Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 07-04-17

Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>

CONTENTS

[01] LYMBIA RESIDENTS - DEMONSTRATIONS

[02] CHRISTOFIAS - CPA

[01] LYMBIA RESIDENTS - DEMONSTRATIONS

Police said that around 500 men, women and even children joined the demonstrations, blocking the Nicosia Larnaca motorway in both directions, threw rocks onto the motorway and set fire to tyres and cars which they dropped onto the highway from a bridge.

Police are diverting traffic and making efforts to open the road.

So far nine people were taken to Larnaca General Hospital with minor injuries.

Justice and Public Order Minister Sofoclis Sofocleous expressed regret over the escalation of the measures taken by the Lymbia residents who oppose the construction of the waste plant.

The Lymbia community maintains that the plant should not be constructed in the proposed area, saying this would be an environmental hazard for the nearby area. The plant will cater for the Larnaca Famagusta area. However the government is adamant that the construction should proceed.

Speaking to CNA, the minister said the government decided to go ahead with the plant after a unanimous Cabinet decision and after exhausting the dialogue with the Lymbia residents.

He said when motorways are blocked and vehicles are prevented from reaching the construction site and when there are actions which go beyond law and order, then surely we cannot be pleased.

Sofocleous said that people have the right to demonstrate but only within the law and in a responsible social behaviour. The Police, he added, also have the right and are obliged to serve public interest.

Lymbia community leader Sofoklis Savas told CNA that the residents began blocking the proposed construction site since the early hours Tuesday and that the residents of the village have blocked the motorway.

The Community Council did not ask for such thing. They did this themselves, because they were frustrated after tear gas was thrown at them. They are out of control. I have appealed to them many times to stop such actions because they do not help our effort. We do not want such actions which undermine our struggle and I appeal to them to stop. We want a solution to solve our problem with all legal means, through talks and not extremist actions, he added.

Political parties have condemned the escalation of the measures.

[02] CHRISTOFIAS - CPA

Addressing the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association mid-year Executive Committee meeting in Limassol, Christofias said the extremely sensitive area of the Mediterranean acquires particular significance.

Christofias said that all the member-countries of the CPA condemn terrorism as a means for redressing injustice and as an alternative to exercising politics, just as we condemn state terrorism when exercised against entire peoples and populations

Referring to the Cyprus question, he said we remain committed to a settlement of bicommunal, bizonal federation, in accordance with international and European law and the pertinent UN resolutions.

In his address, chairman of the CPA Hashim Abdul Halim, conveyed the support of the Association to the people of Cyprus, the House of Representatives and the government in the search for a solution to the Cyprus problem which will comply with the democratic principles of the Commonwealth and its member states.

Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article