Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 98-12-12

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

Saturday, December 12, 1998

CONTENTS

[01] Policeman sacked after road rage attack

[02] Diko rocked by defections

[03] Galanos to propose cut in interest rate ceiling

[04] Akel slams £70 million 'secret' tax

[05] Cyprus 'streets ahead' of other EU candidates

[06] Kurd out of danger

[07] 20 brands of Xmas lights withdrawn

[01] Policeman sacked after road rage attack

According to police, Pavlos Pavlou, of the police airborn unit, attacked the woman after the car he was in with two friends cut in front of the car in which she was a passenger.

Pavlou then allegedly got out of his car and marched over to the other vehicle before grabbing the woman's hair through a car window and hitting her repeatedly.

There were two other women in the victim's car, police said.

The girl had to be treated in hospital for head injuries.

The incident is being investigated.

Saturday, December 12, 1998

[02] Diko rocked by defections

PETROS Voskarides, a former senior member of opposition party Diko, yesterday announced his intention to join Diko's arch-rivals, governing Disy.

Expelled Diko deputy Katerina Pantelidou was also rumoured to be ready to join Disy, a move which would deal a further blow to a Diko party which has been in turmoil ever since it backed a loser in the February 1998 presidential elections.

A letter from Petros Voskarides, asking to be admitted to Disy, is to be read out to delegates at the Disy national conference today.

Voskarides, who is posted to the Cyprus embassy in Athens as a communications advisor, complained yesterday that Diko had become "inflexible" and "cliquey". "I believe Disy is a progressive party," Voskarides said in explaining his decision.

Pantelidou did not comment on the reports linking her to Disy yesterday. But Disy leader Nicos Anastassiades said his party was involved in a "positive" dialogue with the deputy.

Diko leader Spyros Kyprianou was silent on Voskarides's actions, and only commented indirectly on the reports concerning Pantelidou, saying it was high time parties drew up some sort of an agreement to cover defections by deputies.

Voskarides and Pantelidou broke ranks with centre-right Diko in the run-up to last February's elections, unhappy at the party decision to abandon a government coalition with right-wing Disy to join with left-wing Akel in backing presidential candidate George Iacovou.

Voskarides and Pantelidou, along with fellow dissenters Dinos Michaelides and Alexis Galanos, were shown the door by Diko in the aftermath of President Clerides's re-election on the back of Disy support.

Michaelides was re-appointed Interior Minister by Clerides while Galanos was appointed presidential advisor and formed his own party.

Voskarides, who was government spokesman during Kyprianou's presidency, did not mince his words in attacking his former party yesterday. "Diko has become a small closed club inaccessible even to people who have given their life and soul to the movement."

He said he had been disappointed by Diko's failure to show the flexibility that might have allowed him to re-join.

"I expected my party to make certain moves, unfortunately it is trapped by its own mistakes and the people in the Diko leadership into not making the openings that would have allowed the reinstatement of the defectors."

Voskarides added that he had no ambitions to any rank within Disy or to representing the party as a deputy.

"I come as a simple member and will remain so," he said.

Saturday, December 12, 1998

[03] Galanos to propose cut in interest rate ceiling

DEPUTY Alexis Galanos yesterday called for the interest rate ceiling to be lowered by two per cent until the government gets round to the full liberalisation to which it is committed under EU harmonisation plans.

Speaking as chairman of the House Finance Committee rather that leader of his Democratic Renewal party, Galanos said his proposal for a seven per cent ceiling was only a suggestion, and would need to be discussed fully.

He is bringing it before the Finance Committee this Thursday.

Galanos told a press conference that conditions in Cyprus had changed since a 1977 interest law set the maximum interest rate at nine per cent. He said the new maximum should be seven per cent, adding that even this number was high.

"There are no holy cows, nothing sacred or metaphysical about the number nine," Galanos said.

He said interest rates had to be flexible, to rise and fall in relation to the needs of the economy and that this was a basic economic tool.

Galanos said such a measure would not be necessary once interest rates were deregulated, as must happen before EU accession.

But he was making the proposal as a stopgap measure for the good of the economy, since, although there has been much talk on the issue, the government has so far failed to take any concrete steps towards interest rate liberalisation.

Galanos noted his proposal would in no way get in the way of the Finance Minister's eventual liberalisation plan, adding he felt the government must also have recognised the need for a rate cut.

Inflation currently stands at 2.2 per cent, making the real interest rate around seven per cent. This figure is much higher than most European levels, where the currently trend is distinctly downwards.

Galanos feels that the current figure is impractical and raises the cost of living in Cyprus.

"This interest rate is more than double or nearly triple international rates, something that is uneconomical, impractical, goes directly against investments and is unproductive for the economy of Cyprus."

He said the whole world was currently facing financial problems, especially in the area of development and believes a cut in rates will spur economic activity on the island.

"What's important is that the end result will be good for everyone in general," he continued, adding that some people always miss out, but that a strong economy would be good for everyone in the long run.

Galanos said that although Cyprus' EU accession bid meant the government would eventually have to conform to EU regulations on the economy, and that liberalisation was unavoidable, "we have to do something for ourselves until then."

And he added that he did not believe Cyprus' accession was as imminent as it may seem.

Saturday, December 12, 1998

[04] Akel slams £70 million 'secret' tax

THE GOVERNMENT is taxing consumers via the back door by keeping the price of petrol artificially high, opposition party Akel charged yesterday.

The price of crude has dropped from $26 in 1996 to $10 today, but the cost of petrol at the pumps has remained the same, Akel protested in a statement.

"Basically, an additional indirect tax is being imposed on consumers, which will reach a level of about £45 million in 1998," Akel stated.

In 1999, this "secret" taxation would net £70 million for the treasury, Akel claimed.

The left-wing party said the government had promised two years ago, when the House was voting on a bill to raise the retail price of petrol, that the price would be brought down if the cost of crude dropped. This promise has been broken, Akel claimed.

Last week, Commerce Minister Nicos Rolandis told the Cyprus Mail that the price of petrol at pumps would not be cut despite the price of crude being at its lowest level for decades. Rolandis said a good part of what the government collected from petrol sales was returned to the consumer in the form of electricity bill rebates. Much of the additional revenue went to the Defence Fund, he added, helping keep defence contribution levels down.

Akel demanded that the government end this "injustice" by lowering the retail price of petrol or by paying the money back to consumers in the form of subsidies to help the poor.

Otherwise, Akel would vote against an upcoming government bill proposing that petrol pump prices remain the same, the party stated.

The House finance committee is to debate the bill on Monday.

Committee chairman Alexis Galanos said yesterday that he supported the Akel stance, but would not comment further till he had seen the bill in detail.

Saturday, December 12, 1998

[05] Cyprus 'streets ahead' of other EU candidates

Van den Broek, responsible for EU enlargement, expressed the view during a meeting with President Clerides on the sidelines of the Vienna summit, according to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA).

The commissioner added that Cyprus had the ability to overcome any difficulties in keeping to the Maastricht criteria.

During a press conference yesterday, he said the EU was making a concerted effort to hold constructive dialogue with Turkey in a move to iron out difficulties relating to its membership ambitions.

"Turkey remains a strategic and important partner," Van den Broek said.

Ankara has been told to clean up its human rights record and help efforts to solve the Cyprus problem.

"Cyprus, as well as Greece, have always supported Turkey's European orientation," said government spokesman Christos Stylianides from the Austrian capital.

"Turkey has to realise that the Cyprus problem is a thorn in the side of Turkey's relation with the EU."

President Clerides will meet Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis today in a series of summit contacts to co-ordinate the island's push for membership.

Saturday, December 12, 1998

[06] Kurd out of danger

And the spokesman clarified that Shecko had sustained first and second degree burns, not second and third degree as previously thought.

"He just needs time." the spokesman concluded.

Shecko, 30, set fire to himself during a protest against attempts by a French judge to link Kurdish guerrilla leader Abdullah Ocalan to an extortion racket in France.

Fellow protesters and emergency services managed to smother the flames and he was rushed to the Makarios Hospital, where his condition was said to be serious. He was later transferred to Nicosia General.

Before being bundled into the ambulance, he managed to flash a V for victory.

The incident took place before his wife, Moulouta, and five-year-old son.

Ocalan has pleaded with his supporters to stop the wave of immolations that followed in the wake of his arrest at Rome international airport last month.

Italy has refused to extradite him to Turkey.

Saturday, December 12, 1998

[07] 20 brands of Xmas lights withdrawn

The Ministry of the Commerce, Industry and Tourism's Consumer Protection Service carried out an extensive investigation into all the lights available on the Cyprus market before drawing up the list.

Dangerous lights coming through customs have been seized while those already on the market have been voluntarily withdrawn.

The Service has published a list cataloguing the twenty dangerous types, sometimes identified by description alone as a brand name or country of manufacture was unavailable. People who have already bought the lights are advised not to use them.

The list is as follows:

100 music lights with music delights; 40 chaser light-C9 lamp shade (made in China); 140 music light-Musical bulbs twinkle with every note magically plus steady light feature (made in China); 100 miniature lights-five way flasher (made in China); Rice light (140 pieces, made in China); Mini bulb- 180 lamps Multi-function Music Colour-Season's Greeting; 10 lamps model Y- 508-10L (made in China); 20 lamps model Y-508-20L in star shape and in stars and ball shape (both made in China); 40 Outdoor Chaser Lights model 53040-79 (made in China); 100 Outdoor Chaser Lights model 53100-11 (made in China); Mini Kerts Verlichting model 224040 (made in China); Weihnachtsstern model G-502-15L (15 pieces, made in China); Superbright Flashing or Steady burning model JF-01 (100 pieces, made in China); 100 and 140 Chasing lights (both in a red box with hand-held control); 50 and 100 Miniature Lights (both in a red box); lamps for outdoor use model YH 105 (200 pieces, in a blue box) and Weihnachts-Silhouetten (50 pieces, in a blue and purple box).

Anyone wanting more information can call the Consumer Protection Service at 02-867219, 02-867185 or 02-867101.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1998

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