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Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 03-02-12
Wednesday, February 12, 2003
CONTENTS
[01] UN boasts good response to flag and anthem competitionsBy Sofia
KannasTHE U.N. competition launched at the end of January for a new Cyprus
flag and national anthem has received entries from countries as far a field
as New Zealand and Japan, the UN said yesterday.The competition, which
officially opened on January 27, is aimed at the creation of a new flag and
anthem representing a reunified Cyprus. A new anthem and flag will become a
reality if a settlement is reached between Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides
by February 28, the deadline set by the UN.Brian Kelly, the spokesman for
the United Nations Mission in Cyprus told the Cyprus Mail yesterday that
there had been a good response to the competition.“Entries are still coming
in and we expect to announce the winners for the flag and anthem after the
deadline on Monday.”Kelly confirmed that entries had also been received
from numerous countries outside Cyprus, including Japan, the United States
and New Zealand.“We have received applications from these countries. I'm
not sure whether the applicants are from Cypriots living there or if they
are from non-Cypriots.There is nothing in the competition rules to preclude
non-Cypriots from entering.“After all, there are a lot of composers and
designers in the world and its very likely the honour of composing a new
national anthem or designing a new flag would attract non-Cypriots. It's a
matter of prestige, especially as there are provisions to make the
competition winners names' known via public announcement.”The names of
applicants will remain unknown to the judges until the winners are
chosen.“I think the rules and provisions used by the competition judges are
currently being drafted, but it's unlikely the names of entrants will be
known to the judges beforehand.”Entries for both competitions must be
received no later than 5 pm on Monday.
[02] Real developments or election games?By a Staff ReporterWITH just four
days to go the elections, political parties yesterday continued trading
blows, the keyword being “credibility”.The tempo was somewhat slowed down,
as Monday's row over the role of the National Council and leaks started to
blow over. But reports that UN Secretary-general Annan might be visiting
the island later this month re-shifted emphasis on the Cyprus
problem.Opposition AKEL highlighted the discrepancies in the government's
policy, suggesting the administration was in disarray. Quoting Government
Spokesman Michalis Papapetrou, ruling DISY boss Nicos Anastassiades and
Foreign Minister Yiannakis Cassoulides, the paper said they each had a
different take on whether important developments were on the cards.For his
part, senior AKEL officer Andreas Christou focused on President Glafcos
Clerides, remarking that he was playing “election campaign games”. He was
referring to recent comments by Clerides, who seemed to be suggesting he
had some inside information on the negotiations on Cyprus but could not
make these public.“Is this an election gimmick or what?” said Christou.
“Just like in 1993 and 1998, DISY is trying to convince people that the
Cyprus problem is at a crossroads.” To back his argument, Christou quoted
Turkish leader Tayyip Erdogan, who in an interview said that in coming
months Turkey's major foreign policy concern would be the Iraq crisis, not
Cyprus.He added that the opposition was both able and willing to handle
developments in the Cyprus issue if these came up.This last comment was
derided by the government spokesman, who remarked that “suddenly, the
rejectionist camp have been transformed into the champions of rapprochement
and a settlement.”Meanwhile Markides directly questioned the credibility of
Tassos Papadopoulos' candidacy. He said that Papadopoulos' law firm was
being investigated abroad for possible implication in breaking the UN
embargo on the Milosevic regime.“If we get a president like that, the
people will inherit his problems. It should be the other way round,” said
Markides.As Attorney-general, Markides headed local investigations into
whether Papadopoulos was linked to breaking the embargo imposed on
Yugoslavia.“There is a sense among foreign countries, particularly the sole
global superpower, that Papadopoulos was involved in this. Whether it's
true or not, I don't know. What matters is that the United States thinks
that. So is this the kind of president we want? Our people would be
unnecessarily saddled with additional problems.”Markides also re-issued a
challenge to Papadopoulos for a face-to-face live televised debate. “So far
he has avoided this.”The three main candidates -- Clerides, Papadopoulos
and Markides -- have yet to appear together in a debate.
[03] Apologise or meet us in court: Politis lashes out at poll criticsBy a
Staff ReporterPOLITIS newspaper yesterday threw the gauntlet down at
politicians, warning them to take back innuendo that opinion polls were
fixed or face legal action.By law, the publishing of polls is prohibited in
the last week before the elections. But a string of surveys published in
the press and aired on TV has kept audiences glued to their screens and
fuelled endless scenarios.During the TV poll debates, not all criticism was
levelled at political parties and their candidates. Polling companies also
came under heavy fire, with some politicians suggesting irregular methods
were being used to influence the public.Some of the more explosive comments
included DISY deputy Prodromos Prodromou's remark last week that polls in
Cyprus were becoming “trash”. Prodromou, who is backing independent
candidate Alecos Markides, said that the methodology used by some pollsters
was questionable at best. Meanwhile on a live radio show on Monday, he said
poll-taking, with its huge TV viewer ratings, had become “big business”. He
referred in particular to phone polls published by Politis, saying that
such surveys used very small samples and that their methodologies were not
transparent.Politis yesterday demanded an apology, warning Prodromou that
it would take matters to court. The paper gave the DISY deputy a 6pm
deadline yesterday to clarify whether he meant its pollsters were “on the
take”. The same notice was given to former Nicosia mayor Lellos Demetriades
and DISY boss Nicos Anastasiades, who remarked that “many pollsters will be
out of a job after these elections are over”.“I'm not really taking this
seriously,” Prodromou told the Cyprus Mail. “Perhaps these warnings are
issued out of guilt; perhaps some people out there are getting really
worried.“They carry out a poll with just 400 respondents, then publish it
in huge print on the front page; well, at least they could get their
numbers straight,” said Prodromou, saying that the percentages in one
Politis poll did not add up to 100.Markides' poll ratings have been
dropping since he announced his candidacy. The Attorney-general started out
with about 15 per cent, falling to 8-9 per cent in the latest polls.Joked
Prodromou: “After I first criticised Politis about their survey, there came
out another poll, giving Markides even lower figures. Sour grapes? You be
the judge.”The polls show opposition DIKO candidate Tassos Papadopoulos
leading his rivals by a significant margin; incumbent President Clerides is
in second place, trailed by Markides.
[04] 21,000 to fly in to vote - pilots permittingBy a Staff ReporterSOME 21,
000 Cypriots living abroad will be flying back to the island to vote in
Sunday's elections. That is, unless the national air carrier stages a
strike.Further measures by pilots' union PASYPI could cut right through the
parties' election plans. The union are in dispute over management scale
pilots flying training flights and have already gone on strike twice. The
second time, the government bypassed the strike by calling in other
carriers to take on Cyprus Airways' commitments.CY general manager Harris
Loizides yesterday played down concerns that the airline dispute might
jeopardise the smooth arrival of Cypriots during election time. “I think
that all these rumours are unfounded… I believe that common sense will
prevail.“It would be irrational for PASYPI to jeopardise the arrival of
thousands of voters,” he noted.CY's general manager added that the airline
had an open mind and was waiting for the Ministry of Labour to present its
mediation proposal.Loizides made the comments after meeting with President
Glafcos Clerides. He said that around 15,000 Cypriots would be travelling
to the island with CY, the rest with other carriers.
[05] IMF warns against investor debt freezeBy Sofia KannasTHE International
Monetary Fund (IMF) is today expected to make public a report advising
Cyprus against any move to freeze investor debts, a source at the Central
Bank confirmed yesterday.The publishing of the report comes just days after
DIKO chief and presidential candidate Tassos Papadopoulos pledged to freeze
investor debts incurred in 1999, when thousands of small investors lost
millions on the Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE).The proposed move would see
commercial banks freezing investor debts incurred by small investors during
the collapse of the stock market, with the balance owed offset by raising
interest rates paid on deposits which commercial banks hold at the Central
Bank.The Central Bank source told the Cyprus Mail that the IMF had warned
of the perils of helping stock market investors in an IMF Consultation
paper published after the completion of the organisation's Mission to
Cyprus last November.The consultation paper, entitled 'Cyprus-2002 Article
IV Consultation, Preliminary Findings of the Mission', was published on
November 4 last year and warns:“Strengthening legislation and enhancing
supervision can help restore confidence in the stock market… (however) it
is important for the government clearly to signal that stock market
investment losses will not be covered ex post by the public sector or by a
forced private sector bailout.” The Consultation paper also warned that
undue expectations of such an outcome would only result delaying the
resolution of the crisis, encouraging “reckless risk-taking in future.”The
Central Bank source said the report released today would probably reiterate
these recommendations:“In the IMF's view it would be unwise for anyone
other than the actual investors to have to bear the cost of such losses.”
[06] Mystery over flamingo deaths at Salt Lake By Alex MitaTHE VETERINARY
Services were yesterday unsure as to what caused the death of 10 flamingos
at the Larnaca salt lake in the last two days. The flamingos, among
hundreds that migrate to the island's salt lakes each winter, were found
dead by passers-by on the shores of the lake.When observing the flocks
congregating around the salt lake, scientists have also noticed that some
of the birds have become indifferent to the presence of humans in the area,
something that does not match their usual behavioural pattern. Speaking to
the Cyprus Mail yesterday, Veterinary Surgeon Klitos Andreou said the exact
cause of the birds' death was still a mystery. “Post mortem examinations on
the flamingos showed deformities of the internal organs,” Andreou said,
“but we have still not been able to determine the exact cause of death. “We
have taken samples of mud and water from the lake and the results are
expected to be submitted in a couple of days.”Andreou said scientist were
expected to determine whether the birds died as a result of poisoning by
food or water that might have been contaminated, or from by a disease that
they brought with them from another country.Green Party deputy George
Perdikis, who visited the lake yesterday together with veterinary service
officials, said many suspicions sprang to mind as to what might have killed
the flamingos.“There are many suspicions, some of which lean towards the
operation of the firing range that has been operating illegally next to the
lake for years,” he said.“There is also the possibility that the birds have
been poisoned by herbicides sprayed by farmers on weeds around the
lake.”Perdikis urged farmers to stop using pesticides and herbicides around
the lake as they interfere with its sensitive environment. No deaths have
been recorded at the other salt lake in Akrotiri.
[07] Filipina determined to fight for right to stay after immigration
ordealBy Tania KhadderLAST Friday at 4pm, Maria (not her real name) was
about to board a Cyprus Airways flight on the first leg of her 16-hour
journey to the Philippines. Seven months pregnant by a Cypriot man and
suffering complications, she was being deported for not having a visa to
stay in the country.She continued to voice her objection up to the final
minutes and despite orders by Immigration officers, she refused to walk
onto the plane. Her own refusal combined with pleas by the Immigrant
Support Action Group (ISAG), particularly her adviser Josie Christodoulou,
saved her, at least until the birth of her baby. Now she is determined to
prove paternity and fight her case to stay on the island.“I just thank God
for ISAG and for Josie,” Maria, aged 28, told the Cyprus Mail yesterday.
“Without them I would have been back in the Philippines now.”Now she has
earned a reprieve until the baby is born, when she aims to carry out a DNA
test she hopes will prove her right to stay in Cyprus.Her nightmare began
when an anonymous caller tipped off Immigration to her illegal status, and
officers came to her house to prepare her for deportation.“They first took
me from my home to the hospital to check to see if I could travel and the
doctor told me I was okay,” Maria said. “I didn't want to go, and I knew
that my family at home would not accept me, but I felt I had no
choice.”Maria said immigration officers took her home to pack her things.
“They kept yelling at me to pack faster,” she said. They then took her to
Larnaca airport, where they told her she would sleep in a chair and wait
for her flight the following afternoon. But despite being approved for
travel, Maria felt weak, and feared she would not make it through the long
flight and five-hour layover in Dubai. “That night, I was bleeding so I
went to tell Immigration I wasn't feeling well,” Maria said. “And they
yelled at me and called me a liar, and told me to go back to my seat and
that the doctor said I should be okay.”When she was still sick the
following morning and began to vomit, they agreed to take her to the
hospital, where doctors told her she was sick as a result of her overnight
stay at the airport.“The doctor said it was too cold, and that because they
didn't give me a blanket, I was weak and bleeding,” she said. But despite
such difficulties, Immigration took her back to the airport intending to go
through with the deportation. It wasn't until the last minute when Maria
was still sick and refused to board the plane that she was told she would
not be forced to leave. When Maria left the Philippines in January 2001,
she had envisioned a better life for herself and her three children back
home. Two years later, she is pregnant, unable to work and has narrowly
escaped deportation twice. Divorced, with the family's financial burden
resting on her shoulders, she was working in Cyprus to send money home. “I
came here to Cyprus in order to earn money to send back to my children
because they are going to school now,” Maria told the Cyprus Mail. But
Maria claimed her employer physically abused her, and when she complained,
she was fired and from then on was considered illegal. “I reported the
abuse to the police. I went for a report at the Strovolos police station
and I had a medical certificate from the hospital showing my injuries.”She
went on to work at a fish factory in Paphos, where she was introduced to a
Cypriot fisherman who claimed to be looking for a Filipina wife. Soon after,
she became involved with him.“He told me I didn't have to work. That he
would help me and give me money to send my children. And he gave me some at
first,” Maria said. “He told me he had no children and wanted us to make a
baby.” When she got pregnant, however, things changed rapidly. “He knew
that I was pregnant and he was finished with me,” she added. “I tried to
report him so that he would have to support my baby, but he denied that it
was his. He said he wanted a DNA test. But we can't do it until the baby is
born in April. At that point, I will have the right to stay in Cyprus
because I will prove my baby is Cypriot.” At three months pregnant, she
found out that the father of her baby was in fact married, but separated,
and had four children of his own. “I want to fight. He must support my
baby. I heard that he has done the same thing to another Filipina before me,
and his wife sent her back when she was pregnant.“Now he is with another
woman. He claims my baby is not his, but the day I was supposed to leave,
he sent me a text message on my phone saying 'Have a safe trip my love, and
take care of my baby.'“He was so happy I was leaving, and now he is scared
to know that I have stayed,” she said. Maria hopes that after her baby is
born, she will be able to collect child support and work for a while to
make a better life for herself and soon-to-be four children. She says her
struggle to stay is a fight for all Filipinos on the island. “We are
expected to keep quiet because we are not Cypriot. But I am going to put up
a fight,” she added.Immigration was not available for comment.
[08] Pupil held after school arsonBy a Staff ReporterA 16-YEAR-old boy
arrested on Monday in connection with a suspected arson attack on a
Limassol school has been remanded in custody after appearing before
magistrates, police confirmed yesterday.According to police reports, the
fire, which gutted a storage room at Limassol's Lanitio Lyceum 'A' last
Friday, was started by the suspect using petrol.The suspect, a pupil at the
school, was allegedly seen by a witness leaving the scene of the fire on a
moped shortly after the storage room caught fire.Police said the 16-year-
old, who has not been named, confessed to the deed but did not give reasons
for his actions. He also denied having an accomplice, though police were
yesterday searching for two other persons in connection with the
incident.No injuries were reported as most pupils were safe inside their
classrooms when the fire broke out last Friday morning.
[01] UN boasts good response to flag and anthem competitionsBy Sofia
KannasTHE U.N. competition launched at the end of January for a new Cyprus
flag and national anthem has received entries from countries as far a field
as New Zealand and Japan, the UN said yesterday.The competition, which
officially opened on January 27, is aimed at the creation of a new flag and
anthem representing a reunified Cyprus. A new anthem and flag will become a
reality if a settlement is reached between Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides
by February 28, the deadline set by the UN.Brian Kelly, the spokesman for
the United Nations Mission in Cyprus told the Cyprus Mail yesterday that
there had been a good response to the competition.“Entries are still coming
in and we expect to announce the winners for the flag and anthem after the
deadline on Monday.”Kelly confirmed that entries had also been received
from numerous countries outside Cyprus, including Japan, the United States
and New Zealand.“We have received applications from these countries. I'm
not sure whether the applicants are from Cypriots living there or if they
are from non-Cypriots.There is nothing in the competition rules to preclude
non-Cypriots from entering.“After all, there are a lot of composers and
designers in the world and its very likely the honour of composing a new
national anthem or designing a new flag would attract non-Cypriots. It's a
matter of prestige, especially as there are provisions to make the
competition winners names' known via public announcement.”The names of
applicants will remain unknown to the judges until the winners are
chosen.“I think the rules and provisions used by the competition judges are
currently being drafted, but it's unlikely the names of entrants will be
known to the judges beforehand.”Entries for both competitions must be
received no later than 5 pm on Monday.
Apologise or meet us in court: Politis lashes out at poll critics
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Wednesday, February 12, 2003
[02] Real developments or election games?By a Staff ReporterWITH just four
days to go the elections, political parties yesterday continued trading
blows, the keyword being “credibility”.The tempo was somewhat slowed down,
as Monday's row over the role of the National Council and leaks started to
blow over. But reports that UN Secretary-general Annan might be visiting
the island later this month re-shifted emphasis on the Cyprus
problem.Opposition AKEL highlighted the discrepancies in the government's
policy, suggesting the administration was in disarray. Quoting Government
Spokesman Michalis Papapetrou, ruling DISY boss Nicos Anastassiades and
Foreign Minister Yiannakis Cassoulides, the paper said they each had a
different take on whether important developments were on the cards.For his
part, senior AKEL officer Andreas Christou focused on President Glafcos
Clerides, remarking that he was playing “election campaign games”. He was
referring to recent comments by Clerides, who seemed to be suggesting he
had some inside information on the negotiations on Cyprus but could not
make these public.“Is this an election gimmick or what?” said Christou.
“Just like in 1993 and 1998, DISY is trying to convince people that the
Cyprus problem is at a crossroads.” To back his argument, Christou quoted
Turkish leader Tayyip Erdogan, who in an interview said that in coming
months Turkey's major foreign policy concern would be the Iraq crisis, not
Cyprus.He added that the opposition was both able and willing to handle
developments in the Cyprus issue if these came up.This last comment was
derided by the government spokesman, who remarked that “suddenly, the
rejectionist camp have been transformed into the champions of rapprochement
and a settlement.”Meanwhile Markides directly questioned the credibility of
Tassos Papadopoulos' candidacy. He said that Papadopoulos' law firm was
being investigated abroad for possible implication in breaking the UN
embargo on the Milosevic regime.“If we get a president like that, the
people will inherit his problems. It should be the other way round,” said
Markides.As Attorney-general, Markides headed local investigations into
whether Papadopoulos was linked to breaking the embargo imposed on
Yugoslavia.“There is a sense among foreign countries, particularly the sole
global superpower, that Papadopoulos was involved in this. Whether it's
true or not, I don't know. What matters is that the United States thinks
that. So is this the kind of president we want? Our people would be
unnecessarily saddled with additional problems.”Markides also re-issued a
challenge to Papadopoulos for a face-to-face live televised debate. “So far
he has avoided this.”The three main candidates -- Clerides, Papadopoulos
and Markides -- have yet to appear together in a debate.
Apologise or meet us in court: Politis lashes out at poll critics
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Apologise or meet us in court: Politis lashes out at poll critics
Wednesday, February 12, 2003
[03] Apologise or meet us in court: Politis lashes out at poll criticsBy
a Staff ReporterPOLITIS newspaper yesterday threw the gauntlet down at
politicians, warning them to take back innuendo that opinion polls were
fixed or face legal action.By law, the publishing of polls is prohibited in
the last week before the elections. But a string of surveys published in
the press and aired on TV has kept audiences glued to their screens and
fuelled endless scenarios.During the TV poll debates, not all criticism was
levelled at political parties and their candidates. Polling companies also
came under heavy fire, with some politicians suggesting irregular methods
were being used to influence the public.Some of the more explosive comments
included DISY deputy Prodromos Prodromou's remark last week that polls in
Cyprus were becoming “trash”. Prodromou, who is backing independent
candidate Alecos Markides, said that the methodology used by some pollsters
was questionable at best. Meanwhile on a live radio show on Monday, he said
poll-taking, with its huge TV viewer ratings, had become “big business”. He
referred in particular to phone polls published by Politis, saying that
such surveys used very small samples and that their methodologies were not
transparent.Politis yesterday demanded an apology, warning Prodromou that
it would take matters to court. The paper gave the DISY deputy a 6pm
deadline yesterday to clarify whether he meant its pollsters were “on the
take”. The same notice was given to former Nicosia mayor Lellos Demetriades
and DISY boss Nicos Anastasiades, who remarked that “many pollsters will be
out of a job after these elections are over”.“I'm not really taking this
seriously,” Prodromou told the Cyprus Mail. “Perhaps these warnings are
issued out of guilt; perhaps some people out there are getting really
worried.“They carry out a poll with just 400 respondents, then publish it
in huge print on the front page; well, at least they could get their
numbers straight,” said Prodromou, saying that the percentages in one
Politis poll did not add up to 100.Markides' poll ratings have been dropping since he announced his candidacy. The Attorney-general started out with about 15 per cent, falling to 8-9 per cent in the latest polls.Joked Prodromou: “After I first criticised Politis about their survey, there came out another poll, giving Markides even lower figures. Sour grapes? You be the judge.”The polls show opposition DIKO candidate Tassos Papadopoulos leading his rivals by a significant margin; incumbent President Clerides is in second place, trailed by Markides.
Apologise or meet us in court: Politis lashes out at poll critics
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Wednesday, February 12, 2003
[04] 21,000 to fly in to vote - pilots permittingBy a Staff ReporterSOME 21,
000 Cypriots living abroad will be flying back to the island to vote in
Sunday's elections. That is, unless the national air carrier stages a
strike.Further measures by pilots' union PASYPI could cut right through the
parties' election plans. The union are in dispute over management scale
pilots flying training flights and have already gone on strike twice. The
second time, the government bypassed the strike by calling in other
carriers to take on Cyprus Airways' commitments.CY general manager Harris
Loizides yesterday played down concerns that the airline dispute might
jeopardise the smooth arrival of Cypriots during election time. “I think
that all these rumours are unfounded… I believe that common sense will
prevail.“It would be irrational for PASYPI to jeopardise the arrival of
thousands of voters,” he noted.CY's general manager added that the airline
had an open mind and was waiting for the Ministry of Labour to present its
mediation proposal.Loizides made the comments after meeting with President
Glafcos Clerides. He said that around 15,000 Cypriots would be travelling
to the island with CY, the rest with other carriers.
Apologise or meet us in court: Politis lashes out at poll critics
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Wednesday, February 12, 2003
[05] IMF warns against investor debt freezeBy Sofia KannasTHE International
Monetary Fund (IMF) is today expected to make public a report advising
Cyprus against any move to freeze investor debts, a source at the Central
Bank confirmed yesterday.The publishing of the report comes just days after
DIKO chief and presidential candidate Tassos Papadopoulos pledged to freeze
investor debts incurred in 1999, when thousands of small investors lost
millions on the Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE).The proposed move would see
commercial banks freezing investor debts incurred by small investors during
the collapse of the stock market, with the balance owed offset by raising
interest rates paid on deposits which commercial banks hold at the Central
Bank.The Central Bank source told the Cyprus Mail that the IMF had warned
of the perils of helping stock market investors in an IMF Consultation
paper published after the completion of the organisation's Mission to
Cyprus last November.The consultation paper, entitled 'Cyprus-2002 Article
IV Consultation, Preliminary Findings of the Mission', was published on
November 4 last year and warns:“Strengthening legislation and enhancing
supervision can help restore confidence in the stock market… (however) it
is important for the government clearly to signal that stock market
investment losses will not be covered ex post by the public sector or by a
forced private sector bailout.” The Consultation paper also warned that
undue expectations of such an outcome would only result delaying the
resolution of the crisis, encouraging “reckless risk-taking in future.”The
Central Bank source said the report released today would probably reiterate
these recommendations:“In the IMF's view it would be unwise for anyone
other than the actual investors to have to bear the cost of such losses.”
Apologise or meet us in court: Politis lashes out at poll critics
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Wednesday, February 12, 2003
[06] Mystery over flamingo deaths at Salt Lake By Alex MitaTHE VETERINARY
Services were yesterday unsure as to what caused the death of 10 flamingos
at the Larnaca salt lake in the last two days. The flamingos, among
hundreds that migrate to the island's salt lakes each winter, were found
dead by passers-by on the shores of the lake.When observing the flocks
congregating around the salt lake, scientists have also noticed that some
of the birds have become indifferent to the presence of humans in the area,
something that does not match their usual behavioural pattern. Speaking to
the Cyprus Mail yesterday, Veterinary Surgeon Klitos Andreou said the
exact cause of the birds' death was still a mystery. “Post mortem
examinations on the flamingos showed deformities of the internal organs,”
Andreou said, “but we have still not been able to determine the exact cause
of death. “We have taken samples of mud and water from the lake and the
results are expected to be submitted in a couple of days.”Andreou said
scientist were expected to determine whether the birds died as a result of
poisoning by food or water that might have been contaminated, or from by a
disease that they brought with them from another country.Green Party deputy
George Perdikis, who visited the lake yesterday together with veterinary
service officials, said many suspicions sprang to mind as to what might
have killed the flamingos.“There are many suspicions, some of which lean
towards the operation of the firing range that has been operating illegally
next to the lake for years,” he said.“There is also the possibility that
the birds have been poisoned by herbicides sprayed by farmers on weeds
around the lake.”Perdikis urged farmers to stop using pesticides and
herbicides around the lake as they interfere with its sensitive
environment. No deaths have been recorded at the other salt lake in
Akrotiri.
Apologise or meet us in court: Politis lashes out at poll critics
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Wednesday, February 12, 2003
[07] Filipina determined to fight for right to stay after immigration
ordealBy Tania KhadderLAST Friday at 4pm, Maria (not her real name) was
about to board a Cyprus Airways flight on the first leg of her 16-hour
journey to the Philippines. Seven months pregnant by a Cypriot man and
suffering complications, she was being deported for not having a visa to
stay in the country.She continued to voice her objection up to the final
minutes and despite orders by Immigration officers, she refused to walk
onto the plane. Her own refusal combined with pleas by the Immigrant
Support Action Group (ISAG), particularly her adviser Josie Christodoulou,
saved her, at least until the birth of her baby. Now she is determined to
prove paternity and fight her case to stay on the island.“I just thank God
for ISAG and for Josie,” Maria, aged 28, told the Cyprus Mail yesterday.
“Without them I would have been back in the Philippines now.”Now she has
earned a reprieve until the baby is born, when she aims to carry out a DNA
test she hopes will prove her right to stay in Cyprus.Her nightmare began
when an anonymous caller tipped off Immigration to her illegal status, and
officers came to her house to prepare her for deportation.“They first took
me from my home to the hospital to check to see if I could travel and the
doctor told me I was okay,” Maria said. “I didn't want to go, and I knew
that my family at home would not accept me, but I felt I had no
choice.”Maria said immigration officers took her home to pack her things.
“They kept yelling at me to pack faster,” she said. They then took her to
Larnaca airport, where they told her she would sleep in a chair and wait
for her flight the following afternoon. But despite being approved for
travel, Maria felt weak, and feared she would not make it through the long
flight and five-hour layover in Dubai. “That night, I was bleeding so I
went to tell Immigration I wasn't feeling well,” Maria said. “And they
yelled at me and called me a liar, and told me to go back to my seat and
that the doctor said I should be okay.”When she was still sick the
following morning and began to vomit, they agreed to take her to the
hospital, where doctors told her she was sick as a result of her overnight
stay at the airport.“The doctor said it was too cold, and that because they
didn't give me a blanket, I was weak and bleeding,” she said. But despite
such difficulties, Immigration took her back to the airport intending to go
through with the deportation. It wasn't until the last minute when Maria
was still sick and refused to board the plane that she was told she would
not be forced to leave. When Maria left the Philippines in January 2001,
she had envisioned a better life for herself and her three children back
home. Two years later, she is pregnant, unable to work and has narrowly
escaped deportation twice. Divorced, with the family's financial burden
resting on her shoulders, she was working in Cyprus to send money home. “I
came here to Cyprus in order to earn money to send back to my children
because they are going to school now,” Maria told the Cyprus Mail. But
Maria claimed her employer physically abused her, and when she complained,
she was fired and from then on was considered illegal. “I reported the
abuse to the police. I went for a report at the Strovolos police station
and I had a medical certificate from the hospital showing my injuries.”She
went on to work at a fish factory in Paphos, where she was introduced to a
Cypriot fisherman who claimed to be looking for a Filipina wife. Soon after,
she became involved with him.“He told me I didn't have to work. That he
would help me and give me money to send my children. And he gave me some at
first,” Maria said. “He told me he had no children and wanted us to make a
baby.” When she got pregnant, however, things changed rapidly. “He knew
that I was pregnant and he was finished with me,” she added. “I tried to
report him so that he would have to support my baby, but he denied that it
was his. He said he wanted a DNA test. But we can't do it until the baby is
born in April. At that point, I will have the right to stay in Cyprus
because I will prove my baby is Cypriot.” At three months pregnant, she
found out that the father of her baby was in fact married, but separated,
and had four children of his own. “I want to fight. He must support my
baby. I heard that he has done the same thing to another Filipina before me,
and his wife sent her back when she was pregnant.“Now he is with another
woman. He claims my baby is not his, but the day I was supposed to leave,
he sent me a text message on my phone saying 'Have a safe trip my love, and
take care of my baby.'“He was so happy I was leaving, and now he is scared
to know that I have stayed,” she said. Maria hopes that after her baby is
born, she will be able to collect child support and work for a while to
make a better life for herself and soon-to-be four children. She says her
struggle to stay is a fight for all Filipinos on the island. “We are
expected to keep quiet because we are not Cypriot. But I am going to put up
a fight,” she added.Immigration was not available for comment.
Apologise or meet us in court: Politis lashes out at poll critics
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Wednesday, February 12, 2003
[08] Pupil held after school arsonBy a Staff ReporterA 16-YEAR-old boy
arrested on Monday in connection with a suspected arson attack on a
Limassol school has been remanded in custody after appearing before
magistrates, police confirmed yesterday.According to police reports, the
fire, which gutted a storage room at Limassol's Lanitio Lyceum 'A' last
Friday, was started by the suspect using petrol.The suspect, a pupil at the
school, was allegedly seen by a witness leaving the scene of the fire on a
moped shortly after the storage room caught fire.Police said the 16-year-
old, who has not been named, confessed to the deed but did not give reasons
for his actions. He also denied having an accomplice, though police were
yesterday searching for two other persons in connection with the
incident.No injuries were reported as most pupils were safe inside their
classrooms when the fire broke out last Friday morning.
Apologise or meet us in court: Politis lashes out at poll critics
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
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