary school teachers announcing a work-to-rule and stoppage of their
own. Primary and nursery schools are to remain closed all-day on Thursday
this week, on Tuesday and Wednesday next week and on December 20. Secondary
school teachers are to stage a two-hour stoppage on Monday and warn of
further stoppages. They are also declining to produce end-of-term reports
and supervise extra-curricular school activities. The Education Ministry,
primary school teachers' union POED and secondary school teachers' union
OELMEK were all at loggerheads with each other yesterday. The strike action
all stems from the primary and nursery school teachers' demands for pay
equal to that of their secondary colleagues. OELMEK's strike action comes
in response to discussions between POED and the Education Ministry over the
pay parity demand following last month's strike action by POED. OELMEK
chief Andreas Stavrou said Education Minister Ouranios Ioannides had failed
to follow "proper procedure" by excluding OELMEK from the talks, which
Stavrou insisted affected secondary school teachers' too. OELMEK's strike
action had been on the horizon since last week, but the POED strike
appeared to have been broken by a deal agreed last week between the primary
school teachers and the Minister. But, by yesterday, the agreement had
fallen through and POED were accusing Ioannides of giving in to OELMEK
blackmail and announcing more strikes. POED had been expecting Ioannides to
present to them yesterday a final pay deal based on last week's
discussions. But the Minister decided he could not table the deal till the
educational services committee had approved it. The Minister expressed
optimism the strike action could yet be averted, saying the matter was "not
over".
[03] `Proximity talks have come to an end'
By a Staff Reporter
TURKISH Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash said yesterday that UN-mediated talks
aimed at solving the Cyprus problem had "come to an end". But Denktash -- a
veteran negotiator known for his ability to play with words -- did not
clarify whether he saw any other way forward in the talks. UN Secretary
General Kofi Annan has invited Denktash and President Glafcos Clerides for
a sixth round of talks next month in Geneva. "The proximity talks have
served their purpose and they have come to an end," Denktash said in brief
remarks after a meeting with UN special envoy for Cyprus Alvaro de Soto
yesterday. The UN envoy declined to comment. Denktash last week threatened
to withdraw from the talks unless his self-styled Turkish Cypriot `state'
was acknowledged. "We are two governments and two states in Cyprus. The
moment that you accept this the door to a full settlement is open," he said
before meeting De Soto yesterday. De Soto visited both the north and the
Greek Cypriot south of the island this week in a bid to ensure the
continuation of the talks following Denktash's threat. He met Clerides
earlier in the day. De Soto made no comments after that meeting either, but
Government Spokesman Michalis Papapetrou made it clear the UN mediator was
busy trying to get the talks back on track. Papapetrou also warned the
government would not tolerate any kowtowing to Turkish demands in order to
get Denktash back to the talks. "Mr De Soto is trying to carry the peace
process forward following Denktash's threats to leave the talks. We have
made it abundantly clear that we are not going to tolerate any attempt to
pacify Denktash or any yielding to his demands," the spokesman said.
Foreign Minister Yiannakis Cassoulides yesterday urged De Soto to find out
the Turkish Cypriot leader's true intentions regarding round six of the
talks. De Soto has previously expressed optimism that the next round of
peace talks will go ahead. The UN negotiator is to hold a news conference
after the conclusion of his contacts on the island today. Some analysts
believe an agreement reached yesterday between Turkey and the European
Union over the wording of Turkey's "roadmap" to membership talks could help
break the deadlock. The EU said the Cyprus issue had been removed from a
section detailing short-term goals and placed under a more general header.
Turkey saw its original placement as a snub engineered by Greece. Turkish
anger on this issue was thought to have contributed to Denktash's blunt
attitude to the talks in recent weeks.
[04] Trade union plan for foreign maids
FOREIGN housemaids in Larnaca and Paphos are preparing to unionise in order
to protect their interests in working conditions that are branded illegal
by their supporters. Doros Polycarpou, the chairman of the Foreign Workers
Support Group, said plans were still in the early stages. It has been the
group's goal since it was first set up to organise self-representation for
foreign workers. "We are working in co-ordination with other unions in the
country and if we can't get this, then it will be necessary for them to
have their own union," Polycarpou told the Cyprus Mail. He stressed that
while his organisation would continue to support the maids, he was unable
to cope with every complaint. "We can only take the very serious ones,
such as sexual violence or when the worker is afraid of deportation. We
also deal with a huge variety of complaints, not just those of the
housemaids," said Polycarpou. There has been heightened attention about the
plight of foreign housemaids in Cyprus in recent months. There are many
tales of abuse or breach of contract, from women who often feel unable to
do anything about their problems. A union would campaign against working
conditions and tackle the problems that surround foreign domestic labour.
Residence permits for housemaids terminate if they loose their work permit.
But Polycarpou claims it is illegal to reject a visa just because the
migrant looses work. He said the practice of commandeering housemaids'
papers and passports was also illegal, contributing to the sense in which
maids were victims rather than respected employees. "It's a very unfair
working relationship, because if the maid doesn't accept the conditions of
work, then the employer says they will deport you. If the contract is
stopped, then it automatically means that you're out of the country," he
said. A spokeswoman for left-wing workers union, PEO, said yesterday they
supported the unionisation of all foreign workers. Although PEO has not yet
discussed an arrangement by which housemaids would join their ranks, the
spokeswoman did not rule it out. "We haven't discussed membership, but in
general we believe that workers have to be united and that fragmentation is
not helpful," Sotiroulla Charalambous said. She said it was unacceptable
that the Interior Ministry did not consult trade unions when bringing
housemaids or temporary agricultural workers to Cyprus. "It means we have
no say when the employer does not observe the terms of the contract," she
said. But the efforts to unionise are likely to face big problems. "To be
frank, who's going to take responsibility for them or support them if they
strike? And what about funds? In my experience, most employers will not
accept housemaids if they are in a union. But personally I'm very
interested and I would advise people to join," said Yiannakis Erotokritou,
a lawyer who, as consul for the Philippines, champions foreign workers'
rights. Neither will unions solve all the problems: "The housemaids aren't
seen as workers in Cyprus. The Interior Ministry is responsible for them,
not the Labour Office. They should be under the Labour Department and
regulated by them like anyone else," said Polycarpou. Previous efforts at
self-representation have had limited influence, according to the support
group, because they have been attached to the consulates. There are two
welfare associations in Nicosia, one for Sri Lankans and one for Filipinos.
[05] Five per cent up, but `we're not out of the woods]
THE CYPRUS Stock Exchange (CSE) took a turn up yesterday, with a growth of
5.53 per cent, closing at 231.93 on the back of £12.37million in volume. It
was the first positive performance for the index since its relocation to
the IMC Building last month, as well as the day chosen by DISY leader Nikos
Anastasiades to tour the new CSE site. Quick-fire selling saw the all-share
index slump to 225 in the first 20 minutes, but buying picked up from there
and prices steadily rose until the noon close. "Investors realised it was
Christmas and that the index deserved to get a present as well, so they
embraced the festive season with high bids and gains that made the index
smile for the first time in a long time," said one web analyst. But another
analyst, Christos Achillides, pointed out that yesterday's success only
corrected the heavy losses suffered in the previous three days of trading.
"I think that it's a collection of the last three day's losses. Last week's
decline was too steep and to be honest there had to be a correction," he
told the Cyprus Mail. All sectors of the exchange chalked up significant
increases. The banks put in a strong performance, notching up a 6.44 per
cent growth as £4.02million worth of shares changed hands. Bank of Cyprus
(BOC) added seven cents to share prices, closing at £4.05. Universal
Savings Bank (USB) clocked up a 15-cent gain, coming into close at £2.40.
"The banking sector did really well and that's always the key factor. We're
not out of the woods yet there are still problems of operation, liquidity
and confidence. The confidence has to change for the index to stabilise,
but if the banks are attracting valuation, then it might be the start,"
said Achillides. "The buyers have been waiting for the sellers to come
lower and now the sellers are waiting for the buyers to come higher," said
broker Stavros Agrotis. Tourism companies did well, sporting a sector climb
of 8.42 per cent. The star in its midst was Libra Holidays Group (LHG),
chalking up a nine cent increase to close at £1.86. Hotel chain Agros
Development (AGRO) scored an eight-cent gain, finishing at a healthier
£1.61. The CSE ugly duckling has long since been the insurance companies.
Volume was just £94,427 but the 4.54 per cent gains lifted it marginally
out of the doldrums. Liberty Life Insurance (LIB) powered ahead, closing at
£1.66 after a day's start at £1.57. The investment cohorts did a fraction
better with a sector increase of 6.33 per cent, pushing Aristo (ARI) up to
42 cents from a 37.2 cent start. Muskita Aluminium Industries (MAI)
excelled itself amongst the manufacturing group, notching up eight cents to
close at 87 cents. The Sophocleous in Athens also put in a decent show
yesterday and Friday, which could have had an impact on the upturn.
Technology companies were the least successful. The sector pushed up just
2.90 per cent and CSE giant GlobalSoft (GLC) saw a five-cent cut in prices,
down £5.20 from £5.25, reaching an intra-day low of £5.13. "We need to see
the volume increase, five per cent is still not enough to generate new
supply," finished Agrotis.
[06] Archimandrite barred from holding services
By a Staff Reporter
ARCHIMANDRITE Andreas Constantinides, accused of conspiring to defame
Limassol Bishop Athanassios, was yesterday banned from holding services at
a local church. Constantinides, who is currently under indefinite
suspension, yesterday received a letter from Bishop Athanassios informing
him that he had been banned from holding services at the Ayia Napa church
in Limassol. Constantinides said it was an act of revenge by the Bishop,
who, he claimed, had wanted to see him removed from the church since the
first day he took over as Limassol Bishop. Constantinides had accused the
Bishop of being a homosexual, but a Major Synod called by the Archbishop
early last month vindicated Athanassios. Athanassios said the charges were
part of a wider plot to destroy him. Police investigators found there was
sufficient evidence to charge Constantinides and another archimandrite with
allegedly conspiring against Athanassios. The Archimandrite is due to
appear in court on Monday, December 11. Yesterday, a bitter Constantinides
slammed the Major Synod for not doing its job properly, adding that Synod
members would now be having problems with their consciences. He claimed he
had never conspired against anyone, arguing that what he did had been out
of love for the Church. Reacting to his ban from holding services,
Constantinides said he would now have to go on the dole since he did not
have any other income. "He can now fulfil his wish to get me out of the
Ayia Napa church. "He wanted to appoint his own priest since the first day
he came. Now he got the chance to implement his plans," Constantinides
said.
[07] Fraudster fakes judge's signature
By a Staff Reporter
A FORGED judge's signature on a court "decision" awarding £300 in a civil
suit has put Larnaca police on the alert to catch the cheeky fraudster. "We
have a case of a court decision with a forged signature, the signature of a
judge that was not from a judge," Larnaca police chief Charalambos Argyrou
said yesterday. Officials at the Larnaca District court discovered the
deception last week and a complaint was made to police. Argyrou yesterday
insisted that reports suggesting a lawyer was behind the scam were jumping
the gun. "There is a complaint from the court that certain documents were
forged, but there is no specific suspect lawyer or anything: we are simply
investigating a case to see who is responsible," Argyrou said. The case in
question concerned a relatively minor civil suit, but the Bar Association
has expressed great concern about the possibility of one of their own being
involved.
[08] Planeload of tourists `milliseconds from disaster'
By a Staff Reporter
A BRITISH plane carrying 234 tourists to Cyprus was seconds away from being
blown out of the sky in a near miss with US military plane on November 22,
Britannia Airways confirmed yesterday. Flight BY444A from Birmingham to
Paphos was just feet away from colliding with a US Air Force F15 in the
Daventry area in Northamptonshire. The Britannia Airways Boeing 757 took
off just after 10am on November 22. Just minutes later, at 10.17am,
travelling at over 600ft a second, the pilot spotted a US military jet just
100ft away, after emerging from cloud. The pilot told Britannia Airways
that he was "milliseconds away from disaster," according to reports in the
British press at the weekend. Air traffic controllers have called it the
closet near miss in recent times. Most of the passengers are thought to be
still holidaying on the island. It seems none of them had any idea how
close they came to near-certain death, minutes into their winter sun
holiday. "This was a very serious incident. The Boeing was under the
control of the National Air Traffic Control Service and the F15 jet was
controlled by the military. At that height, they should have been at least
five miles apart and to come so near is incredible. It is amazing they did
not collide," the Daily Telegraph quoted one air traffic control
specialist as saying. The Civil Aviation Authority said the incident
happened eight miles west of Daventry whilst the plane was under London air
traffic control. The Ministry of Defence told The Times that all
military planes were co-located with civil air traffic control in London
once they fly more than three miles from their bases. The F15 jet is
designed for air combat. It is fitted with a sophisticated Doppler radar
system that can detect and track other planes. The UK Air Accidents
Investigation Branch is investigating the matter, which has unleashed yet
more controversy about the British Government's plans to partly privatise
the National Air Traffic Control Service. Britannia Airways operates eight
winter flights to Paphos from the UK.
[09] US coy on latest claims of Cyprus link to Milosevic cash
By a Staff Reporter
THE UNITED States government yesterday distanced itself from reports last
week that American investigators had traced $1 billion transferred from
Yugoslavia to Cyprus during Slobodan Milosevic's presidency. Reports from
Belgrade on Friday quoted the new governor of the Central Bank of
Yugoslavia as claiming that US Treasury Office investigators had offered to
help repatriate the funds. Yesterday, the US embassy in Nicosia told the
Cyprus Mail that the US government was working in co-operation with
the government in Belgrade as well as with governments throughout the
world to protect the assets of Serbian people. "Any further questions
about the points raised in the media are best directed at the
government of Cyprus and the Central Bank of Yugoslavia," an embassy
spokesperson said. Rumours that Milosevic had channelled $100 million
in funds through various countries including Cyprus have been around
for years, but the government and the Central Bank have consistently
denied the island was involved. On Friday, Central Bank Governor
Afxentis Afxentiou said he knew nothing of the latest allegation,
stressing that the bank had already investigated claims that Milosevic
was connected to 12 Cyprus-based companies and had come up empty. "I
cannot understand how the (US) Treasury Office came up with those
findings. But if they point to us which are the accounts in question
and convince us that there is something worth investigating, then we
shall do it," Afxentiou told the Cyprus Mail on Friday.
Cyprus Mail 2000
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