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Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 00-12-16
CONTENTS
[01] Pergamos witness saw abduction, says victim's brother
[02] Compromise hope in schools dispute
[03] Government to suspend water rationing from Monday
[04] Conference highlights prejudice in the media
[05] Bases seeking to buy more land for military use
[06] Ministry sets up flight demo to prove Bell capabilities
[07] The end of the `credit flutter'
[08] US urges Denktash to return to talks
[09] Polis Mayor charged after gambling raid
[10] EU praise for Cyprus progress
[11] Lab on the lookout for food poisoning
[12] Paphos seafront bars given two months to sort out illegal additions
[01] Pergamos witness saw abduction, says victim's brother
THE brother of a Greek Cypriot man seized near Pergamos by Turkish Cypriot
police on drugs charges claimed yesterday that a Turkish Cypriot eyewitness
had seen the entire incident at Pergamos on Tuesday morning, but was afraid
to come forward. It was also revealed yesterday that police on both sides
were deliberately deterring Greek and Turkish Cypriots from approaching the
Pergamos checkpoint, where employers from the south regularly pick up their
workers from the north. For the second day yesterday, Turkish Cypriots,
many desperate for their pay packets coming up to the end of the year,
waited to cross but were either intimidated into staying put or were not
picked up by their Greek Cypriot employers, who were experiencing similar
warnings. The Turkish Cypriot side claims that Panicos Tsiakourmas, 39, was
in possession of 1.5 kilos of cannabis inside the occupied areas when he
was arrested, and have remanded the father of three in custody for eight
days. But evidence is mounting that the Turkish Cypriot authorities did in
fact abduct the Greek Cypriot contractor on British bases territory, which
if proved on completion of the investigations, would constitute a serious
security breach unlikely to be taken lightly by the bases authorities. The
bases have already set up a 24-hour temporary checkpoint on the Pergamos
and Pyla roads to reassure motorists driving through Dhekelia territory,
parts of which are adjacent to the occupied areas where Tsiakourmas
disappeared at 6am on Tuesday. He had been on his way to pick up six
Turkish Cypriot workers to take them to Nicosia, as he did on a daily
basis. The pick-up truck, its engine still running, was found within SBA
territory, some 400 metres from the area controlled by Turkish troops. The
car door was open and the headlights still on. Tsiakourmas' brother
Kyriacos, who was also on his way to Pergamos to pick up five other Turkish
Cypriot workers, spotted the empty car at about 6.15am. He told journalists
yesterday that he had spoken to a number of his Turkish Cypriot workers,
one of whom claimed to have witnessed the entire incident. Tsiakourmas said
the Turkish Cypriot man told him two cars, one red and one white, had
blocked his brother's pick-up on the road, with their occupants then
dragging him from his car and bundled him into one of theirs before heading
north. "I asked him to speak out but he said no way," Tsiakourmas said,
adding that when he went to the Pergamos checkpoint yesterday morning to
see his workers, they were being closely watched by Turkish Cypriot
`police'. UNFICYP confirmed on Thursday that Panicos Tsiakourmas, who is
also a diabetic, had sustained a cut to his back and had complained that
his ribs hurt. In the wake of the incident, the UN has also stepped up its
patrols in the mixed village of Pyla, a crossing point for smuggling in
general, which often becomes a hot spot when tensions are raised between
the two sides.
[02] Compromise hope in schools dispute
HIGH-school students yesterday left their uniforms at home and wore what
they pleased to class, in a symbolic act of sympathy with the demands of
their teachers. The ongoing crisis in the education sector looked like
getting a breather yesterday, with the Pancyprian high-school Parents-
Teachers Association interceding with a package of compromise proposals
aimed at bridging the gap between high-school teachers and the Ministry of
Education. High-school teachers union OELMEK have announced another one-day
strike for Tuesday, demanding pay rises to maintain the wage gap with
primary-school teachers, who recently went on strike against what they
called "unequal treatment" by the government. The Education Ministry
refuses to negotiate with OELMEK under the threat of strike action and
argues that pay rises for secondary school teachers would raise a storm of
reactions in the public sector. The impasse yesterday appeared to be
overcome as the PTA came forward with proposals it submitted to both sides.
Some of the suggestions included creating additional positions for
headmasters and assistant heads, pay rises for teachers belonging to
certain wage brackets, and a gradual reduction in working hours per week.
OELMEK yesterday said it would today convene an extraordinary session of
its board of directors to review the proposals. Sotiris Charalambous, the
union's chairman, welcomed the parents' initiative and said that this could
pave the way to jumpstart dialogue with the Education Ministry. For his
part, PTA chairman Elias Demetriou said he was optimistic the impasse would
be overcome, adding that the two sides would today give their verdict on
the proposals.
[03] Government to suspend water rationing from Monday
AGRICULTURE Minister Costas Themistocleous yesterday promised an end to the
"third-world situation" Cypriots have had to bear in recent years with
water rationing. The pledge followed an announcement by the minister on
Thursday that the new desalination plant under construction in Larnaca
would be fully operational by the end of January - one month behind
schedule. The new plant will churn out an estimated maximum of 52,000 cubic
meters of water a day, alleviating the water shortages faced throughout the
island. Currently, the Dhekelia plant is the only desalination unit on the
island, pumping out 40,000 cubic meters of water a day, which meets just 90
per cent of Nicosia's needs during a single summer's day. As an indication
of things to come, the Agriculture Ministry said that water rationing would
be completely lifted in the Nicosia, Larnaca, Limassol, Famagusta and
Paphos districts starting on Monday and lasting for about a month. "We hope
this temporary lifting (of water rationing) will become a permanent feature
in 2001, but of course that will depend on the rainfall," Themistocleous
said. He was quick to add that the temporary measures were being taken
despite the fact that the dams were only 10.5 per cent of capacity. The
changes in global climatic conditions and predictions on lower rainfall
trends were, according to Themistocleous, "all the more reason why we need
to be careful and not waste water." The new desalination plant, located
near Larnaca airport, was constructed by Israeli contractors and cost
around £20 million. The project finally got under way after months' long
legal wrangling with the Larnaca municipality, which claimed the plant
would ruin the natural habitat of the neighbouring salt lake. Addressing
this issue, Themistocleous yesterday gave assurances that environmental
concerns had been taken into account. He also said there were thoughts on
building another desalination unit in Limassol, adding that the government
was currently looking for a company to carry out the required environmental
studies. The government has already been making plans to construct water-
recycling units in all the island's cities. The plants would produce water
for irrigation purposes.
[04] Conference highlights prejudice in the media
THE FIRST Racism and the Media Conference opened last night in Nicosia, by
outlining the extent of racism in Cyprus and emphasising the role the mass
media can play in combating prejudice. Organisers hope the event will
raise awareness of the racism among young people and society at large.
Doros Michael, social psychologist and member of the Immigrant Support
Action Group (ISAG), last night made the first speech of the two-day event.
He spoke of the rapid increase in racism and the broadening gap between
rich and poor despite the march towards globalisation. "It has not brought
the global village, instead it has brought even stricter measures against
the free movement of people," he said. He made particular reference to the
European Union as an "absolute fort" to migrants seeking a better life.
Michael drew a distinction between the peace accorded millions of tourists,
offshore workers and British pensioners who retire to the island, and the
horrendous problems faced by some 30,000 foreign labourers, 8,000 Pontian
Greeks and black and Asian students. He lambasted the law and practice of
treating foreign labours, which victimise employees and grant "super
powers" to the Immigration Department. The choice of acceptance or
deportation, he said perpetuates feudal labour relations for domestic
labour and turns the sex industry into a concentration camp. The conference
criticised the Interior Minister Christodoulos Christodoulou for turning
the screw on migrant workers and decried the planned government support
centre for migrants for not yet being realised. The ISAG, he said, has had
to deal with an avalanche of complaints in the three years since it was
founded. The organisation has had to move to a support centre in order to
cope with their workload. The conference continues today at Famagusta Gate,
Nicosia from 9am to 5pm. All are welcome and attendance is free.
[05] Bases seeking to buy more land for military use
THE BRITISH Bases yesterday confirmed they would be starting negotiations
with a number of farmers who own land in Dhekelia base for the purchase of
their property. Bases spokesman Rupert Greenwood, commenting on criticism
at Thursday's House Agriculture Committee that the British authorities
would requisition land from the farmers, said the question had not yet
arisen. "The (British) Ministry of Defence has identified that it needs the
use of more land within the Sovereign Base Area for military purposes,"
Greenwood said. He said the first step was to get the Cyprus Land and
Surveys Department to map the areas of land required. Once that is defined
and mapped, which would be just a matter of days, the bases authorities
will open negotiations with the private landowners. "No negotiations for
compulsory purchase proceedings have started," Greenwood said. He said
this would only happen in cases where the individual farmers and the bases
failed to reach a private agreement and that the bases had every right to
pursue this course of action. "If they don't accept the offer, the issue
would go into compulsory purchase procedure, which does not mean the bases
say `here's five quid and off you go'. It goes to a tribunal," Greenwood
said. "There is a process that ensures everyone is protected and the law
will be identical or very similar to that of the Republic of Cyprus." He
said the farmers involved had been told the proceedings would commence at
some point soon. The issue was discussed at the House Agriculture Committee
on Thursday where deputies accused the bases or turning farmers in the
Dhekelia area into refugees for the second time. Representatives from the
farmers` unions attending the meeting asked the Foreign Ministry to
intervene to stop the proceedings.
[06] Ministry sets up flight demo to prove Bell capabilities
PRESIDENT Glafcos Clerides said yesterday he was delighted with a Bell
helicopter showcase flight from Nicosia to Paphos yesterday morning, after
reportedly navigating the craft at one point himself. DISY deputy Antonis
Karas said the display fulfilled the objective of disproving allegations
made by AKEL that the helicopters were no more than flying hearses. The
Defence Ministry wants to buy Bells like the ones currently used by police
for the National Guard. AKEL argues they are inappropriate for military
use. Yesterday, 10 people piled into the police Bell for the demonstration
flight, to counter accusations from AKEL that they could only carry "three
and a half" fully armoured soldiers. Clerides said he would personally
write and submit a report to the House Defence Committee, listing the
advantages of the Bell. "I have three things to say," he said to reporters
yesterday. "First, this helicopter is able to hold 10 or more people.
Secondly, I have confirmed its manoeuvrability. Thirdly it is able to fly
from Nicosia, over Troodos to Paphos and back, without refuelling." No AKEL
deputies chose to attend yesterday's display. "AKEL created a big problem
in creating the myth that the helicopters can only hold three people. We've
now proved that they can hold 10. By making these claims, they were trying
to stop the National Guard from modernising," he added. DISY is the only
political party to support the proposed £22 million purchase of four Bell-
412EP helicopters. Yesterday's roundtrip followed a challenge made by
Defence Minister Socratis Hasikos last week, that those who doubted the
prowess of the Bell should witness its capabilities for themselves. AKEL
hit back, saying they knew the helicopter perfectly well enough to judge
its inadequacies. The party claims that the Bell is neither a military
craft nor is it capable of transporting the required number of troops. The
US maintains a military embargo on Cyprus, so would only provide civilian
versions of the Bell, which would then have to be kitted out for military
use in a third country. The Green Party yesterday denounced the government-
led demonstration for mocking the nation's defence. "Is there another
country in the world that solves defence problems by putting on shows for
the mass media? Is there another country in the world where the president
takes on the role of test pilot for weaponry systems?" a statement said.
AKEL has vowed never to vote for the funds needed to buy the helicopters.
DIKO and KISOS are expected to follow suit.
[07] The end of the `credit flutter'
THE MARKET ended the week on an optimistic note gaining a modest 0.92 per
cent to close at 252.8 points amid new rules that are set to rein in
speculators. New legislation, which became effective yesterday, puts an end
to the practice of `buying' shares on credit, which enabled wily investors
to sell before paying their brokers and pocketing money for nothing.
Brokers said losses on the CSE over the past few days have been partly due
to these investors cashing in to pay off their accounts before the new law
begins to bite. Trading opened on a high note; some four points above
Thursday's 250-point close but failed to sustain the impetus when it
reached 257 within the first ten minutes. But the index slid back to the
previous day's levels before rallying at the eleventh hour. The FTSE/CySE
top 20 outperformed the general index slightly to close 1.21 per cent up at
1138 points. Volume stood at £9.9 million. Eight of the 12 sectors posted
gains and the remaining four minor losses. The banking sector added 0.99
per cent with BoC recovering some of the week's losses to close at £3.63
with a five-cent gain while Laiki added one cent to £3.54. BoC again lost
on the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE), ending at 2,220 drachmas (£3.70) a drop
of 1.99 per cent set against the ASE's general index gain of 0.6 per cent
and its banking sector's 0.34 per cent increase. Along with the two banks
the other `usual suspects' dominated the CSE's most active list yesterday,
GlobalSoft and more recently Louis Cruise Lines. GlobalSoft was the number
one traded share for the second day in a row adding one cent to close at
£5.23 on a volume of over £1 million. Louis went up two cents to end at 52
cents with nearly a million shares changing hands. "Things look good for
next week," said one broker commenting on yesterday's session. "It would be
no bad thing for the index to settle around this point without having to
witness continuous highs and lows which do little for investor confidence.
Slow and steady always wins the race," he added.
[08] US urges Denktash to return to talks
THE US has urged Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash to return to the UN-
led proximity talks at the end of January and to lift restrictions placed
on the island's peacekeeping force UNFICYP. State Department Spokesman
Richard Boucher said it was in the interest of the Turkish Cypriot side to
return to the talks. `We believe very strongly in the talks. We think the
two leaders need to return to Geneva to resume their talks," Boucher said.
The Greek Cypriot side has said it will attend the talks, but Denktash has
been evasive on whether he will go or not. He has said the talks, due to
enter their sixth round, were a waste of time. Reports earlier this week
that he would go to Geneva to talk with UN officials and that he would take
part in a new first round of talks on his terms were later denied. "We
understand that Mr Denktash is trying to, or may intend to set some
conditions on his further participation in the UN talks, but we believe the
interests of Turkish and Turkish Cypriots are best served by in fact
continuing the talks," Boucher said. The State Department spokesman also
commented on the restrictions imposed last year by the Turkish Cypriot side
on UNFICYP, which the Security Council this week asked to be lifted. In New
York, Turkish Cypriot representatives said in a statement they were
evaluating the UNFICYP mandate renewal resolution to see if the UN troops
would be allowed to stay in the north as a result of the "unacceptable"
resolution. "We would strongly oppose any additional measures to restrict
operations by the UN forces there," Boucher said. Asked if he believed the
present US administration could achieve something on Cyprus before handing
over the presidency in January, the State Department spokesman said: "it is
really very much a UN-scheduled effort." "Obviously the US works a lot on
this and this administration has been very, very active. But we work in
support of the UN effort." Boucher said he viewed the talks scheduled to
take place in Geneva as the next opportunity to move towards a settlement.
"We certainly hope that all the parties will show up and all the parties
will work hard there to try to resolve this issue," he said. Government
Spokesman Michalis Papapetrou said Boucher's comments proved the Turkish
Cypriot side was bringing itself up against international public opinion.
"Turkey does not have the choice to back only the UN resolutions that are
to its benefit," Papapetrou said. "The UN Security Council has a
particular political clout that no-one, not even Turkey, can ignore."
[09] Polis Mayor charged after gambling raid
By a Staff Reporter POLIS Chrysochous police got more than they bargained
for during a raid on a make-shift dice and cards club when one of the
punters turned out to be their mayor. Michalakis Stylianou was one of 10
men found at the club, formally charged and released by the police. He said
he had only been watching, not playing the dice game that was in progress
when police stormed in. The raid was made at approximately 11pm on
Wednesday following a police tip-off that dice and card gambling involving
thousands of pounds was taking place at the house and others in the area
almost every night. During the raid, police confiscated £1,810 in cash, 310,
000 Drachmas, 500 German Marks and three cheques worth a total of £566.
[10] EU praise for Cyprus progress
By a Staff Reporter
EU OFFICIALS have praised Cyprus for the effort it has made in its
preparations for entry and have described the Republic's approach as
"ambitious and enthusiastic." The EU-Cyprus Association Committee yesterday
discussed its priorities regarding changes to government policy, with
delegates from the 15 member states at the meeting in Nicosia. Speaking at
the event, Cyprus's Chief EU Negotiator George Vassiliou said he believed
the island was "in the lead" of accession negotiations. "It is now up to
us to carry on and adopt all chapters and fulfil all obligations we have
taken on, so that we will not have any problems with Brussels. The existing
members are satisfied with the work we've been doing, but this does not
mean we should not keep up with this effort." Michael Leigh, Director at
the European Commission's Directorate General for Enlargement, who is
responsible for Bulgaria, Cyprus, Malta, Romania and Turkey, chaired the
meeting. He said he was impressed with the excellent work Cyprus had
carried out in the island's preparation for EU entry, and that he was
pleased with the co-operation of the government during negotiations. The
Committee discussed among other things, progress on property rights, state
aid, competition, financial services, taxation and customs. Members also
addressed issues such as agriculture, employment, transport, home affairs
and the environment. In addition, they looked at the administrative
capacity of Cyprus, including the capacity to manage and control EU funds.
Cyprus began negotiations for membership of the European Union in March
1998 and to date 17 of the 31 chapters have been provisionally closed. The
Accession Partnership was formed earlier this year to create a framework
within which further areas of work can be concentrated on, and also
identify exactly where the money will come from to implement them.
[11] Lab on the lookout for food poisoning
THE GOVERNMENT Laboratory is stepping up its food inspections in the run up
to Christmas, after a quantity of pistachio nuts containing toxins was
discovered just before they went on sale. Now additional checks on meats,
sweets and nuts will be carried out, and any infected products will be
withdrawn immediately. According to Lab Manager Dina Akkelidou, sweets
pose the least threat as they tend to be cooked thoroughly during the
production process. "Because of their high oil content nuts are the most
susceptible. They can become infected by fungi, as can cereals and some
types of fungi produce toxins," she warned. Akkelidou says the government
is now trying to implement a strictly preventative programme, which she
believes is the first of its kind. It involves checking products while they
are being produced, passing through customs, in storage and those that are
actually on sale.
"We are unable always to enforce such strict controls as there are so many
other issues for us to deal with, but we do our best. If we were to
continue with the current rate of checks we would need to take on more
staff." The laboratory is also being particularly careful with its meat
inspections and is on the lookout for traces of antibiotics and other drugs
that are given to animals. Initially, studies of this kind revealed
unacceptably high levels, but since stricter measures have been introduced
they have fallen significantly.
[12] Paphos seafront bars given two months to sort out illegal additions
RESTAURANT, bar and coffee shop owners on the Paphos seafront have been
given two months to tear down illegal additions to their buildings or find
a compromise with the Municipality. The secretary of the Paphos
Recreational Centre Owners Association SIKAP, Christakis Aipavlitis, told
the Cyprus Mail proprietors had no choice but to build covered prefab
additions to their venues to attract as many customers as possible.
"Nowadays tourists spend much less on their evenings out, but there are
more costs and so they either have to close down or try to get more
customers." Aipavlitis said the law currently allowed for simple structures
without solid ceilings or walls to be added to the front of the restaurants,
but not for proper covering that would keep out more of the sun as well as
icy winter winds and rain. "Cyprus has strong winds, so it's not enough
just to put out heaters like some do and try to keep the customers warm
with that. The weather from October to April and sometimes even May just
won't allow that." Aipavlitis said the problem went back to the mid-
eighties and early nineties, when proprietors took over shops and turned
them into restaurants. "They followed all the procedures and got all the
licences, but the places were not actually built as restaurants." He said
long meetings with the Municipality's construction committee, the Cyprus
Tourism Organisation and the Land and Surveys Department had eventually led
to the two-month grace period before the Municipality took offending
entrepreneurs to court and knocked down the illegal structures. The
solution the restaurant owners want, Aipavlitis said, would be for the
Municipality to appeal to the Building Relaxation Committee for an
exception to the additions law to be made in Paphos: "Then we can all sit
down and put together a standard form of additions so that we can still
have the shelters without ruining the aesthetics of the town." Aipavlitis'
only concern was that the two months would not be enough for a competition
to be held for architects to design uniform shelters. DIKO municipal
councillor for Paphos Savvas Vergas was one of 13 council members to vote
in favour of the two-moth postponement: "We are elected by our constituency
and these owners are also members of our constituency and should not be
thrown into prison for something like this without all other solutions
being exhausted." Vergas' DIKO colleagues Tevkros Koulountis and Antonis
Antoniou were the only two municipal councillors to oppose the extension.
They are understood to oppose the grace period as a pre-election ploy by
the Municipal Council.
Cyprus Mail 2000
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