Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 02-10-21

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From: The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation at <http://www.cybc.com.cy/>

CONTENTS

[01] HEADLINES

[02] NATIONAL COUNCIL

[03] T/C PLAN

[04] DE SOTO CLERIDES

[05] KASOULIDES PRAGUE

[06] MARKIDES PLAN

[07] DENKTASH COMPLICATIONS

[08] GREECE MUNICI ELECTIONS

[09] MONTENEGRO RESULTS

[10] THAILAND BOMB

[11] WEATHER MONDAY 21 OCTOBER 2002

[01] HEADLINES

-- The contents of the draft plan for a Cyprus settlement, which according to turkish newspaper "Hurriyet" will be submitted by the United Nations, is being re-published by the Turkish Cypriot press today.

-- Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash was faced with another complication since the open heart surgery he underwent at Columbia University Clinic in New York on October 7.

And, -- Greece's opposition conservatives took control of key cities in local elections yesterday, but fell short in their efforts to force the country into a general election.

[02] NATIONAL COUNCIL

President of the Republic Glafcos Clerides informed Council members on his latest contacts in Athens and the decisions taken during his talks with Prime minister Costas Simitis and the greek government.

[03] T/C PLAN

According to the reports, the plan foresees for three states, one Greek Cypriot, one Turkish Cypriot and one common state, with complete quality and a multi- dimension sovereignty. The two states will provide for sovereignty in issues concerning internal governance while the external sovereignty will belong to a central state, the competence of which will be restricted on matters concerning the EU, foreign policy, defence and economy.

The presidential system will become parliamentary with a rotating president and every sate will have a prime minister and its parliament.

The lower parliament will comprise of deputies, the number of which will depend on the population of each side, while in the parliament the number of deputies will be equal.

The settlers will remain in the illegal regime and will obtain the citizenship of the new state while Greek Cypriots will have restrictions in the three basic freedoms.

According to the plan, the transitional period will last for a whole decade. Then Greek Cypriots will return to their homes, under a condition that they will not be more than 10 per cent of the Turkish population.

[04] DE SOTO CLERIDES

It is expected that a clearer picture will emerge as to whether the UN Secretary-General will submit a draft plan for a Cyprus settlement.

The meeting will take place at six this afternoon. Tomorrow, Mr. De Soto will meet Greek Foreign minister George Papandreou in Athens.

[05] KASOULIDES PRAGUE

He assured once again the Greek Cypriot side will not yield to any blackmail and will continue as long as necessary efforts to solve the Cyprus problem.

In statements before his departure this morning to Prague where he will attend a meeting of the ten EU candidate states, Mr. Kasoulides said the government is coming to some conclusions from the reports and documents of the direct talks, and that is why it is acting precautionary and substantially.

[06] MARKIDES PLAN

However, Mr. Markides wondered whether the Secretary-General will submit the plan.

Speaking on CyBC's third Radio Channel, Mr Markides expressed the view that Kofi Annan will wait for next month's elections in Turkey before deciding what to do.

He also said that today's meeting between President Clerides and Alvaro de Soto will discuss improving communication on what is happening and what is about to happen.

Mr. Markides said the meeting is taking place after President Clerides' initiative and that he will ask Mr. De Soto to clarify statements made by Rauf Denktash's Constitutional advisor, Mumtaz Soyzal about the existence of a draft settlement.

[07] DENKTASH COMPLICATIONS

According to the Turkish Cypriot press, Mr. Denktash yesterday underwent a new operation to close up the sternum which opened up again following the operation. The new operation was performed by Turkish cardiologist Mehmet Oz.

Mr. Denktash's close associate, Ergun Olgun said the operation was a success and the Turkish Cypriot leader is not facing any dangers. He will remain in the Intensive Care unit for two to three days to be monitored.

[08] GREECE MUNICI ELECTIONS

In the final round of two-stage elections for more than 1,000 mayors as well as governors and municipal councils, the New Democracy opposition won most of the country's major cities, including the capital Athens, second-largest city Thessaloniki and main port of Piraeus.

Their candidates also swept to victory in many regions in northern and central Greece and the southern Peloponese.

The high-profile battle for Athens was won by New Democracy's Dora Bakoyanni, daughter of Kostas Mitsotakis who was prime minister in the early 1990s, and widow of a politician gunned down by the November 17 urban guerrillas in 1989.

However socialist Prime Minister Costas Simitis' Pasok party won the race for governor of Athens and Piraeus and kept control of traditional strongholds in Greece's largest island of Crete. Mr. Simitis said the Greek people rejected these elections as a referendum for or against the government.

New Democracy leader Costas Karamanlis said the party had proved it was the country's strongest political force and the conservatives would not let up in their efforts to unseat Premier Simitis.

[09] MONTENEGRO RESULTS

President Milo Djukanovic's Democratic Party of Socialists and its Social Democrat allies secured around 39 seats in the 75-strong parliament, according to a local monitors' projection of the outcome of yesterday's general election.

Together they can form a majority government, replacing their fallen minority administration in the coastal Yugoslav republic of just 680,000 people.

Mr. Djukanovic has agreed to a European Union-brokered accord turning Yugoslavia into a looser federation, shelving plans for complete independence for at least three years.

[10] THAILAND BOMB

The government was quick to label the blast a criminal, not a terrorist, act saying it was the result of a personal dispute.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said the blast was not a terrorist act.

"Please do not write it in such a way that turns it into a terrorist act...it was basically a criminal act by nature, not a terrorist act," Thaksin told reporters.

There has been no recent history of attacks on government offices in central Thailand.

[11] WEATHER

Temperatures will rise to 28 C inland and on the south coast, 26 C on the west and 19 C on the mountains.

Tonight the weather will remain clear. Winds will be north-westerly to north-easterly light, two to three beaufort and the sea slight. Temperatures will fall to 16 C inland and on the west coast, 18 on the south and east and 11 on the mountains. The fire hazard remains very high in all forest areas.

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