Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 01-04-03

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

Tuesday, April 3, 2001

CONTENTS

[01] Clerides: 'We could bring the S-300s at any time'

[02] Markides defends decision to drop charges against archimandrites

[03] Bishop of Paphos: comments about the Pope were April Fool's joke

[04] More gypsies cross from the north as Koshis warns of spies

[05] Did they have you fooled?

[06] Blue chip cash ins drive CSE down

[07] Limassol man due in SBA court over illegal flight

[08] Deputies reject student voting plan

[01] Clerides: 'We could bring the S-300s at any time'

Speaking at a news conference last night, Clerides outlined the government's policy towards European Union accession and his approach concerning the Cyprus problem.

Clerides indirectly admitted to making mistakes during his tenure, but avoided to mention any.

"You won't hear from me that I was infallible," Clerides said.

Earlier, Clerides had said he did not feel any need to apologise about not deploying the S-300 missiles on the island.

The anti-aircraft missiles, which cost Cyprus around £250 million, were in the end rerouted to Crete in late 1998 after Turkey threatened military action to prevent their deployment in Cyprus.

Clerides said that he had agreed to deploy the missiles in Crete, adding that control still rested with Cyprus.

"The missiles could be transported to Cyprus at any time," he insisted.

Clerides said that Cyprus had reinforced its defence with other systems that he could not reveal in public.

Defending his foreign policy, Clerides said the Greek Cypriot side had tabled specific proposals before the United Nations and the European Union, which would help lift the impasse in the talks for a Cyprus settlement.

He said that EU accession was on track, and for the first time, during his tenure, the international community was laying the blame for the impasse in settlement talks flatly on the Turkish side.

He said that before he had become president, both sides had been blamed for the stalemate in the Cyprus issue.

During the past eight years, co-operation with Greece had been excellent in all aspects - Cyprus issue, European Union, defence -- Clerides said.

Clerides asserted that the defence pact with Greece had attracted the attention of countries, which were traditionally indifferent to the Cyprus problem.

"These countries want to see a settlement to the issue because possible conflict would involve two NATO allies and could spill in the sensitive area of the Balkans," Clerides said.

He reiterated, however, that Cyprus' aim was ultimately the demilitarisation of the island, which would come with any solution to the Cyprus problem.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[02] Markides defends decision to drop charges against archimandrites

Attorney-general Alecos Markides, however, said he had only been doing his duty, adding he resented suggestions that he had been taking sides on the matter.

Markides on Sunday announced that the state would be dropping the charges against Limassol archimandrites Andreas Constantinides and Chrysostomos Argyrides. The two were on trial for allegedly conspiring against and trying to defame Bishop Athanassios of Limassol.

Athanassios has already publicly said that he has forgiven the two archimandrites, who claimed he had been an active homosexual. A Major Synod, only the second ever held on the island, in November cleared Athanassios of the charges.

Chrysostomos of Paphos, who has been accused of supporting the archimandrites' claims, yesterday said: "It is the Attorney-general's right, and he is entitled to do this, but beyond the legal, there is also the moral aspect of the issue."

The Bishop of Paphos added that Markides had announced that charges would be pressed against the two archimandrites the day before the Major Synod went into session to discuss the matter: "I don't know if he did this on purpose or if it happened by accident. The people of Cyprus have a mind and they should make it up for themselves. The Attorney-general is very intelligent. He is a distinguished lawyer."

Chrysostomos said that Markides had a lot of court experience and that, "I would like to believe that he knew from beforehand that when a case goes to court there is a chance things could be said that could compromise someone. Since the archimandrites were charged with conspiracy is it right that the case be stopped and not completed so that the public can see if there really was a conspiracy or not?"

Markides was quick to react to Chrysostomos' statements: "Unfortunately in Cyprus everybody runs to make assumptions that cannot be backed up by fact. These assumptions essentially imply that I took a position in the Bishop of Limassol's favour during the battle that affected the entire Church of Cyprus. I only did my duty."

The Attorney-general added that the Holy Synod had made its decision on the matter and that he did not believe "senior Orthodox clergy" could have been waylaid by the state's decision to press charges against the archimandrites.

Markides also said archimandrites' defence had somehow got its hands on secret documents from the Major Synod's discussions, which police had not had access to, and admitted Athanassios' forgiveness had played a part in his decision to drop the charges.

Two men have been convicted and jailed for giving false testimonies against Athanassios. Costas Savva and Manolis Elia were earlier this year jailed for three months.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[03] Bishop of Paphos: comments about the Pope were April Fool's joke

Chrysostomos said on Sunday said that the see of Paphos had seniority over that of Rome as Saint Paul had created the one in Paphos first. He also said that Saint Peter had never even visited Rome, and that the Pope was not on the same level as the Bishop of Paphos.

The media widely reported Chrysostomos' as an indication that he opposed the invitation for Pope John Paul II to visit Cyprus as part of a pilgrimage in the footsteps of Saint Paul, which will take him to Syria, Greece and Malta.

But yesterday the Bishop of Paphos said his comments had been a joke on April Fool's Day, adding: "I said the same thing to a Cardinal during his visit to Paphos five years ago and he fell about laughing."

He said he could not understand how intelligent journalists could have misinterpreted his comments.

"I have no problem with the Pope coming. I have met him many times, the previous Pope too. I was sent with the Bishop of Kiti as representatives of the Church of Cyprus to his enthronement and we had a private meeting with him, and, thank the Lord, we are Orthodox Christians, we did not become Catholics or Protestants or anything."

Bishop Pavlos of Kyrenia has condemned the invitation, saying it would bring down the wrath of God and divide the Orthodox Church. The Western and Eastern Churches split in the 11th century.

The government, however, called on those within the Church who opposed the visit to remain silent and Archbishop Chrysostomos has dismissed Bishop Pavlos' fears.

The invitation was extended on President Glafcos Clerides' behalf by Cyprus' ambassador to the Holy See, Christos Psilogenis, on Friday during a meeting with Cardinal Leonardo Sandri at the Vatican.

Sandri said that the invitation would be considered with great attention although the Pope's schedule was already very heavy.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[04] More gypsies cross from the north as Koshis warns of spies

Available Turkish Cypriot properties in Paphos have run out, leaving the government in a state of disarray about how to cope with any more who may arrive.

Some 64 of the 84 to arrive in the last few days are being housed in the Paphos youth hostel and other makeshift accommodation.

The Director of Welfare in Paphos, Zoe Adamidou, Paphos District Officer Andreas Christodoulides and police met yesterday to see what steps could be taken to contain the situation.

Police security has been stepped up in the light of statements made on Sunday by Justice Minister Nicos Koshis that the intelligence services (KYP) suspected some of the gypsies might be Turkish spies.

But despite the revelations from Koshis that some of the gypsies could be on the payroll of the Turkish secret service, the government can do nothing to stop the arrivals, as it cannot be seen to deny entry to Turkish Cypriots.

Police have been given strict instructions not to allow any non-Turkish Cypriots through, and Koshis said those who were here were being kept under close police supervision.

Interior Minister Christodoulos Christodoulou said the number of gypsies arriving from the north was expected to rise, adding some only intended to claim welfare.

He has attributed the flood of arrivals to the serious economic crisis that has gripped the north.

There have been problems in Limassol and Paphos because local residents claim the gypsies refuse to work.

Police spotted the latest arrivals in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Five children and six adults were found in Peristerona, shortly after midnight. Another 13, including six children were discovered in the same area at 3am. They told police they had come from Morphou.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[05] Did they have you fooled?

Radio Napa's joke got the most response, when thousands of listeners on Sunday woke up to hear that it was Monday April 2 and the start of a new week.

Presenters used spoof interviews, callers and features to fool listeners, many of whom jammed the station's switchboard for two hours to hear about the "Millennium Skip" that had taken Sunday off the calendar.

The second part of the joke had listeners trying to tune their televisions to receive a new soap opera laden station.

"Cyprus Gold" was reported to be a new 24-hour channel playing the best of western television including Eastenders, Coronation Street and Dallas.

The two-hour broadcast, the station's most elaborate April fool's Day joke, featured 10 actors and had been planned since before Christmas.

The daily papers, meanwhile, got most of their inspiration from current events.

While Phileleftheros continued its tradition of not printing a joke, Politis' story about Cyprus receiving an American-made Apache helicopter for the National Guard also had readers calling the paper to find out more. The paper said that the attack helicopter had been taken to Paphos' Andreas Papandreou military airport and would be used during the training of special forces. The joke came in the wake of Greece leasing two aged Bell helicopters to the National Guard earlier this month.

Simerini said President Glafcos Clerides would be replacing three ministers after being convinced that a cabinet reshuffle was necessary. The paper said that DISY president Nicos Anastassiades had been calling for the reshuffle for some time but that, according to sources, the ministers involved had not been informed of the change yet. The same sources, according to the paper, said that the President had already approached some well-known figures about filling the position and that two had already accepted the new positions.

Alithia reported that DIKO deputy Nicos Pittokopittis planned to abandon the parliamentary election race in favour of joining in a business venture involving the opening of a bohemian crystal factory in a village in Paphos. He supposedly made the announcement during an interview on a Paphos television station. The paper said that the move had been prompted by the deputy's involvement in a loan scandal. Pittokopittis has been accused of not paying back the entire amount of a personal loan he took out from a co-op bank whose committee he chairs.

Haravghi featured a sports story as its April fool's joke. The paper said that changes had been made to the technical leadership of Cyprus' national football team. Stavros Papadopoulos had been removed as coach and was being replaced by George Savvides and Nicos Andronikou. Savvides is currently not employed in the football industry and Andronikou is the coach of first-division Doxa.

Machi said that Justice Minister Nicos Koshis had handed in his resignation after shooting suspect Petros Patsalides escaped from police custody for the second time in as many months. The paper said that Patsalides had escaped while being taken to a doctor after complaining about stomach pains. Patsalides escaped from police custody in February, eventually turning himself in through a private television station after almost 20 days.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[06] Blue chip cash ins drive CSE down

The all-share index fell 1.99 per cent to a new 20-month low, closing at 117.9 points. Blue chips were harder hit as the FTSE/CySE top 20 lost 3.02 per cent to end at 712.4 points. Volume remained low at £6 million.

Trading opened lower than Friday's close and the index made no effort to pull itself up until the last half an hour but the minor gains were short lived and by the end of the session losers had outpaced gainers 105 to 36 with 74 companies unchanged.

"The small investor's confidence is still low and getting lower while the institutional investors are being extremely cautious," said one Nicosia broker. "Generally people are cashing in on their big stocks to try and recover at least some of their investments."

The bourse's biggest three stocks were the main targets for disillusioned investors yesterday.

The banking sub sector dropped 2.9 per cent as Bank of Cyprus shed eight cents, closing at £2.41 while Cyprus Popular Bank fell seven cents to £2 and Hellenic Bank lost three cents to end at £1.05.

Top of the most active list, in front of BOC and CPB, which registered second and third respectively, GlobalSoft clocked up a volume of £669,000, ending 15 cents lower at £2.69 and dragging the technology sector down 4.86 per cent.

Meanwhile police said they had begun investigating a bomb attack on the car of a financial consultant on Sunday night in Nicosia.

The car belonging to Panayiotis Panayiotou from the Nicosia suburb of Strovolos, which was parked near his house, was destroyed in the attack but no one was injured.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[07] Limassol man due in SBA court over illegal flight

Michalis Michail was arrested at 11.30am on Sunday after landing his glider just behind Lady's Mile Beach on SBA territory.

Earlier the same morning, he took of from the same place, landed in Paphos then took off again before returning to land at Lady's Mile, where the authorities were ready and waiting to impound his aircraft.

They claim he sought no permission for any of his take-offs or landings - a violation of all air traffic control regulations.

Michail told national television that he only strayed into the restricted zone because he was forced to make an emergency landing and accused the British of mistreating him.

But SBA police claim to have warned Michail on nine previous occasions in the last three to four months that his flight path was illegal.

They dismissed charges of mistreatment as totally unfounded.

"It is a human reaction to get your complaint in first. If he has a complaint to make, then it should be made to police who would investigate it thoroughly," said SBA spokesman Rob Need.

Michail was also arrested for obstruction when he tried to drive off after police arrested him. The charge was dropped in exchange for a caution.

Michail's 16-year-old son, who was also in the micro-light, accompanied his father to the police station.

Police allege that the son was allowed to pilot the glider under his father's guidance, despite the fact that neither was licensed to man the aircraft alone.

Michail holds a student licence, which only allows him to fly with a fully- trained instructor.

Need said that cases of people taking off and landing from Lady's Mile beach were a growing problem.

Legislation was passed four months ago that gave SBA police the authority to arrest those who violated the restricted flying zone.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[08] Deputies reject student voting plan

Speaking before the committee yesterday afternoon, Markides warned deputies that a proposed law to enable students studying abroad to vote at the island's embassies could be ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

Markides said that if the House passed the law allowing voting abroad it would immediately increase the state's election costs, something, which the House was not allowed to do according to the Constitution.

The proposal was subsequently rejected by majority vote.

The Attorney-general also warned that the May general election result could be annulled by the Supreme Court if a law passed last Thursday were implemented.

The House decided by majority vote on Thursday that votes could be counted at a district level, something which would again increase costs, rendering the law unconstitutional.

Yesterday, the Interior Committee rejected by majority vote a proposal by DISY deputy Prodromos Prodromou to allow political advertising on television in the run up to the May elections.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

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