Cyprus Mail: Press Review in English, 99-07-09

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

Friday, July 9, 1999

Army knew of faulty tank fuel from the start

A VARIETY of local stories graced yesterday's front pages, with the Cyprus problem being given slightly less prominence than usual.

_Simerini

_ claimed that both the Ministry of Defence and the National Guard command had known from the start that the wrong type of fuel had been used in Russian T-80U tanks. The paper said that Russian technicians, in Cyprus to provide advice and training, had warned from the beginning that the fuel was unsuitable.

Six months later, the Russians issued the same warning, which was also repeated during contacts between Russian officers and Cyprus Ministry of Defence officials. The reply, repeatedly given to the Russians, was that the Defence Ministry had a contract with a specific company for the supply of fuel.

Because of the contract, "it had been implied it was difficult" for the suitable fuel to be supplied. However, the company supplying the fuel claimed that is was supplying the fuel that the Ministry of Defence had asked for.

_Politis

_ predicted that a "hot summer is in store for the island's industrial relations", as the government had tried to make modifications to the institution of the Cost of Living Allowance (CoLA), provoking "a strong reaction from the unions". Three of the biggest unions, Peo, Pasidy and Deok had promised to fight the changes and were ready to take "dynamic action".

These threats were prompted by the implementation of President Clerides' 1997 proposal to the unions for the exclusion of consumer taxes, (new or increases) from the calculation of the Cost of Living Index which determined CoLA. As a result, the 15 cent tax imposed on a pack of cigarettes was not incorporated in the calculation of the Cost of Living index, which had recorded a drop for the first time, the paper claimed.

_Machi

_ led with a report from the "front", as it described the Presidential Palace, the venue of many demonstrations. Despite the withdrawal of the fishermen at lunchtime on Wednesday after being promised a meeting with Clerides next week, potato growers were expected to arrive on Thursday.

The potato growers were to hold a "peaceful" demonstration and hand over a memo with their demands to Clerides. They would be joined by the water- sports owners, who were due to return to the palace on Thursday, after failing to agree a compromise about the new beach regulations with the Minister of Commerce and Industry.

_Phileleftheros

_ announced that the Islamic Conference held in Burkina Faso last week had given its full support to a confederation in its special resolution on Cyprus. The conference had adopted, in its entirety, the draft resolution that had been submitted by Turkey in April.

In view of the imminent initiative on Cyprus, the resolution "serves Ankara's strategic objective to secure, as a first step, the recognition of the Turkish Cypriot entity and, eventually, the full recognition of the pseudo-state". Ankara hoped to exploit these positions in the peace process, during which many foreign officials were expected to visit the north.

_Alithia

_ gave prominence to the decision of the Akel Central Committee to reject Disy's proposal for the co-operation of the two parties in the handling of the Cyprus problem. In a statement, Akel said that such a move would undermine efforts to establish a united front of all parties.

_Haravghi

_ gave prominence to another aspect of the Central Committee statement -- the assertion that the Cyprus problem "today finds itself in the worst position it has ever been". The statement demanded that any peace initiatives be within the UN framework.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1999

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