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Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 04-05-20Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>CONTENTS
[01] Washington reiterates its regret Annan plan was not approved0850:CYPPRESS:01Washington reiterates its regret Annan plan was not approved by Demetris Apokis Washington, May 20 (CNA) -- Washington reiterated its regret the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan was not approved during the April 24 Cyprus referendum. [02] Candidates submit bids for European Parliament elections0915:CYPPRESS:02Candidates submit bids for European Parliament elections Nicosia, May 20 (CNA) -- European elections candidatures were being submitted here today, officially signaling the start of the election campaign. The elections will take place on Sunday, 13 June 2004 and Cypriots will be called to choose six deputies as provided by the Nice Treaty - to represent their country in the European Parliament. [03] Bank of Cyprus announces results for 2004 first quarter0935:CYPPRESS:03Bank of Cyprus announces results for 2004 first quarter Nicosia, May 20 (CNA) -- The Bank of Cyprus Group's core profit after tax for the first quarter of 2004 amounted to 10,6 million pounds (18,1 million euros), recording a significant increase (75%) compared to the first quarter of 2003. [04] Weather forecast for Cyprus1315:CYPPRESS:04Weather forecast for Cyprus Nicosia, May 20 (CNA) -- The Meteorological Office at Larnaca International Airport has issued the following weather forecast for Cyprus: Friday and Saturday: 21/5/2004 to 22/5/2004 -------------------- The weather on Friday will be mainly fine, with some local cloud. The wind will be southwest to northwest moderate 3 to 4 bf and the state of sea slight. During night time the weather will be fine with light catabatic winds 2 to 3 bf. The state of sea will be up to slight. On Saturday, the weather is expected fine with moderate sea breezes. The minimum will range from 10 degrees over the mountains to 14 over the western coastal areas and to 16 inland and over the southern and eastern coastal areas. The maximum will range from 19 degrees over the mountains, to 24 degrees over the western and northern coastal areas, to 26 degrees over the southern and eastern coastal areas and to 28 inland. Outlook for Sunday and Monday: 23/5/2004 to 24/5/2004 ----------------------- On Sunday and Monday, the weather will be fine with local cloud. The temperature will increase further. [05] *Submission of candidatures for Euro elections ends1420:CYPPRESS:05Submission of candidatures for Euro elections ends Nicosia, May 20 (CNA) -- The process of submitting candidacies for next month's elections for the European Parliament ended here today without any problem, Chief Returning Officer for the elections Lazaros Savides said. He said that a total of 59 candidates (13 women) are seeking to secure one of six seats allocated to Cyprus according to the EU Nice Treaty. He said party coalitions and individual parties submitted the names of their candidates in addition to seven individuals, including one Turkish Cypriot Mehmet Hasan and one Armenian Cypriot. The eight parties that submitted a list of six candidates are the following: New Horizons, Democratic Rally, Socialdemocrats Movement EDEK, United Democrats under the name ''EDI-Movement for Political Modernisation-European Cyprus, Democratic Party, Movement of Ecologists-Environmentalists, left wing AKEL and Rally for Europe. The Popular Socialist Movement submitted four names of candidates and the following are individual candidates: Keti Evagorou, Andreas Efstratiou, Antonis Agapiou, Andreas Ioannou, Mehmet Hasan, Kostas Kyriakou Utopos and Arto Malian. The candidates will appear on the ballot paper in alphabetical order, with the party candidates appearing first, then combinations of parties and then individual candidates. Interior Minister Andreas Christou said this was an important day for the people of Cyprus which signals formally participation in the European Parliament, a move he described as ''a very significant step relating to EU matters and issues of international concern.'' Government Spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides welcomed the candidacy of a Turkish Cypriot, saying it proved that Europe and these elections were for all the citizens of the Republic. On the issue of another Turkish Cypriot (Sener Levent) who was not allowed to submit his candidacy because he was not on the electoral roll, as the law prescribed, the Spokesman expressed regret about this and explained that it was not possible for legal and technical reasons for Sener Levent to be a candidate for these elections. ''The government had published in Turkish Cypriot papers in Turkish announcements calling on Turkish Cypriots to register as voters, something which Levent did not do. It was not possible to submit one's candidacy if one was not on the electoral list,'' he explained. The spokesman said that this provision of the law applied to all citizens of the Republic irrespective of which community they come from. On the same issue, Minister Christou said the Republic had no responsibility since it had published repeatedly calls to the Turkish Cypriots to register in the electoral roll through announcements in the Turkish Cypriot press which invited the Turkish Cypriots to fill in the relevant applications to register as voters for the June elections. Levent is the editor of Turkish Cypriot daily ''Africa'', a harsh critic of the illegal regime in Turkish occupied Cyprus led by Rauf Denktash. The premises of the paper were attacked and he and other journalists working with him served prison sentences on defamation charges against Denktash. Levent protested what happened today, claiming this was ''discrimination'' against Turkish Cypriots and saying he would appeal to the European Court. ''I am not going to lose anything from this. I think the people of Cyprus will though. These are historic elections in which Greek and Turkish Cypriots should vote together,'' he said. On a legal problem that arose with regard to the second distribution of seats, as prescribed by existing legislation, Savides said the Law Office of the Republic ruled that the Chief Returning Officer will decide whether a combination of independent names who submit their candidacy constitute a political party and are therefore eligible to participate in the second distribution of seats for the European Parliament. He explained that the problem arose when questions were raised as to the exact interpretation of the law about the definition of a party or a combination of parties. The Attorney General said it was up to the Chief Returning Officer to decide on what constitutes a party. Savides said he would study carefully some documents and laws before deciding on what constitutes a party which could go on to claim seats in the second distribution of seats. [06] Cyprus will not tolerate undermining of Republic, says Speaker1425:CYPPRESS:06Cyprus will not tolerate undermining of Republic, says Speaker Larnaca, May 20 (CNA) -- The Council of Europe (CoE) and the CoE Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) cannot possibly make attempts to upgrade the presence of Turkish Cypriots at the CoE which will be illegal, Cyprus House of Representatives President Demetris Christofias has said. Speaking upon his return to Cyprus from Strasbourg where he participated in the conference of the speakers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the CoE, Christofias said he stressed during his meetings that the underming of the Republic of Cyprus cannot become acceptable. [07] Cyprus Stock Exchange
[08] Cyprus, Armenian FMs discuss regional issues and bilateral relations1435:CYPPRESS:08Cyprus, Armenian FMs discuss regional issues and bilateral relations Nicosia, May 20 (CNA) -- The Cyprus problem, Cyprus' accession to the EU, the Cyprus - Armenia relations, the problems in the Caucasus region and the issue of Nakorno Karabagh were on the agenda of discussions here today between Cyprus Foreign Minister George Iacovou and his Armenia's counterpart Vartan Oskanian, who is paying a working visit to Cyprus. In his statements after the meeting Oskanian stressed the importance of Cyprus' accession to the EU for Armenia noting that ''we see Cyprus as a friendly country, as an insider in the EU and that we can rely on its help to further advance our integration processes with European structures and particularly with the EU''. He also said that the reason of his visit to the island is ''first of all to advance and deepen our bilateral ties at all levels.'' Iacovou said ''Armenia is a friendly country with very old ties with Cyprus'' and that their modern ties develop continuously at all levels and mostly at the political level. [09] Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus1545:CYPPRESS:09Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus Nicosia, May 20 (CNA) - Today's weather and temperatures for Cyprus, according to the Meteorological Service at Larnaca International Airport are: Temperatures (degrees Celcius) Station Maximum Minimum Weather (At 1200 UTC) Nicosia 26 15 FINE Larnaca 26 15 FINE Limassol 26 14 FINE Paphos 23 13 FINE [10] * Euro election hopefuls promise to work for Europe and Cyprus1615:CYPPRESS:10Euro election hopefuls promise to work for Europe and Cyprus Nicosia, May 20 (CNA) -- Party leaders accompanied their chosen candidates for the June European Parliament elections as they submitted their documents to the Chief Returning Officer for the European Elections and expressed hope that their party would gain one seat or two out of the six seats Cyprus is entitled to. In their turn, individual candidates, accompanied by those who supported their candidacy, explained why they were putting forward their names for election, saying they would work for Europe and Cyprus. AKEL Secretary General Demetris Christofias said he was sure that the people would give their vote to AKEL candidates to work for a social and democratic Europe with all the forces of the left at the European Parliament. He said he hoped the party would gain a very high percentage of the vote (currently estimated at 34 per cent according to the last parliamentary elections here). Nicos Anastasiades, leader of the Democratic Rally, said he was proud to have such an impressive array of candidates for the European Parliament and appeared convinced that DISI would elect two deputies in the 13 June elections. He said the party would attempt to inform the people about the electoral programme of the European Popular Party which DISI has adopted which relate to the management of domestic and national matters within the European Parliament. First deputy president of the Democratic Party Nicos Pittokopitis said Cyprus entered a new era with vision and called on people to back the six DIKO candidates. He said it was up to the electorate to decide how many deputies DIKO would have at the European Parliament, which the party will respect. EDEK leader Yiannakis Omirou appeared convinced that the party would be represented to the European Parliament and called on everybody to support EDEK candidates so that Cyprus would have a presence where the decisions are taken. He said today was a ''special day'' for the Republic of Cyprus as it marked its participation in the collective democratic procedures of the EU. New Horizons party leader Nicos Koutsou said that now Cypriots had a yardstick of comparison as they joined European norms at election time and said he was pleased that the superiority of political parties was becoming a thing of the past. ''We cannot exclude an independent coalition from a second distribution of seats which may have gained more votes than a party,'' he added. Yiannis Ioannou, of the independent coalition ''European Cyprus'', supported by the United Democrats, the Movement for Political Modernisation and the Movement for a European Cyprus, said he hoped the coalition would give the people ''an attractive option and we hope they vote for us.'' George Perdikis, General Secretary of the Environmentalist Movement, said the six candidates, three women and three men, would represent the interests of the people of Cyprus, noting that the party aimed at electing a deputy to join the Green group at the European Parliament. Turkish Cypriot Mehmet Hasan, professor at the University of Istanbul, expressed hope that his candidacy would serve as a bridge for peace between Greek and Turkish Cypriots and Greece and Turkey. He said this was the first time Greek and Turkish Cypriots were voting together. Yiannakis Matsis, who heads the coalition ''Rally for Europe'', expressed hope that it would be represented in Brussels. He said the coalition encompassed the mass of voters from the Democratic Rally party who opposed a UN proposed solution plan. Two of the ''Rally for Europe'' candidates used to be deputies for the Democratic Rally but were struck off the party members list. Keti Evagorou, the first independent to submit her candidature, represented the ''United Liberal Party for Cyprus'' said her experience through the Liberal party in England in European bodies gave her the expertise to become a candidate for Cyprus. Andreas Efstratiou, an independent candidate, said his goal was to see a just and viable political settlement and all the refugees return to their homes. Kostas Kyriakou, another independent candidate, said he wanted to see justice done. [11] Cyprus satisfied with Karamanlis - Annan meeting1615:CYPPRESS:11Cyprus satisfied with Karamanlis Annan meeting Nicosia, May 20 (CNA) -- Nicosia is satisfied with the discussions Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis had with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan during their recent meeting in New York, according to Cyprus Foreign Minister George Iacovou. [12] Cyprus can be a bridge between EU and neighbors, says House President1430:CYPPRESS:12Cyprus can be a bridge between EU and neighbors says House President Nicosia, May 20 (CNA) Cyprus can act as the bridge between the European Union and its neighbors, including the Republic of Armenia, agreed both Cyprus House President Demitris Christofias and Armenian Foreign Affairs Minister Vartan Oskanian. [13] Cyprus government condemns killings in Rafah1700:CYPPRESS:13Cyprus government condemns killings in Rafah Nicosia, May 20 (CNA) -- The government of the Republic of Cyprus strongly condemns yesterdays killing and injuring of peaceful Palestinian demonstrators in the district of Rafah in the Gaza Strip, many of them women and children. [14] Cyprus President to meet UN SG on 3 June1955:CYPPRESS:14Cyprus President to meet UN SG on 3 June Nicosia, May 20 (CNA) -- Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos will meet UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 3 June in New York. Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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