Cyprus Mail: Press Review in English, 99-03-04

Cyprus Mail: Press Review in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Cyprus Mail at <http://www.cynews.com/>

Thursday, March 04, 1999

Parties have little faith in dialogue

MOST of yesterday's papers led with reports about the series of meetings President Clerides will have with Party leaders to discuss the government's EU harmonisation measures. Clerides is seeking the support of the parties to pass the unpopular measures through the House.

Phileleftheros said that the dialogue would focus on pressing issues relating to the harmonisation with the EU acquis communautaire which involved public finances, consumer taxes, public spending etc. Priority would be given to the liberalisation of the credit system including interest rates, while the Central Bank would become independent.

In yesterday's first meeting, with the leader of the European Renewal Party, the Finance Minister and Central Bank governor would also be present. A government source said that the first requirement was to establish the divergence from the acquis communautaire and how harmonisation would be achieved. While the government had its plans, it did not want to be seen to impose them, which was why it sought party backing.

Simerini noted that the start of the dialogue had been taking place in a "climate of tension and heated incidents". It said that the public accusations by Diko leader Spyros Kyprianou directed at Clerides for misleading the parties on major issues, did not promote consensus.

It added that communist party Akel had also expressed its doubts about the dialogue, dismissing it as a government monologue. The party said it could not trust Clerides. However, the leader of Disy said it was absurd for some people to pay lip service to EU membership but, in practice to oppose it.

Haravghi, the Akel mouthpiece, claimed that the government was trying to escape from its isolation - caused by its countless blunders - by resorting to the dialogue which, in effect, was an attempt to impose unpopular measures and higher taxation.

Clerides was supposedly attempting to blackmail the political parties into supporting the harmonisation measures, the paper said. It cited the president's claim that strategic decisions on harmonisation were of critical importance as proof of the blackmail.

Alithia gave prominence to Clerides' call for a "the constructive approach demanded by the times". EU accession affected all members of society, which was why collective decision-making was required. The paper said that, despite the noise he had made, Kyprianou would still take part in the talks with Clerides.

Politis claimed that the Cyprus problem had become a priority issue for the United States thanks to the Ocalan affair. The tension caused and maintained by Turkey in its relations with Greece and Cyprus had caused the change of thinking in Washington, according to reliable sources.

The US had informed the EU that, after Kosovo, the situation in the eastern Mediterranean was in need of attention. For this reason, the State Department official Thomas Miller would be arriving in the region next week.

Machi reported that the Turkish occupation troops were ready to provoke a "heated incident" in Cyprus. The "full mobilisation" of the Turkish war machine had taken place and more troops and equipment had been brought on the island.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1999

Cyprus Mail: Press Review in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article