Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 01-11-15

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

Thursday, November 15, 2001

CONTENTS

[01] The timeline

[02] Omonia coach quits 'after row with star player'

[03] Papasavvas forced to retire after spat with Markides

[04] Robbery suspects remanded

[05] Clerides visits ground zero in New York

[06] Clerides 'has not rejected Denktash meeting proposal'

[07] EU progress report welcomed, warts and all

[08] Cyprus 'on target'in reducing greenhouse gas emissions

[09] Trial in Tylliria land case set for next month

[10] Barba unlikely to be stop-listed after false passport claim

[11] Third road death in 24 hours

[12] Phaedros Economides'funeral today

[01] The timeline

The minister said that the final drafts of the BOT requirements were ready and would be send to the House of Representatives for feedback.

He added that he expected to hand the conditions to the five consortia before the end of the year and then to give them around three months to submit their final proposals.

By September 2002 the winner will be announced.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[02] Omonia coach quits 'after row with star player'

DUTCH coach Henk Houwaart has quit Omonia Nicosia after a protracted dispute with star players.

The club said family reasons had forced Houwaart's departure, but reports said the real reason was his disagreement with star players including German striker Rainer Raufman.

Tension between the two was a common secret in Cyprus' football circles but it all came out into the open last Saturday after Omonia lost at home 2-1 to Limassol's AEL.

While club officials tried to blame the defeat on the referee, it emerged that Houwaart had given an interview to a Belgian newspaper in which he reportedly criticised the state of the island's football and accused several Omonia players of being involved in soccer gambling to the extent that the team's performance was being affected.

The Dutch coach denied the reports, saying he had been speaking in general about betting and that he was urging the local federation to take measures.

Raufman however, who used to own a betting shop, called a live TV sports show and said Houwaart was to blame for the team's overall poor performance in the championship.

It was clear that someone had to leave in order to restore calm.

At a three-hour meeting on Tuesday, Omonia's board decided to fine Raufman £1,500 for his behaviour and to bench him for two games.

The board also said it had accepted Houwaart's resignation, although it is thought that he was forced out.

Houwaart, 55, was instrumental in turning Omonia's fortunes around last season when they managed to win the championship for the first time in eight years.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[03] Papasavvas forced to retire after spat with Markides

Akis Papasavvas' lawyer, Andreas Angelides, called it an unprecedented decision by the civil service and said his client had been forced out of his job, accused of offences he was not given a chance to defend himself against.

Angelides said his client would appeal to the Supreme Court.

Papasavvas has accused Markides of holding a personal grudge against him, an allegation the Attorney-general denies.

The reason behind the spat is thought to be Papasavvas' weekly column in AKEL-controlled newspaper Haravghi, in which he has attacked Markides, President Glafcos Clerides, and other state officials.

Markides has said the articles went far beyond criticism and had entered the realm of abuse.

Papasavvas was also charged with not doing his job properly and refusing to follow Markides' instructions.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[04] Robbery suspects remanded

The two teenagers from Yeroskipou, aged 17 and 19, are alleged to have covered their faces with khaki hoods and burst into the exchange centre in Poseidonos Avenue at around 6.45pm andforced the proprietor to hand over the cash at knifepoint.

Police arrested the two less than five hours later.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[05] Clerides visits ground zero in New York

PRESIDENT Glafcos Clerides said in New York yesterday that terrorist attacks must not be allowed to happen again.

He was speaking during a visit to the site where the World Trade Centre once stood, known as ground zero, accompanied by Foreign Minister Yiannakis Cassoulides and Government Spokesman Michalis Papapetrou.

They were received at the entrance of the sealed-off area by a representative of New York Mayor Rudi Giuliani and two officers from governor George Pataki's office, one of whom lost a brother in the September 11 attacks.

"The message that we should send is that everybody has to co-operate, the whole of humanity needs to co-operate, so that we do not allow such terrorist attacks to occur as they are contrary to our civilisation, our history and our religion," Clerides said.

As the presidential motorcade approached the site one could sense the feeling of loss and destruction, and a bad smell still lingers more than two months after the attacks with hijacked airliners that killed an estimated 4,500 people in New York and Washington and unleashed the war in Afghanistan.

The President and First Lady Irini Lila Clerides mounted the steps to a wooden look-out point, specially constructed on site for visiting dignatories, to be briefed about the current state of the clean-up effort.

"In memory of the international victims of the World Trade Centre attack," reads a banner on a huge board bearing the names and flags of all the countries whose citizens were killed.

Messages of solidarity and support are inscribed along the wooden rails surrounding the look-out point. Many pledge eternal love for those who died, while others express a resolve to fight against terrorism and never to allow such acts to happen again.

The presidential entourage, which included Cyprus' Ambassador to the US Erato Kozakou Markoulli and Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Sotos Zackheos, spent little more than 15 minutes at ground zero - but long enough never to forget the feeling of loss and the scale of the destruction in human terms. (CNA)

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[06] Clerides 'has not rejected Denktash meeting proposal'

In his reply, Clerides made it clear that he has not rejected Denktash's proposal, nor has he set out any preconditions for such a meeting.

Clerides also told Denktash all he has to do is to agree to meet him either in the presence of a UN representative or in the framework of the UN peace process.

In Denktash's second letter, received by Clerides on Tuesday in New York, he expressed regret that Clerides "rejected" his proposal and said he had not laid down any preconditions for the meeting. He expressed support for the good offices mission of the UN and again invited Clerides to a meeting.

Denktash, backed by Ankara, withdrew from UN-led proximity talks in November last year and in early September he rejected an invitation from UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan to resume the search for a comprehensive settlement.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[07] EU progress report welcomed, warts and all

THE GOVERNMENT yesterday expressed its satisfaction at the European Commission progress report on the island's European Union accession, citing its objectivity on the country's work towards harmonisation.

The Foreign Ministry said the government also welcomed the criticisms contained in Tuesday's report, saying it would help Cyprus correct mistakes and omissions " which had been made in good faith" .

" The government realises that in spite of the progress achieved so far towards Cyprus' preparedness for accession, there is still a lot of serious and arduous work to be done before the successful conclusion of our accession negotiations, and therefore there is no room for relaxation,"the Foreign Ministry said.

Cyprus' Chief EU negotiator George Vassiliou echoed the government's sentiments later yesterday, telling journalists there were still some 350 pieces of legislation which must be harmonised. Cyprus has already closed 26 of the 29 chapters for harmonisation.

The 2001 report said that Cyprus should be able to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the EU, and that the country's macroeconomic situation had continued to be robust, with high GDP growth, low inflation and unemployment.Areas of remaining concern for the EU include harmonisation of the level of indirect taxation and the special regime of direct taxation for offshore companies, which the government has proposed to scrap.The report also said that in the telecommunications sector there had been a considerable delay in adopting legislation to transpose key parts of the acquis communautaire . Another area of concern was the issue of border control and asylum. The report said that the island's location made it a potential transit area for illegal immigration and that a fair, effective and efficient set of procedures for asylum-seekers was still not in place.

" We are fully satisfied by the fact that both the report on Cyprus' progress, the report on Turkey's progress and the strategy paper record continuing Turkish intransigence in the efforts for the solution of the Cyprus problem,"the Foreign Ministry said.

The EU report made it clear to Turkey that it has an important role to play in ensuring that the efforts undertaken by the UN Secretary-general for a Cyprus settlement lead to positive results in the months ahead.

It said there was a window of opportunity for reaching a settlement before the end of the accession negotiations, which would allow the Turkish Cypriots to be part of the accession process and to enjoy the benefits of the EU.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[08] Cyprus 'on target'in reducing greenhouse gas emissions

CYPRUS hopes to have reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by five per cent by 2010 Minister of Agriculture and Environment Costas Themistocleous said yesterday.

He was presenting a recent European Commission study highlighting the benefits of implementing EU environment directives, as well as Cyprus' plan to implement the Kyoto Protocol conditions that were discussed in Marrakesh last week.

He said that by 2010 Cyprus hoped to have fully implemented all of the EU's environmental directives and those of Kyoto.

The 1997 Kyoto Protocol stipulates that all signature countries must reduce their greenhouse gas levels by five per cent compared to levels in 1990, and that emissions must be reduced in stages by 2010.

" Fundamental changes need to be made in the primary source of material used to produce electric energy on the island,"Themistocleous said. " This is why the government is already taking steps to introduce natural gas at the Vassiliko power plant instead of crude oil."

The European Commission's study estimates the environmental, economic and social benefits likely to arise from full implementation of EU environmental legislation in all 13 candidate countries.

Themistocleous said that although implementing the plan would cost £500 million, the cost-effective benefits over a 20-year period would ultimately double that, resulting in a major profit for the island.

" The debate has often focused on the costs of compliance with EU legislation and the difficulty in finding sufficient money to fund the necessary investments,"he said. " However there has been little discussion about the benefits that EU environmental directives will imply for Cyprus, both in environmental and economic terms."

The study specifically addressed the issue of protecting the atmosphere and water, as well as how to manage waste.

The estimated benefits include, among others, improving and extending the water supply networks to ensure that safe drinking water is available throughout the island, ensuring that air emissions from large combustion plants are reduced, and collecting, treating and disposing of waste from households, industry and hospitals.

" These in turn will lead to a large number of benefits such as better public health as exposure to pollution is reduced, promotion of tourism as a result of a cleaner environment, less damage to forests and buildings through pollution, and benefits not directly related to the environment, such as increased economic efficiency and higher productivity for companies as a result of modern technology,"Themistocleous said.

He said the cost of the scheme should not be viewed as a burden, as these directives will modernise Cypriot society and will be carried out irrespective of a successful accession course.

The government is carrying out its own study on measures to protect the environment. According to the minister this political plan will focus on alternative renewable energy sources such as wind generators and solar energy, building more pavements and cycle paths, and introducing more public transport to reduce the number of cars on the roads. This study should be ready within a month, he said.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[09] Trial in Tylliria land case set for next month

Land Survey Department official Michalis Kalathas, 46, from Nicosia, and the 62-year-old Mukhtar of Pigenia, Vassos Stylianou, were charged with conspiracy to defraud by illegally transferring and subsequently selling land in the Pigenia area.

Kalathas will also face 10 counts including forging and circulating official documents, receiving bribes, corruption and cover-up, while Stylianou was charged with seven counts of abusing his authority, bribing state officials, corruption and cover-up.

The trial begins on December 12, and the court will today decide whether the two will remain in custody until then.

The two allegedly conspired to defraud the heirs of a man by transferring the ownership of a plot of land left to the heirs by the deceased and benefiting from its sale.

Meanwhile the Paphos district court yesterday renewed the remand order of Kato Pyrgos local councillor Andreas Georgiou in connection with the same case.

Also in custody are the Mukhtar of Kato Pyrgos, an estate agent and a second land survey official.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[10] Barba unlikely to be stop-listed after false passport claim

Barba this week admitted on camera that her boyfriend, businessman Lakis Raptakis, used a false passport on a trip to Cyprus with her three years ago.

Interior Minister Christodoulos Christodoulou and Justice Minister Nicos Koshis reacted strongly to the revelation, calling it a criminal act and demanding a full investigation.

Koshis said her statements should be validated and appropriate action taken if necessary.

He did not rule out the possibility of adding her name to the stop list.

Christodoulou demanded an explanation, saying: " Until now, I thought Ms Barba was a distinguished artist with an artistic record. This is a matter for police investigation, both here and in Greece. Since the actress has cheated the authorities, they should both explain why they broke the law in Cyprus and Greece."

Immigration chief George Theodorou was yesterday unavailable for comment, but Commander of Immigration Police Andreas Aristidou said relegating Barba to the stop-list was unlikely.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[11] Third road death in 24 hours

Andreas Levantinos, a permanent resident in Cyprus, was driving from Trimiklini to Ayia Irini when he lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a field at around 8.15am.

He was taken to Limassol General Hospital, but doctors declared him dead upon arrival. He leaves a wife and young daughter.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[12] Phaedros Economides'funeral today

A member of ruling party DISY, Economides served as Finance Minister in the previous Clerides government from February 1993 to April 1994.

Born in Nicosia in 1945, he studied engineering, economics and law in London. He was on the board of directors of a number of Cypriot companies including the Popular Bank.

He formally resigned from the Cabinet in November 1994 after suffering a massive heart attack during an organised walk to raise money for the blind in April that year.

He had a heart transplant in December 1995 in London.

His funeral will take place today at the Constantinou and Eleni church at 2pm.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

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