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Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 03-02-19
Wednesday, February 19, 2003
CONTENTS
[01] Cabinet speculation to the foreBy George PsyllidesDIKO said yesterday
it wanted its new government to give a first taste of change with the image
it would project, a party official said yesterday.With the elections behind
them, officials from the three main parties that supported president elect
Tassos Papadopoulos yesterday spent the day discussing the names of
potential ministers who would make up the new government.According to
reports, Papadopoulos had asked the parties to submit specific suggestions
for the ministries.Papadopoulos has reportedly requested more than one name
for each ministry so that he would have a choice in appointing the most
suitable person.DIKO's deputy chairman Nicos Cleanthous said yesterday it
was not a matter of lists but of suggestions concerning various individuals
through consultations and qualitative assessments.Cleanthous said DIKO's
suggestions would be ready by later yesterday or today at the latest.Asked
which ministries DIKO was angling for, Cleanthous replied: “DIKO's wish is
to see that the new government gives a first taste of change with the image
it will project.“We have to convince and satisfy the public feeling that
our choices, the image of the government, is worthy of the expectations,
not only of those who voted for us, but also of the rest of the people who
expect a lot from the new government,” Cleanthous said.He added that those
chosen to fill the slots would not be judged on whether they could draw
authority from the ministerial 'chair' but whether they could impart
authority to their office.What was important was suitability and quality,
Cleanthous said.Beyond that, there were no limitations nor issues of
quotas; it would be good to have young people, women, technocrats and
politicians, he added.But in the absence of any official information,
rumours on the matter were rampant yesterday.Reports said AKEL would be
getting four ministries, with finance, interior, labour, and education
among the favourites, DIKO three - trade, justice, and communications, and
KISOS two - defence and health.The agriculture ministry could go to a
widely accepted personality from the Green party, reports said, and the
foreign ministry was still a matter for discussion.Papadopoulos on Monday
said the new government would officially be announced on March 1 stressing
that only the most suitable would be selected.He added he was ready to
announce the new cabinet but he would not do it before officially taking
office.Yesterday, Papadopoulos met with AKEL and KISOS officials, as well
as Foreign Ministry Permanent Secretary Christodoulos Pasiardis and the
head of the intelligence service, Nicos Ioannou, who briefed the president
elect on security issues.Pasiardis conveyed messages of congratulations
from various foreign governments and officials, and discussed issues
concerning the foreign ministry with the president elect.
[02] Anastassiades: my actions prove how democratic I amBy George
PsyllidesDISY chief Nicos Anastassiades said yesterday his proposal to
refer the matter of the five dissident party officials to the party's
supreme council was proof of his democratic credentials and his desire to
give them the chance to speak out.The decision was an about turn for
Anastassiades, who on Sunday night - and with ballots still being counted -
went on air saying he would recommend the expulsion of five senior party
members for undermining President Glafcos Clerides' candidacy by supporting
election rival Attorney-general Alecos Markides.A fuming Anastassiades
blamed Prodromos Prodromou, Demetris Syllouris, Rikkos Erotocritou, Eleni
Vrahimi and Sophocles Hadjiyiannis for alienating KISOS leader Yiannakis
Omirou, who from DISY's one time candidate returned to the fold of the
opposition alliance.DISY's 'Gang of Five' were quick to return fire, with
Hadjiyiannis being the most vociferous, describing Anastassiades as an
autocrat acting solely out of pure self-interest.But on Monday -- in a move
seen as a strategic manoeuvre -- Anastassiades did not recommend the
expulsion of the 'five', suggesting the issue be discussed before DISY's
supreme council on Saturday.Anastassiades is thought to have changed his
mind because his proposal to expel the dissidents looked unlikely to gain
approval by the party's political bureau. Instead, the party leader is
banking on the supreme council, made up mostly of party loyalists, to oust
the 'five'.On Monday night, the dissidents got a taste of how they could be
treated on Saturday when they were jeered by a handful of party faithful on
their way to the political bureau meeting.But Vrahimi told the Cyprus Mail
yesterday she had information the 'faithful' had been assembled on
someone's instructions.“We have information that the wife of a specific
person was calling people to go there and create trouble,” she said.She
suggested this was a nasty throwback to the tactics of the 1960s.“We have
regressed to the 1960s by using ruffians today, in 2003,” Vrahimi said.The
outspoken DISY official said she was not going to the council on Saturday
because it was against the party's convention.She said the supreme council
had no authority to impose disciplinary measures, even with the proposed
amendments.“Tomorrow, Anastassiades will pass the amendments without asking
anyone to give the council the authorities of the new convention,” Vrahimi
said.But the structure of the council is not as it should be according to
the new convention, she added.“It's the same as the old one; you can't have
both (new powers but old structure),” Vrahimi said.She explained the reason
why Anastassiades had failed to follow the convention was because it gave
the authority for sanctions to the political bureau, where the DISY boss
did not have the necessary majority.“And because he didn't, he wants to
create an artificial majority.“We say its not authorised; whatever he does
he can't give authority to the old council with the new convention,”
Vrahimi said.She added: “We won't be present and he can do whatever he
wants; we won't consider ourselves expelled.”Vrahimi said they would still
be members of DISY and would continue to be until the electoral congress,
where 27,000 registered party members have the right to vote for the party
leadership.In the supreme council, there are only 300 votes.“If 27,000
people haven't realised where Anastassiades is leading DISY and vote for
him, fine, if they are so satisfied with Nicos Anastassiades' presence.“We
believe the leader should change for the party to advance and that's what
we'll try and do,” Vrahimi said.Anastassiades yesterday said he had decided
to refer the issue to the supreme council because he felt the 'five' should
get a chance to be heard.“This proves again my democratic outlook and
desire not to have anyone who could be expelled, expelled without speaking,
” he said.He added that the supreme council would also discuss his own
responsibility in the election fiasco, which saw opposition candidate
Tassos Papadopoulos sweep to power in the first round.Another of the rebels,
Prodromou, stressed the need for unity within the party, suggesting there
were only two ways to achieve that: by expelling the 'five', which would
unite the rest, or through reconciliation.Anastassiades yesterday pledged
to hold an electoral conference as soon as possible, which, according to a
statement, would judge the leadership and its policies.But if he succeeds
in getting rid of the dissidents, Anastassiades will remain virtually
unchallenged to claim DISY's leadership anew.
[03] Markides hits out at AnastassiadesBy George PsyllidesOUTGOING Attorney-
general Alecos Markides yesterday charged Nicos Anastassiades was blaming
others for DISY's election failure because he was desperate to hang on as
party chief.“I think a systematic effort has been made to blame me for
something I am not to blame for,” Markides said.He said this attempt was
tied to DISY's internal crisis and Anastassiades' desire to hang on to the
party leadership despite Sunday's election fiasco.“We had the spectacle of
a political leader coming out on election night trying to shake off his
huge responsibilities for the defeat of his candidate and then threaten
with expulsion some people who had the political courage to follow their
conscience, i.e. to put the interests of the country before the party's,”
Markides said.He argued Anastassiades should have had the courage to speak
out before, and not wait to see the result of the elections and then turn
on the dissenters.“Because the result had no second round, he immediately
attacked them, demanding their heads on a platter; if there had been a
second round then they would have been DISY's and Anastassiades' favourite
children,” he said.Anastassiades yesterday accused Markides, a former DISY
member, of derailing the party's election effort by standing as
candidate.“What does Mr Markides have to do with the DISY train when he
himself derailed it?” the DISY chief asked. “I don't care about Mr
Markides' critique and his arrogance, it's his problem.”Anastassiades said
DISY supporters were entitled to expect an apology from Markides and for
him to ask where he had led himself and the man, President Glafcos Clerides,
whom he supposedly esteemed and respected.Markides' supporters want him to
continue to lead the political movement that supported him through the
election campaign, but yesterday he said a series of district meetings
should be held first before any final decisions were taken on the future of
the movement.
[04] Relatives blast police in search for missing brothersBy Stefanos
Evripidou THE search for two brothers missing since Saturday from near
Kofinou continued yesterday with police forces and helicopter combing parts
of the island -- but to no avail.Relatives of the missing, Nicholas Sinesi,
31, and his 27-year-old brother Kyriacos, held up hundreds of cars on the
Larnaca-Limassol and Nicosia-Limassol highway yesterday in protest at what
they said were inadequate police efforts to locate the two.Family members
of the two brothers, both married with children, set up tractors and cars
at the four entry points of the motorway junction at around 11am, holding
up traffic on the two highways for half an hour. Relatives clashed and
exchanged abuse with police at the scene, charging them with failing to
adopt sufficient measures in their search. They called on police to bring
in the National Guard to help in the search for the brothers, who have been
missing for four days.The junction reopened to traffic by 11.30pm with
Larnaca Rural Officer, Theodoros Serghiou, calling on relatives to be
patient and calm while police continued investigations to locate the two
brothers. Police forces, including members of the Air Force Wing and the
Rapid Reaction Unit, used divers, officers and a police helicopter to comb
surrounding dams and lakes and the greater Kofinou area, where the missing
were last seen over the weekend. Marina and Navy police vessels covered the
coastal regions by sea from Governor's Beach to Cape Kiti. Police maintain
that search efforts began immediately on Saturday, continuing through the
night.Police continued their search yesterday covering areas in Alaminos,
Mazotos, Menogeia and as far as Episkopi in Limassol. According to police,
over 1000 statements have been taken and all possibilities are still under
investigation. Foul play has not been ruled out. Police are asking anyone
with information to call the Citizen's Hotline at police headquarters on
1460 or contact their nearest police station.The two brothers were reported
missing on Saturday after they left for theirjunkyard located in Panayia
ton Ampelion in Kofinou in the morning. Police found the two men's cars
with their keys in the ignition and Kyriakos' mobile phone and cigarettes.
Signals from Nicholas' phone were picked up in Mazotos near Larnaca. Family
members believe the brothers were kidnapped, although no evidence to
confirm this has been found so far.
[05] Police swoop on immigrants in forged documents raidBy Alex MitaMORE
than 90 suspected illegal immigrants were arrested yesterday during police
raids after reports they were using forged documents in order to extend
their stay on the island.Chief of Immigration Theodoros Theodorides told
the Cyprus Mail that the CID had reason to believe that a group of
foreigners were issuing forged documents to immigrants wanting to stay on
the island and work.“We had information that some immigrants were involved
in criminal activity,” Theodorides said. “We carried out a series of co-
ordinated raids on different locations in Nicosia together with other
police departments, and we arrested a large number of immigrants. The
immigrants did not have any documents.”Theodorides said the Immigration
Service was in the process of verifying details about each suspect. “Those
who are found to be in Cyprus illegally will be taken to the central prison
and the people whose papers are in order will be released,” Theodorides
said.“Our information was that the suspects were using various forged
documents from their country, like health and school leaving certificates
and they were presenting those documents to the authorities here in order
to extend their stay.”At around noon yesterday, more than 40 illegal
immigrants were rounded up at the Justice Ministry in Nicosia, some sitting
down in a large hall and others sitting handcuffed in pairs until their
transport to the central prison.Theodorides said the use of handcuffs was
necessary because some of the immigrants were desperate. “We had to use
handcuffs on some of them because they have nothing to lose so they could
just get up and leave,” Theodorides said.“And we have to take them to the
central prison because basically there is no other place to keep them. That
doesn't mean that they will be staying with the other inmates, they will be
staying in holding cells until they are deported or taken to court.”
[06] Taking Cyprus holidays onto another planetBy Sofia KannasU.K. HOLIDAY
operator Planet Holidays is set to launch its new brochure next month, and
will feature luxury hotels and apartments in Cyprus, the company confirmed
yesterday.The new programme is set to be launched in mid-March, and will
feature a range of exciting new Cyprus properties for British holiday
makers -- 58 in total --as well as a choice of 17 regional departure
points. Extra features such as private taxi transfers will also be
included.The driving forces behind this latest initiative are Mathilde
Robert, Managing Director of Planet Holidays, and Harry Kyrillou,
Commercial and Aviation Director. A 20 per cent share holding is also held
by Cypriot company Libra Holidays.Speaking to the Cyprus Mail yesterday,
Robert said she was excited about the new venture.“We wanted to produce a
totally quality product that will appeal to holidaymakers from the UK.“The
brochure will feature mainly four and five star luxury hotels such as Le
Meridien, The Four Seasons, the Anassa and the Elycium. We also offer some
A-class apartments and holiday villages like Kermia. “We have been selling
holidays in Cyprus and Greece for many years now, and it's a product we
know very well. Harry Kyrillou is from Cyprus himself, so he is very
familiar with the island. And of course we have fantastic support from
Cyprus hotels and from the Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO). But now we
want to venture into selling top quality holidays there.”Asked if she was
worried by the effect war in Iraq and the UK economic recession might have
on the initiative, Robert said she was confident these two factors would
not have too much of an impact.“We are confident that the luxury end of the
market is less volatile and more resilient to the current market
conditions.“Cyprus is so lovely, of course people will still want to
holiday there.“As to the situation in Iraq, well, we must be optimistic --
the war, if it breaks out, cannot go on forever. “And people in the UK
always go on holiday -- they don't have the sun on their doorsteps, they
need to go on holiday.“I don't believe in cheap holidays myself and I also
believe people with money will always go on holiday,” she added.And what
sort of holidaymakers does Planet Holidays hope to attract?“We target the
top level of customer, working professionals for example -- AB
holidaymakers who want the best.”Asked what capacity was expected from the
new programme, Robert said the company was aiming high in the long-
run.“Initially we estimate at taking about 2,500 holidaymakers to Cyprus,
partly due to the fact we are launching late and also due to the Iraq
crisis. But next year we hope to build this up to 10-12,000 people in
Cyprus alone.”Planet Holiday's new brochure will also feature luxury hotel
resorts in Greece and on the Greek islands such as Kos, Santorini, Crete,
Corfu and Mykonos.The operator is planning to expand to other top quality
destinations in future.
[07] Synod decides not to launch succession procedureBy a Staff
ReporterMEMBERS of the Holy Synod met yesterday in a marathon session in
which they unanimously voted not to discuss the issue of a replacement for
ailing Archbishop Chrysostomos.Bishop Chrysostomos of Paphos told the
Cyprus News Agency that the drawn out meeting was spent going over the
minutes of the last three meetings of the Holy Synod. He added that the
Synod would meet again tomorrow to continue matters on procedural
issues.Bishop Chrysostomos of Kiti said there were no new developments
regarding a successor for the Archbishop, who is widely reported to be
suffering from Alzheimer's disease. “Based on previous decisions, there is
nothing specific at this moment. Developments might be expected in May or
June if there is a change of the current decision which maintains that the
throne has not been declared empty,” said the Bishop of Kiti.He said after
the meeting that the members of the Holy Synod hoped to meet new president
Tassos Papadopoulos to discuss Church matters and developments in the
Cyprus problem, expressing their support for his efforts to solve the long-
standing national problem.
[08] UN says it has over 1,000 flag and anthem entriesBy Tania
KhadderUNFICYP has received more than 1,000 entries for the flag and anthem
competition for a new Cyprus state, spokesman Brian Kelly told the Cyprus
Mail yesterday. He said that of the 1,000 envelopes received, many
contained multiple entries, submitted by schools for example. “UN personnel
have been cataloguing and registering entries; some people were up until
3.30 this morning. We hope to finish registration within the next 48 hours,
” Kelly said. With entries still streaming in, the deadline was extended
until 5pm yesterday, a co-ordinator at the office for the flag and anthem
competition said. The extension was ordered as submissions were coming in
late because of postal delays. Late entries, however, would be marked as
such and information on how they would be dealt with is not yet available.
Entries for the anthem have come in the form of sheet music as well as
actual recordings, one even employing a full orchestra.Kelly did not go
into detail about how many entries had arrived from the Greek Cypriot and
Turkish Cypriot sides, but he did say submissions had come from 15
countries around the world. In addition to the expected entries from Cyprus,
Greece and Turkey, the UN received proposals from countries as far flung as
the United States, Australia, Japan, Spain, and Belgium.The spokesman said
UNFICYP had been impressed, not only by the number of entries, but by their
quality and high standard. One design firm submitted over 100 different
possible designs.“We are overwhelmed and gratified by the response to the
competition,” he added.One submission came from a two-year old boy, whose
father is a Greek Cypriot and mother a Turkish Cypriot.Kelly said the
committee was continuing to count the entries, which they will then submit
to the UN-chaired bicommunal committees responsible for their
evaluation.The committees will make recommendations to the leaders from
both sides, who are to make the final decisions in the competition.He said
more information would be released upon completion of the count and after
consultation with the committees to be established. The UN asked for bids
for Cyprus' new flag and anthem about a month ago in the context of the UN
peace plan for a comprehensive settlement that the two sides are
negotiating. The negotiations, for a solution, however, are stalled, with
Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash refusing to give ground and the
process thrown off track by the recent presidential elections.
[01] Cabinet speculation to the foreBy George PsyllidesDIKO said yesterday
it wanted its new government to give a first taste of change with the image
it would project, a party official said yesterday.With the elections behind
them, officials from the three main parties that supported president elect
Tassos Papadopoulos yesterday spent the day discussing the names of
potential ministers who would make up the new government.According to
reports, Papadopoulos had asked the parties to submit specific suggestions
for the ministries.Papadopoulos has reportedly requested more than one name
for each ministry so that he would have a choice in appointing the most
suitable person.DIKO's deputy chairman Nicos Cleanthous said yesterday it
was not a matter of lists but of suggestions concerning various individuals
through consultations and qualitative assessments.Cleanthous said DIKO's
suggestions would be ready by later yesterday or today at the latest.Asked
which ministries DIKO was angling for, Cleanthous replied: “DIKO's wish is
to see that the new government gives a first taste of change with the image
it will project.“We have to convince and satisfy the public feeling that
our choices, the image of the government, is worthy of the expectations,
not only of those who voted for us, but also of the rest of the people who
expect a lot from the new government,” Cleanthous said.He added that those
chosen to fill the slots would not be judged on whether they could draw
authority from the ministerial 'chair' but whether they could impart
authority to their office.What was important was suitability and quality,
Cleanthous said.Beyond that, there were no limitations nor issues of
quotas; it would be good to have young people, women, technocrats and
politicians, he added.But in the absence of any official information,
rumours on the matter were rampant yesterday.Reports said AKEL would be
getting four ministries, with finance, interior, labour, and education
among the favourites, DIKO three - trade, justice, and communications, and
KISOS two - defence and health.The agriculture ministry could go to a
widely accepted personality from the Green party, reports said, and the
foreign ministry was still a matter for discussion.Papadopoulos on Monday
said the new government would officially be announced on March 1 stressing
that only the most suitable would be selected.He added he was ready to
announce the new cabinet but he would not do it before officially taking
office.Yesterday, Papadopoulos met with AKEL and KISOS officials, as well
as Foreign Ministry Permanent Secretary Christodoulos Pasiardis and the
head of the intelligence service, Nicos Ioannou, who briefed the president
elect on security issues.Pasiardis conveyed messages of congratulations
from various foreign governments and officials, and discussed issues
concerning the foreign ministry with the president elect.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Wednesday, February 19, 2003
[02] Anastassiades: my actions prove how democratic I amBy George
PsyllidesDISY chief Nicos Anastassiades said yesterday his proposal to
refer the matter of the five dissident party officials to the party's
supreme council was proof of his democratic credentials and his desire to
give them the chance to speak out.The decision was an about turn for
Anastassiades, who on Sunday night - and with ballots still being counted -
went on air saying he would recommend the expulsion of five senior party
members for undermining President Glafcos Clerides' candidacy by supporting
election rival Attorney-general Alecos Markides.A fuming Anastassiades
blamed Prodromos Prodromou, Demetris Syllouris, Rikkos Erotocritou, Eleni
Vrahimi and Sophocles Hadjiyiannis for alienating KISOS leader Yiannakis
Omirou, who from DISY's one time candidate returned to the fold of the
opposition alliance.DISY's 'Gang of Five' were quick to return fire, with
Hadjiyiannis being the most vociferous, describing Anastassiades as an
autocrat acting solely out of pure self-interest.But on Monday -- in a move
seen as a strategic manoeuvre -- Anastassiades did not recommend the
expulsion of the 'five', suggesting the issue be discussed before DISY's
supreme council on Saturday.Anastassiades is thought to have changed his
mind because his proposal to expel the dissidents looked unlikely to gain
approval by the party's political bureau. Instead, the party leader is
banking on the supreme council, made up mostly of party loyalists, to oust
the 'five'.On Monday night, the dissidents got a taste of how they could be
treated on Saturday when they were jeered by a handful of party faithful on
their way to the political bureau meeting.But Vrahimi told the Cyprus
Mail yesterday she had information the 'faithful' had been assembled on
someone's instructions.“We have information that the wife of a specific
person was calling people to go there and create trouble,” she said.She
suggested this was a nasty throwback to the tactics of the 1960s.“We have
regressed to the 1960s by using ruffians today, in 2003,” Vrahimi said.The
outspoken DISY official said she was not going to the council on Saturday
because it was against the party's convention.She said the supreme council
had no authority to impose disciplinary measures, even with the proposed
amendments.“Tomorrow, Anastassiades will pass the amendments without asking
anyone to give the council the authorities of the new convention,” Vrahimi
said.But the structure of the council is not as it should be according to
the new convention, she added.“It's the same as the old one; you can't have
both (new powers but old structure),” Vrahimi said.She explained the reason
why Anastassiades had failed to follow the convention was because it gave
the authority for sanctions to the political bureau, where the DISY boss
did not have the necessary majority.“And because he didn't, he wants to
create an artificial majority.“We say its not authorised; whatever he does
he can't give authority to the old council with the new convention,”
Vrahimi said.She added: “We won't be present and he can do whatever he
wants; we won't consider ourselves expelled.”Vrahimi said they would still
be members of DISY and would continue to be until the electoral congress,
where 27,000 registered party members have the right to vote for the party
leadership.In the supreme council, there are only 300 votes.“If 27,000
people haven't realised where Anastassiades is leading DISY and vote for
him, fine, if they are so satisfied with Nicos Anastassiades' presence.“We
believe the leader should change for the party to advance and that's what
we'll try and do,” Vrahimi said.Anastassiades yesterday said he had decided
to refer the issue to the supreme council because he felt the 'five' should
get a chance to be heard.“This proves again my democratic outlook and
desire not to have anyone who could be expelled, expelled without speaking,
” he said.He added that the supreme council would also discuss his own
responsibility in the election fiasco, which saw opposition candidate
Tassos Papadopoulos sweep to power in the first round.Another of the rebels,
Prodromou, stressed the need for unity within the party, suggesting there
were only two ways to achieve that: by expelling the 'five', which would
unite the rest, or through reconciliation.Anastassiades yesterday pledged
to hold an electoral conference as soon as possible, which, according to a
statement, would judge the leadership and its policies.But if he succeeds
in getting rid of the dissidents, Anastassiades will remain virtually
unchallenged to claim DISY's leadership anew.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Wednesday, February 19, 2003
[03] Markides hits out at AnastassiadesBy George PsyllidesOUTGOING Attorney-
general Alecos Markides yesterday charged Nicos Anastassiades was blaming
others for DISY's election failure because he was desperate to hang on as
party chief.“I think a systematic effort has been made to blame me for
something I am not to blame for,” Markides said.He said this attempt was
tied to DISY's internal crisis and Anastassiades' desire to hang on to the
party leadership despite Sunday's election fiasco.“We had the spectacle of
a political leader coming out on election night trying to shake off his
huge responsibilities for the defeat of his candidate and then threaten
with expulsion some people who had the political courage to follow their
conscience, i.e. to put the interests of the country before the party's,”
Markides said.He argued Anastassiades should have had the courage to speak
out before, and not wait to see the result of the elections and then turn
on the dissenters.“Because the result had no second round, he immediately
attacked them, demanding their heads on a platter; if there had been a
second round then they would have been DISY's and Anastassiades' favourite
children,” he said.Anastassiades yesterday accused Markides, a former DISY
member, of derailing the party's election effort by standing as
candidate.“What does Mr Markides have to do with the DISY train when he
himself derailed it?” the DISY chief asked. “I don't care about Mr
Markides' critique and his arrogance, it's his problem.”Anastassiades said
DISY supporters were entitled to expect an apology from Markides and for
him to ask where he had led himself and the man, President Glafcos Clerides,
whom he supposedly esteemed and respected.Markides' supporters want him to
continue to lead the political movement that supported him through the
election campaign, but yesterday he said a series of district meetings
should be held first before any final decisions were taken on the future of
the movement.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Wednesday, February 19, 2003
[04] Relatives blast police in search for missing brothersBy Stefanos
Evripidou THE search for two brothers missing since Saturday from near
Kofinou continued yesterday with police forces and helicopter combing parts
of the island -- but to no avail.Relatives of the missing, Nicholas Sinesi,
31, and his 27-year-old brother Kyriacos, held up hundreds of cars on the
Larnaca-Limassol and Nicosia-Limassol highway yesterday in protest at what
they said were inadequate police efforts to locate the two.Family members
of the two brothers, both married with children, set up tractors and cars
at the four entry points of the motorway junction at around 11am, holding
up traffic on the two highways for half an hour. Relatives clashed and
exchanged abuse with police at the scene, charging them with failing to
adopt sufficient measures in their search. They called on police to bring
in the National Guard to help in the search for the brothers, who have been
missing for four days.The junction reopened to traffic by 11.30pm with
Larnaca Rural Officer, Theodoros Serghiou, calling on relatives to be
patient and calm while police continued investigations to locate the two
brothers. Police forces, including members of the Air Force Wing and the
Rapid Reaction Unit, used divers, officers and a police helicopter to comb
surrounding dams and lakes and the greater Kofinou area, where the missing
were last seen over the weekend. Marina and Navy police vessels covered the
coastal regions by sea from Governor's Beach to Cape Kiti. Police maintain
that search efforts began immediately on Saturday, continuing through the
night.Police continued their search yesterday covering areas in Alaminos,
Mazotos, Menogeia and as far as Episkopi in Limassol. According to police,
over 1000 statements have been taken and all possibilities are still under
investigation. Foul play has not been ruled out. Police are asking anyone
with information to call the Citizen's Hotline at police headquarters on
1460 or contact their nearest police station.The two brothers were reported
missing on Saturday after they left for theirjunkyard located in Panayia
ton Ampelion in Kofinou in the morning. Police found the two men's cars
with their keys in the ignition and Kyriakos' mobile phone and cigarettes.
Signals from Nicholas' phone were picked up in Mazotos near Larnaca. Family
members believe the brothers were kidnapped, although no evidence to
confirm this has been found so far.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Wednesday, February 19, 2003
[05] Police swoop on immigrants in forged documents raidBy Alex MitaMORE
than 90 suspected illegal immigrants were arrested yesterday during police
raids after reports they were using forged documents in order to extend
their stay on the island.Chief of Immigration Theodoros Theodorides told
the Cyprus Mail that the CID had reason to believe that a group of
foreigners were issuing forged documents to immigrants wanting to stay on
the island and work.“We had information that some immigrants were involved
in criminal activity,” Theodorides said. “We carried out a series of co-
ordinated raids on different locations in Nicosia together with other
police departments, and we arrested a large number of immigrants. The
immigrants did not have any documents.”Theodorides said the Immigration
Service was in the process of verifying details about each suspect. “Those
who are found to be in Cyprus illegally will be taken to the central prison
and the people whose papers are in order will be released,” Theodorides
said.“Our information was that the suspects were using various forged
documents from their country, like health and school leaving certificates
and they were presenting those documents to the authorities here in order
to extend their stay.”At around noon yesterday, more than 40 illegal
immigrants were rounded up at the Justice Ministry in Nicosia, some sitting
down in a large hall and others sitting handcuffed in pairs until their
transport to the central prison.Theodorides said the use of handcuffs was
necessary because some of the immigrants were desperate. “We had to use
handcuffs on some of them because they have nothing to lose so they could
just get up and leave,” Theodorides said.“And we have to take them to the
central prison because basically there is no other place to keep them. That
doesn't mean that they will be staying with the other inmates, they will be
staying in holding cells until they are deported or taken to court.”
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Wednesday, February 19, 2003
[06] Taking Cyprus holidays onto another planetBy Sofia KannasU.K. HOLIDAY
operator Planet Holidays is set to launch its new brochure next month, and
will feature luxury hotels and apartments in Cyprus, the company confirmed
yesterday.The new programme is set to be launched in mid-March, and will
feature a range of exciting new Cyprus properties for British holiday
makers -- 58 in total --as well as a choice of 17 regional departure
points. Extra features such as private taxi transfers will also be
included.The driving forces behind this latest initiative are Mathilde
Robert, Managing Director of Planet Holidays, and Harry Kyrillou,
Commercial and Aviation Director. A 20 per cent share holding is also held
by Cypriot company Libra Holidays.Speaking to the Cyprus Mail yesterday,
Robert said she was excited about the new venture.“We wanted to produce a
totally quality product that will appeal to holidaymakers from the UK.“The
brochure will feature mainly four and five star luxury hotels such as Le
Meridien, The Four Seasons, the Anassa and the Elycium. We also offer some
A-class apartments and holiday villages like Kermia. “We have been selling
holidays in Cyprus and Greece for many years now, and it's a product we
know very well. Harry Kyrillou is from Cyprus himself, so he is very
familiar with the island. And of course we have fantastic support from
Cyprus hotels and from the Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO). But now we
want to venture into selling top quality holidays there.”Asked if she was
worried by the effect war in Iraq and the UK economic recession might have
on the initiative, Robert said she was confident these two factors would
not have too much of an impact.“We are confident that the luxury end of the
market is less volatile and more resilient to the current market
conditions.“Cyprus is so lovely, of course people will still want to
holiday there.“As to the situation in Iraq, well, we must be optimistic --
the war, if it breaks out, cannot go on forever. “And people in the UK
always go on holiday -- they don't have the sun on their doorsteps, they
need to go on holiday.“I don't believe in cheap holidays myself and I also
believe people with money will always go on holiday,” she added.And what
sort of holidaymakers does Planet Holidays hope to attract?“We target the
top level of customer, working professionals for example -- AB
holidaymakers who want the best.”Asked what capacity was expected from the
new programme, Robert said the company was aiming high in the long-
run.“Initially we estimate at taking about 2,500 holidaymakers to Cyprus,
partly due to the fact we are launching late and also due to the Iraq
crisis. But next year we hope to build this up to 10-12,000 people in
Cyprus alone.”Planet Holiday's new brochure will also feature luxury hotel
resorts in Greece and on the Greek islands such as Kos, Santorini, Crete,
Corfu and Mykonos.The operator is planning to expand to other top quality
destinations in future.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Wednesday, February 19, 2003
[07] Synod decides not to launch succession procedureBy a Staff
ReporterMEMBERS of the Holy Synod met yesterday in a marathon session in
which they unanimously voted not to discuss the issue of a replacement for
ailing Archbishop Chrysostomos.Bishop Chrysostomos of Paphos told the
Cyprus News Agency that the drawn out meeting was spent going over the
minutes of the last three meetings of the Holy Synod. He added that the
Synod would meet again tomorrow to continue matters on procedural
issues.Bishop Chrysostomos of Kiti said there were no new developments
regarding a successor for the Archbishop, who is widely reported to be
suffering from Alzheimer's disease. “Based on previous decisions, there is
nothing specific at this moment. Developments might be expected in May or
June if there is a change of the current decision which maintains that the
throne has not been declared empty,” said the Bishop of Kiti.He said after
the meeting that the members of the Holy Synod hoped to meet new president
Tassos Papadopoulos to discuss Church matters and developments in the
Cyprus problem, expressing their support for his efforts to solve the long-
standing national problem.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Wednesday, February 19, 2003
[08] UN says it has over 1,000 flag and anthem entriesBy Tania
KhadderUNFICYP has received more than 1,000 entries for the flag and anthem
competition for a new Cyprus state, spokesman Brian Kelly told the Cyprus
Mail yesterday. He said that of the 1,000 envelopes received, many
contained multiple entries, submitted by schools for example. “UN personnel
have been cataloguing and registering entries; some people were up until
3.30 this morning. We hope to finish registration within the next 48 hours,
” Kelly said. With entries still streaming in, the deadline was extended
until 5pm yesterday, a co-ordinator at the office for the flag and anthem
competition said. The extension was ordered as submissions were coming in
late because of postal delays. Late entries, however, would be marked as
such and information on how they would be dealt with is not yet available.
Entries for the anthem have come in the form of sheet music as well as
actual recordings, one even employing a full orchestra.Kelly did not go
into detail about how many entries had arrived from the Greek Cypriot and
Turkish Cypriot sides, but he did say submissions had come from 15
countries around the world. In addition to the expected entries from Cyprus,
Greece and Turkey, the UN received proposals from countries as far flung as
the United States, Australia, Japan, Spain, and Belgium.The spokesman said
UNFICYP had been impressed, not only by the number of entries, but by their
quality and high standard. One design firm submitted over 100 different
possible designs.“We are overwhelmed and gratified by the response to the
competition,” he added.One submission came from a two-year old boy, whose
father is a Greek Cypriot and mother a Turkish Cypriot.Kelly said the
committee was continuing to count the entries, which they will then submit
to the UN-chaired bicommunal committees responsible for their
evaluation.The committees will make recommendations to the leaders from
both sides, who are to make the final decisions in the competition.He said
more information would be released upon completion of the count and after
consultation with the committees to be established. The UN asked for bids
for Cyprus' new flag and anthem about a month ago in the context of the UN
peace plan for a comprehensive settlement that the two sides are
negotiating. The negotiations, for a solution, however, are stalled, with
Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash refusing to give ground and the
process thrown off track by the recent presidential elections.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
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