Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 01-06-16

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From: The Cyprus Mail at <http://www.cyprus-mail.com/>

Saturday, June 16, 2001

CONTENTS

[01] Airport staff threaten further action over privatisation

[02] Shacolas gets an OBE

[03] Kyprianou also has lung tumour

[04] Police seize 28kg of cannabis in woman's luggage

[05] British tourists in deadly bike smash

[06] British tourists accused of peddling ecstasy in Ayia Napa

[07] Security Council renews UNFICYP mandate

[08] Christofias prefers his Peugeot to reject Mercedes

[09] Green light for new marina

[10] Greens denounce 'obscenity' of shark 'spectacle'

[01] Airport staff threaten further action over privatisation

ONE DAY after Larnaca and Paphos airports were paralysed for two hours by striking employees, unions yesterday threatened to step up industrial action if the government went ahead with privatisation plans.

A total of 24 flights, many of them carrying holidaymakers, were cancelled between 6 pm and 8 pm on Thursday.

The walkout by civil aviation staff was sparked by the government's decision to tender for a partner to develop the airports at Larnaca and Paphos.

Fourteen companies have been short-listed. The winner, expected to be announced later this year, will get the rights to run the two airports for a period of between 15 and 20 years. The controversial government bill has been tabled before the House plenum and is pending parliamentary approval.

The strikers yesterday came under fire from the Communications Ministry and the tourism sector for "harming the economy and the tourism business".

Minister Averoff Neophytou expressed his "sadness about the inconvenience caused to travellers and the tourism industry by the strike". He was speaking after a meeting at his ministry to discuss the effects of the strike.

"The protest has put our country's reputation in the tourism business on the line," charged Vassos Pyrgos, the Communications Ministry's general manager.

Pyrgos also dismissed airport employees' claim that the privatisation plans would cost the state £600 million.

"We will not suffer any losses. We will in fact make a profit out of this according to a government study," he argued.

"I am sure that the House of Representatives will back the scheme," he said.

The secretary-general of Hoteliers' union PASIXE, Zacharias Ioannides, who took part in the meeting at the ministry, described the strike as unacceptable.

"It is unthinkable for the tourist industry to suffer such a blow in a free market," he said.

But airport employees, who are members of PEO and SEK trade unions, turned a deaf ear to the complaints.

"We demand that the government withdraws the bill from the House. If it doesn't, then we will step up our action," warned Savvas Alexandrou, a representative of civil aviation staff.

"We know our interests will not be affected by the project. But taxpayers' pockets will definitely be affected because the plan will cost the state £600 million," he said.

Asked why he thought the plan would be so costly, Alexandrou used the following example to back his argument: "Services and facilities at Spata airport in Athens cost a lot to carriers using the airport because it's run by the private sector. An airline company spends an extra £14 for every traveller flying from Larnaca to Athens or vice versa. You can see where I am coming from," he explained.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[02] Shacolas gets an OBE

"Her majesty the Queen has appointed Mr Nicolas Shacolas OBE to be an honorary Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire," a British High Commission statement read yesterday.

Shacolas, owner of the Shacolas Group, which included Woolworths Cyprus, gets the OBE for his "valuable services" to relations between Britain and Cyprus and to the Cypriot community.

Shacolas will receive his OBE from British High Commissioner Edward Clay on July 3.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[03] Kyprianou also has lung tumour

SPYROS Kyprianou was yesterday diagnosed as suffering from a lung tumour, as well as the bone-cancer of the pelvis he began radiotherapy treatment for on Wednesday.

Doctors at the Bank of Cyprus Oncology Centre said the lung cancer had probably given rise to the bone cancer. Both are malignant.

The medics said the 68-year-old former President would begin chemotherapy to combat the lung tumour next week, while continuing the radiotherapy treatment for the pelvic cancer.

They expressed confidence they could "control" Kyprianou's cancer, provided he responded well to therapy.

"Malignancy is bad wherever it is, but can be dealt with," said Dr Demetris Andreopoulos, one of the team of doctors treating Kyprianou.

The doctors professed themselves "calm" about the whole situation and repeated that they were encouraged by the former DIKO leader's "optimism" in facing his latest health problems.

Dr Andreopoulos said he and his colleagues were not overly concerned about the fact that Kyprianou had undergone open-heart surgery 18 months ago. Kyprianou is not, at the moment, expected to travel abroad for treatment.

"Kyprianou will continue to be treated from home, through visits to the centre," the oncology centre medic said.

The doctors also announced that Kyprianou, one of the island's best-known public figures, would be inviting the media to his home for statements at 10.30am today.

When he stepped down as House of Representatives president earlier this year, Kyprianou drew the curtain on a 40-year political career that included a decade as President, between 1978 to 1988, and 12 years as Foreign Minister before that.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[04] Police seize 28kg of cannabis in woman's luggage

TWENTY-eight kilos of gift-wrapped cannabis - one of the largest hauls in recent years - were discovered at Larnaca airport in the luggage of a Bulgarian woman, police said yesterday.

The 30-year-old woman and two compatriots, a 60-year-old woman and a man aged 30, were detained as soon as the drugs were found.

Police later arrested the woman's 31-year-old husband, a Cypriot living in Nicosia.

The three Bulgarians had just arrived on the 10.40pm flight from Sofia on Thursday.

The four suspects yesterday morning appeared before the Larnaca district court.

Police told the court they were investigating illegal possession and import of drugs with intent to supply and conspiracy to commit a felony against the four suspects.

The court heard that police had had information that the 30-year-old woman and her husband were involved in the importation and trafficking of illegal substances.

Police said customs and drug squad officers intercepted the Bulgarian woman and found 24 packets of cannabis in her three suitcases, carefully wrapped in shiny coloured paper and weighing 28 kilos in total.

The woman allegedly admitted the drugs belonged to her and that she had got them in Bulgaria.

Police did not find any drugs in the luggage of the other two suspects, but various personal items and luggage identification tags found in the suitcases apparently linked the three suspects.

The fourth suspect was arrested waiting outside, but claimed he did not know anything about the drugs.

Police said they had notified Interpol in an effort to track down the suspects' Bulgarian connection.

The four suspects were remanded in custody for eight days.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[05] British tourists in deadly bike smash

The rented bike hit a pavement and rammed into a tree, throwing both driver and passenger into a nearby wall, preliminary police investigations have revealed.

Neither of the riders, identified as 32-year-old Neil Austin Worsley and 26- year-old Colin James Murphy, was wearing a helmet. They were in Cyprus for a 15-day holiday and were staying at a hotel in Ayia Napa.

The incident occurred at around 6.30 in the morning.

Famagusta traffic police are investigating.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[06] British tourists accused of peddling ecstasy in Ayia Napa

POLICE on Thursday night arrested two British tourists in central Ayia Napa for the possession of 25 ecstasy tablets they had been trying to sell to club goers.

One of the people the pair had approached to sell drugs told police what had happened. The officers followed the pair into a nearby pub. When the police confronted them, the suspects fled and a chase ensued.

The two were to appear before the Famagusta district court yesterday.

Unconfirmed reports alleged the two had attacked the arresting officers and that it had been necessary to use force during their apprehension.

Ayia Napa mayor Barbara Pericleous was quoted yesterday as saying she had sent an S.O.S. to the Justice Ministry due to a litany of worries associated with unruly visitors.

The municipality is said to want to raise issues such as deportation of misbehaving 'pub crawlers', closing times of night venues, complaints that police are refusing to enforce regulations at certain favoured clubs and complaints from owners who are not issued operating licences.

However, Pericleous yesterday assured the Cyprus Mail that complaints and violations of the law were much down on last year and that that she was pleased with the situation in her town at this early stage of the holiday season.

"OK, we have some small problems, but when you have a lot of people, then you expect to have some problems," she admitted, but added, "we don't have the problems we had last year up to now".

She said obtaining extra police for the holiday season was an annual concern and that in this respect nothing had changed over previous years.

As for any new regulations to keep people in line, she mentioned nothing beyond respecting the existing laws: "If we behave according to the law, then everyone will be happy. The young ones will enjoy themselves better and they will go home safe," she said.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[07] Security Council renews UNFICYP mandate

THE U.N. Security Council yesterday renewed the UNFICYP peacekeeping force's 36-year mission in Cyprus for another six months, and restated its support for a federal settlement.

As recommended by UN chief Kofi Annan on May 30, the resolution renewing UNFICYP's mandate -- Resolution 1354 -- makes no concessions to Turkish demands for a separate agreement for the peacekeepers to operate in the occupied areas.

The government is expected to welcome the resolution approved in New York yesterday, but it is unlikely to please the occupation regime.

Adopted unanimously, Resolution 1354 points to a June 1999 resolution that rules out partition of the island as a settlement option. Resolution 1251 of 1999 calls on the two sides in Cyprus to enter into talks aimed at establishing a bizonal, bicommunal federation.

Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash abandoned indirect talks with President Glafcos Clerides last year, demanding recognition of his breakaway occupation regime.

The new resolution calls on the two sides to "address the humanitarian issue of missing persons with due urgency and seriousness". The Greek Cypriot side lists some 1,500 of its number as missing persons.

The Security Council also urges the Turkish Cypriot side and Turkish occupation forces to end restrictions imposed on the movement of UNFICYP personnel in the north since the end of June last year and to restore the military status quo ante at Strovilia.

The Turkish side advanced at Strovilia in the Famagusta area six months ago as part of its retaliation against UNFICYP for the last UN resolution renewing the peacekeepers' mandate. Denktash saw the resolution as unfavourable because it did not contain an addendum detailing his positions on a settlement.

There are just over 1,200 UNFICYP troops, from nine different countries, stationed in Cyprus. The peacekeepers have been here without a break since the outbreak of intercommunal fighting in 1964.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[08] Christofias prefers his Peugeot to reject Mercedes

Newly elected House President Demetris Christofias is still using his Peugeot, instead of the one-year-old £100,000-plus Mercedes he is entitled to use in his new position.

The car has been in the parking lot since his predecessor Spyros Kyprianou rejected it two months ago because it was "making squeaking noises at the back."

The official limousine was provided by the state for the former House President.

But after using it for about a year, Kyprianou complained that it produced disturbing noises which made him dizzy, and demanded that he be given a top- of-the-range BMW.

As former President, 69-year-old Kyprianou got to keep the state-provided BMW after he hung up his political boots in May.

The abandoned Mercedes, which has been sitting at the Finance Ministry's parking place since Kyprianou rejected it, now passes to the new House President for his official use.

But the AKEL leader has not touched the expensive limousine since he was elected as House President ten days ago and has been driven around in a three-year-old Saloon Peugeot provided by his party.

Christofias was not available for comment yesterday, but, according to AKEL sources, "he is not planning on using any Mercedes, and he might be given a new Peugeot instead."

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[09] Green light for new marina

TENDERS for the construction of a new Limassol marina will be sought within the next few days, the town's Mayor, Demetris Kontides said yesterday.

Kontides said government plans for a marina just west of the old Limassol port had been unanimously approved by the Limassol town council on Thursday night. The Mayor said he now expected the Commerce Ministry to push ahead with seeking tenders for construction of the new pleasure harbour.

The Cabinet has also approved another new marina site, plus the extension of two already approved yacht moorings, it was announced yesterday.

The other new marina will be at the Paralimni fishing shelter. The sites to be extended are the Larnaca marina and the site earmarked for a yacht harbour at Ayia Napa.

Marinas are one of the 'pet' projects of Commerce and Tourism Minister Nicos Rolandis, who sees yacht docks as a vital part of plans to upgrade the local tourism product.

The island currently has two marinas, at Limassol and Larnaca. A Paphos marina site has also been approved, bringing to six the number of planned or existing marinas on the island.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[10] Greens denounce 'obscenity' of shark 'spectacle'

THE GREEN Party yesterday denounced as a "brutal obscenity" the media's coverage of the slaying of a white shark off the coast of Limassol on Thursday.

A Green statement characterised the killing as a "public execution" cast by the media as a "heroic act" and charges: "the killing of a dangerous animal is perhaps a necessary choice when a man is threatened".

However, it goes on to slam media treatment of the shark's slaughter: "The killing of even the most dangerous animal cannot be presented as a public spectacle and is intolerable in a civilised country that respects animals."

Local fisherman surrounded and speared the animal to death shortly after passengers on a cruise ship spotted it in shallow waters near the coastline at about 10am. The sighting created waves of panic as school children were sunbathing on a nearby reef, although there were no reports that anybody was actually swimming in the vicinity.

When dragged ashore, the carcass was measured at 2.5 metres and nearly 800 kg.

This specimen is believed to be the first of its kind ever observed in Cyprus. The species, found over a wide range of tropical and temperate habitats throughout the world, is listed as endangered in many parts of the world

Known to attack swimmers and boats, the white shark tends to be very aggressive and has gained notoriety as a 'man eater'.

Marine Police have refused to comment on the incident.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

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