Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 03-05-29

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

Thursday, May 29, 2003

CONTENTS

[01] Child benefit bill goes to the House

[02] Homeless Turks: we had to break into house

[03] Limassol shopkeepers demand Sunday opening

[04] Man rescued after cliff accident

[05] Woman missing since May 15

[06] Consumer rights across the divide

[07] Christofias pledged averts disabled protest

[08] Government awaiting legal advice before changing law on evidence

[09] Galanos to head up economic advisory council

[10] Cyprus holiday flight in hailstorm hell

[11] Targeting hair loss: beware false promises

[12] New sewage plant planned for both sides of Nicosia

[13] Time to act on sex trade

[01] Child benefit bill goes to the House

THE CABINET yesterday approved a bill granting children’s allowance to all families, which will be submitted to the House today. Currently only families with three children and over qualify for child benefit.

The annual benefit for families with one child will be £200, for two children £400 per child, for three children £1,200, and for four or more children £600 per child.

Families with one child and an income up to £6,000 will also receive an extra £50, and £25 for those with an income between £6,000 and £12,000.

Two-child families with an income of less than £6,000 per year will also receive an additional benefit of £200, and £150 if income is between £6,000 and £12,000 bracket.

Families with three children earning under £6,000 will receive additional benefit of £450 for income under £6,000 and £375 if a couple earns between £6,000 and £12,000.

For families with four or more children the additional benefit will be £600, and another £200 per child for those earning less than £6,000, and £600 plus £100 per child for those with income between £6,000 and £12,000.

The basic benefit will be given for all children under the age of 18, and in the case of families with children at third level education, it will go to male children until the age of 25 and female children until the age of 23.

The government estimates that 55 per cent of all families will qualify for the additional benefits. The move is designed to help those who fell outside the government’s tax package in January, which allows employees to earn up to £9,000 tax-free, a rise from the previous level of £6,000.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Thursday, May 29, 2003

[02] Homeless Turks: we had to break into house

INTERIOR Minister Andreas Christou said yesterday the government would not tolerate any arbitrary behaviour by anyone claiming Turkish Cypriot property, regardless of the reasons for their action.

Christou’s comments came in the wake of a row sparked when two homeless Turkish Cypriot families broke into a Turkish Cypriot property in Larnaca that has been housing refugees since the invasion.

The Turkish Cypriots, Kemal Raih, his wife Guldane, their two children and a friend, Yeliz Ale with her two children, came from the occupied north a year ago.

They claimed yesterday they had been forced to live in their car for a whole year because they had not received a house or any financial benefits from the government.

They claimed they had no other choice but to break into the house, which had been deserted ever since its occupant, an elderly Greek Cypriot refugee, died.

But when the daughter of the woman found out the Turkish Cypriots had broken into the house she allegedly flew into a rage and began destroying furniture and flowers that were left behind by her mother, demanding that the families moved out.

When the daughter called police, the Turkish Cypriots warned they would set fire to the place and to themselves.

Speaking to the Cyprus Mail yesterday a friend of the Turkish Cypriots said they were being treated unfairly.

“They have been living in a car for a year with four children,” she said.

“The husband works as a builder and he makes £15 a day. How is he supposed to rent a house with that sort of money?” she asked.

“His wife doesn’t speak Greek so she can’t find a job, and the government simply doesn’t care. What were they supposed to do? They were homeless and when they saw the house was deserted they moved in. How else were they supposed to find shelter for their children?”

The friend claimed the daughter of the Greek Cypriot woman was beside herself with anger when she stormed into the place breaking things and threatening them.

“The daughter of the woman who lived here stormed in and broke things. She tore the flowers and took all the lemons from the trees, what kind of behaviour is this?” she asked.

“The original owner of this house who lives in occupied Nicosia came and saw us and she said she had no problem with us staying in her house.”

The families claimed the Greek Cypriot woman had had the electricity and water cut off from the house on Tuesday and that she refused to help them have it transferred to their name.

Speaking to the Cyprus Mail, the Greek Cypriot woman said the government cared more about people who took away Greek Cypriots’ land instead of the refugees.

“They broke into the house and they started taking my mother’s furniture outside and just settled there drinking my coffee,” she said.

“I asked them to tell me with what right they had broken into the house without asking my permission, but they said I had no right to say anything to them because I didn’t have the title deed to the house.”

The woman said she had been infuriated by the Turkish Cypriots’ failure to ask for her permission to move in.

“The thing that really irritated me was the fact that they just broke in without asking my permission when I had all my mother’s belongings inside. I wouldn’t have minded if they kept all the stuff and as long as they told me, I think it was the proper thing to do.”

But Christou, who visited Larnaca District official Kyprianos Matthaiou yesterday to be briefed on the incident, said the government would not allow this sort of behaviour from anyone claiming Turkish Cypriot property.

“Those Cypriots who feel they have a right to Turkish Cypriot property should follow the legal procedure to claim that property,” he said.

“If they are homeless, then the government will help them to get a home when one becomes available.”

But Christou pledged that the matter would be resolved by Matthaiou and that the family would have a home soon.

“We are looking into the matter, but we will not tolerate this sort of behaviour that deviates from legal boundaries.”

Christou stressed that Greek Cypriots had also behaved in a similar manner in the past and that people should not concentrate only on the behaviour of Turkish Cypriots.

“We have witnessed arbitrary behaviour from Greek Cypriots and people must understand that the law doesn’t discriminate.”

The Turkish Cypriots were yesterday taken to Larnaca police station where they were formally charged and released.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Thursday, May 29, 2003

[03] Limassol shopkeepers demand Sunday opening

SHOPKEEPERS in the Ayios Tychonas district of Limassol are planning to close off the town’s coastal road tomorrow in protest against the continuing ban on shops in the area opening on Sundays.

The decision, taken by former Labour Minister Andreas Moushiouttas two years ago, put an end to the Sunday opening of shops in Ayios Tychonas and other Limassol areas outside the main tourist zone.

Bambos Ioannou, President of the Ayios Tychonas local council said yesterday that while he disagreed with the shopkeeepers’ plans to close off the coastal road, he sympathised with their cause. He added that he had informed Labour Minister Makis Keravnos of his views in letters sent this month.

“I have already written to the new Labour Minister twice calling for a change to the decision that shops in the area close on Sunday,” Ioannou said.

In his latest letter to the Minister, sent yesterday, Ioannou asked Keravnos to issue a new ruling, permitting shops to remain open on Sunday until 7pm, “as is the case in Ayia Napa, Paralimni, Oroklini, Meneou, Dromolaxia, Kiti, Perivolia, Mazotos and Pyla.”

He stressed that Ayios Tychonas was a busy area with thousands of tourists to serve. “There is a lot of tourism, we have 8,500 hotel beds here and the hotels are always full. The tourists staying in the area should be served properly.”

Permanent Secretary of the Small Shopkeepers’ Association (POVEK), Melios Georgiou, said yesterday that his organisation did not object to shops in Ayios Tychonas opening on Sundays, as long as the change did not extend to all areas of Limassol.

“But if this is extended to all the town then we will not accept this,” he said.

“We say that the tourist area in Limassol should be limited to the area from the Holiday Inn up to Amathus. If this is the case then we have no problem,” he added.

Georgiou added that his organisation would discuss the situation further with the new Minister.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Thursday, May 29, 2003

[04] Man rescued after cliff accident

A 54-year-old man was in hospital last night after spending more than 24 hours trapped in his truck after it went over a 150-metre crevice near Paramali village in the Paphos district.

According to police, Yiasoumis Hadjiyiasoumis from Kato Polemidhia was reported missing by his son at around 2pm on Tuesday. He was located yesterday at around 4pm at the bottom of a 150-metre drop off the main Paphos-Limassol highway.

Firemen had to cut Hadjiyiasoumis from the vehicle and he was flown to Limassol hospital in a British Bases helicopter suffering from multiple injuries. His condition is reported to be serious but stable. Police are investigating the cause of the accident.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Thursday, May 29, 2003

[05] Woman missing since May 15

POLICE have appealed to the public for information on the whereabouts of a woman from Kalavassos, who was reported missing from her home two weeks ago. Georgia Theodoulou, 45, went missing from her home on the morning of May 15, relatives told police. She is 1.6 metres (5.5ft) tall and of a medium build, with long red hair and brown eyes. She was driving a white Nissan Pulsar with the registration number WA859. Police are appealing to anyone with information to call 1460.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Thursday, May 29, 2003

[06] Consumer rights across the divide

REPRESENTATIVES from Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities, as well as Europe, met at the Ledra Palace Hotel yesterday for a bicommunal forum to discuss the future of consumer protection in Cyprus.

The Cyprus Consumer Association (CCA) and the Turkish Cypriot Association for the Protection of Consumer Rights (TUHAK) organised the event entitled ‘Achieving a High Level of Consumer Protection in Cyprus’, with the participation of the European Consumers’ Organisation (BEUC).

“The aim of the forum was to strengthen the CCA’s ties with TUHAK, to bring the BEUC in contact with the two associations in Cyprus, and to strengthen and upgrade the services of the CCA for the Cyprus consumer,” CCA president Petros Markou told the Cyprus Mail yesterday.

He told the forum that his Association was working to implement EU strategies and create small claims courts, insisting, “we have to stop the exploitation of the consumer”.

Markou said that while the rights of consumers in Cyprus were now in line with European Union standards, putting the law into practice and raising awareness remained to be achieved.

“We have harmonised our legislation with the EU, now we are asking for full implementation,” he said.

The chargé d’affaires of the Delegation of the European Commission to Cyprus, Denis Chaibi, said the Commission had set up a Consumer Committee, which will include representatives from member states.

“It is a forum for general discussion and it can be consulted on matters relating to the protection of consumer interest at community level. And in this regard the participation of Cyprus is essential”, he said

But as Cyprus gets closer to meeting EU standards both in theory and practice, Turkish Cypriot representatives said occupied Cyprus still had a long way to go.

Mine Yucel of TUHAK spoke of the problems faced by Turkish Cypriot consumers, and noted that, “commitment and interest of members have been low, lack of documentation and material as well as human resources have all caused problems.”

And unlike the Republic of Cyprus, occupied Cyprus does not even have the necessary legislation to protect consumers.

“Unfortunately, they do not have any legislation in line with the EU,” Markou said. “We are prepared to help them but of course there is a political dimension of the issue so we can only do so much.”

Yucel said that, “after a possible reunification of the island, a link between the Cyprus Consumers Association and TUHAK might need to be formed to represent the whole island in the international arena”.

Already, yesterday’s forum was a breakthrough for Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot co-operation in consumer affairs.

“With the recent developments, it’s been easier for them to come to our side so we organised the forum at the Ledra Palace Hotel,” Markou said.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Thursday, May 29, 2003

[07] Christofias pledged averts disabled protest

THE CYPRUS Paraplegic Organisation (CPO) said yesterday it would suspend planned protests to give the new government a chance to fulfill its long- standing demands to improve the lives of disabled people.

Last week, the CPO threatened a series of protests, including challenging deputies to spend eight hours in a wheelchair, but after a meeting yesterday with House President Demetris Christofias, the organisation said it would suspend the planned measures for now.

Speaking after the meeting, Christofias admitted the government had been slow to look out for the rights of the disabled, but promised that from now on he would personally maintain regular contact with CPO president Andros Prokopiou to keep up with the needs of the island’s 5,000 or so disabled persons and the 25,000 with other special needs. Many of their problems have been outstanding since the ’eighties.

“The parliament is not only the legislative body but also the control mechanism for government,” Christofias said, expressing the conviction that this government would show the “necessary sensitivity” to the problems faced by the disabled. “These people face a lot of problems,” he added, pledging that President Tassos Papadopoulos would deal with the issues shortly.

Prokopiou said disabled people had continually been let down by the indifference of successive governments, particularly in the areas of employment and mobility, but said the CPO would give this administration a little time to come through on their demands.

“We are pleased that the President has demonstrated a personal interest and we hope that at least in 2003, the European Year of Individuals with Disabilities, that many of these problems will be solved,” he said.

In 2000 the then government laid out provisions, passed by parliament, to improve the lives of the disabled, which were to have been put in place by March this year bur according to the CPO nothing has been done.

According to figures released to the House Labour Committee last year, 75 per cent of handicapped adults are unemployed but willing to work. Deputies pointed the finger at the Finance Ministry for failing to release the cash needed.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Thursday, May 29, 2003

[08] Government awaiting legal advice before changing law on evidence

GOVERNMENT Spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides said yesterday the Cabinet would put on hold its decision to change Cyprus’ antiquated law on evidence until hearing the advice of new Attorney-general Solon Nikitas.

Before coming to office, Nikitas was among the majority of Supreme Court members who opposed modifications to the Cyprus law, which would bring it in line with laws on evidence in operation in most European countries.

Former Attorney-general Alecos Markides has long campaigned for a change in the century-old system, arguing it provides too many obstacles to state prosecutors wishing to submit evidence to prove their case. Britain, from which Cyprus’ laws originate, is the only country in Europe which has not adopted the continental practice on laws on evidence. However, Britain has since updated and modified its laws on evidence substantially to keep up with the needs of a contemporary judiciary and legal service. Cyprus has not.

Many prominent lawyers on the island have argued the system needs changing to avoid cases where defendants are acquitted or wrongly accused, not because of lack of evidence but because strict laws meant the evidence was not permissible in court.

Chrysostomides insisted yesterday that the government had the political will to move ahead with modernisation of the law in order to harmonise with the various EU directives. Regarding the laws on evidence, he said: “The matter has not been discussed in Cabinet but as you know the government has the intention to modernise various legal provisions in order to meet the demands of the contemporary path of Europe.”

“The position of the former Attorney-general was that, without a doubt, we had to move towards modernising the law of evidence to fill in the gaps not covered by the current law of evidence so that a trial - especially criminal proceedings - could continue with ease rather than with difficulties, objections and dismissals,” he added.

He went on to say the new Attorney-general had now been given the task to evaluate the legislative proposals and advise the government.

Asked whether Nikitas’ former objections to changes in the law of evidence would affect his opinion, the Government Spokesman replied: “Regardless of what position he previously adopted, under his new title he will look at the situation through the lens of an Attorney-general. This is about legislation which, after discussion with Nikitas, will either be passed on to parliament or withdrawn.”

Meanwhile, the Justice Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Lazaros Savvides, told the Cyprus Mail yesterday that his ministry had been given instructions by the new government, as soon as it came into office, to make small changes to the new law of evidence proposed by the previous government, and submit it to parliament. He said the ministry had not been told to wait for an opinion from the new Attorney-general and as such would continue the process of bringing it before parliament.

The changes provided that hearsay evidence would be permissible in court for civil proceedings and also in criminal proceedings, but only for cases regarding the Stock Exchange.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Thursday, May 29, 2003

[09] Galanos to head up economic advisory council

THE GOVERNMENT yesterday appointed a nine-member committee drawing from the private sector to advise the government on the economy.

The nine-member Council of Economic Experts, directly answerable to President Tassos Papadopoulos, will be headed by former DIKO politician Alexis Galanos.

According to Galanos, the creation of the Council was one of Papadopoulos’ manifesto promises.

“The aim is to help and supplement the government’s work and the economy,” Galanos said, stressing that the Council would have a clear advisory capacity.

“We are all of us here strictly in a personal capacity,” Galanos said. The other eight members of the Council have been named as Renos Solomides, Christos Mavrellis, George Hadjianastassiou, Nicos Symeonides, Andreas Philippou, Sofronis Etokleous, Theodoros Panayiotou and Marios Klitou.

According to its mandate, the Council will consult with the President on economic issues and will submit reports and analyses to the President and the Finance Ministry, not only on national but also international issues.

Officials from the Finance Ministry’s Planning Bureau and Economic Research departments will attend Council meetings.

“I believe that we will be of help in the subject of the economy,” Galanos told reporters. “The economy is at a really difficult crossroads and there are also a variety of political developments to be taken into consideration at the moment.”

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Thursday, May 29, 2003

[10] Cyprus holiday flight in hailstorm hell

A VIOLENT hailstorm rocked a holiday jet flying from Larnaca to Manchester on Monday, causing it to plunge thousands of feet, tearing a hole in the nose cone and shattering the windshield, British newspapers reported yesterday.

The extent of the damage was not apparent until the aircraft landed on Monday night at 7.10pm.

Terrified passengers returning from a Cyprus-based cruise on board the British Midlands flight were thrown to the ceiling and sent sprawling in the aisles as the aircraft dropped 11,000 feet over Germany within three to five minutes.

The Airbus A321 was carrying 231 passengers who had been on a week-long Mediterranean cruise with the tour company MyTravel.

Passenger David Mallon, 59, from Salford told British reporters. “It was an experience I don’t ever want to go through again. It was horrific and the plane must have dropped thousands of feet and slowed right down,” he said. “Then the pilot came on, calm as you like. We were scared to death.”

The airline insisted yesterday that it was only “minor damage” and that at no point were passengers at risk. Speaking on behalf of British Midlands, Claire Allen said that because the nose cone was not a pressurized area, the damage was not dangerous to those on board.

No one was hurt in the incident, the company said.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Thursday, May 29, 2003

[11] Targeting hair loss: beware false promises

DERMATOLOGISTS in Cyprus are organising a campaign against hair loss next week, aiming to enlighten the public and to dispel common misconceptions on the issue.

The plan was announced yesterday by the Chairman of the Dermatological Company of Cyprus, Costas Demetriou, together with members Androulla Kyprianou and George Vakis.

Speaking at a news conference in Nicosia, they said hair loss was a problem that affected mostly men - with almost half of the male population suffer from hair loss. White men are especially affected, while Asian men are less likely to suffer from the condition.

Kyprianou said most cases of hair loss were caused by genetic reasons. Hair follicles are genetically coded and if genes responsible for hair loss are present, they make the hair follicles on top of the head sensitive to the hormone dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. These follicles are predisposed to begin shrinking when the person reaches adulthood. Once this process begins, it continues throughout a person’s lifetime until the shrinking follicles stop producing any hair at all.

Women can suffer from hair loss too, but mostly due to pathological reasons. Pathological hair loss is mainly caused by hormonal anomalies, lack of vitamins in the body, stress, anaemia and other bacterial diseases. Iron deficiency in women can also cause hair loss and once this is diagnosed, it can be easily treated. Kyprianou pointed out that hair loss during the warmest seasons was normal and some medication could speed up the recovery of hair loss, though in such cases it could also be regained naturally. Some women can experience a temporary hair loss a couple of months after they give birth due to hormonal changes in their bodies, while others begin to lose hair when they reach menopause. Once diagnosed, these can easily be treated.

There can also be seasonal hair loss where a person can lose as many as 100 hairs in a day but this is not seen as serious as the average person has around 100,000 to 150,000 hairs on their head. Treatment is not necessary if the hair loss is seasonal. If unnecessary treatment is given, however, the loss could become irreversible.

With so many different types of hair loss, diagnosis is essential for any treatment to be successful. Medical science is still searching for a complete understanding of the biochemical processes that occur within hair follicles, and Vakis said only very few medicines in the market actually worked, adding new drugs such as minoxitili and finasteridi were showing high success rates (up to 60 per cent) but these needed to be taken permanently to be successful.

Demetriou emphasised repeatedly that only dermatologists could diagnose and treat hair loss, and expressed his concern at the number of cases of consumers exploited by so called “hair experts” charging an arm and a leg for bogus services. He appealed to the public not to trust such “experts” and to make sure the dermatologists they consulted were approved by the Medical Association.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Thursday, May 29, 2003

[12] New sewage plant planned for both sides of Nicosia

PLANS are under way to build a new bicommunal sewage treatment plant north of Nicosia, Mayor Michalakis Zampelas said yesterday.

If approval and adequate funding are secured, the existing treatment plant at Mia Milia in the north, which is outdated, will be replaced with a new sewage plant. The current facility, which serves homes both in Ayios Dhometios and occupied Nicosia, has not been functioning properly for some time now, and residents of Nicosia’s nearby Kaimakli district have regularly complained of the smell of sewage wafting over from the treatment plant in the occupied areas.

Speaking to the Cyprus Mail yesterday, Nicosia Mayor Zampelas confirmed that discussions regarding the replacement of the old sewage treatment plant had taken place between the two sides.

“It is not certain yet that the project will go ahead, but we have agreed to study the replacement of the existing plant in Mia Milia, which is problematic,” he said. “We had meetings with the relevant representatives on the other side and they agreed with us wholeheartedly.”

Zampelas said the two sides hoped the European Union and the Unites States would grant funding for the project, which is estimated to cost up to £30 million. He added that a decision on the scheme was likely to be announced before the end of next month.

The Mayor stressed that the project was part of a wider scheme to foster co- operation between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities.

“We are trying to co-operate with the other side on cultural issues,” he said. “For example, they asked me if I would take some Turkish Cypriots to the International State Fair and I agreed.

“These kind of contacts are continuous,” he added.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Thursday, May 29, 2003

[13] Time to act on sex trade

THE HOUSE Human Rights Committee meeting has once again condemned the increasingly serious problem of human trafficking and prostitution in Cyprus, with AKEL deputy Eleni Mavrou and DISY’s Eleni Theocharous raising concerns that the problem of trafficking women in Cyprus was regularly being brought up at international conferences.

Cyprus is either seen as a final destination for human trafficking or a midway point to the Middle East, they declared.

Speaking on the subject, Theocharous told the Cyprus Mail that, “We are known, in female trafficking circles, either as a final destination point or a go-between on the way to the Middle East, usually the United Arab Emirates. The issue is raised at every international human rights conference or Council of Europe meeting,” she said.

“I have been investigating the matter for a year, and there is definitely a problem,” she added.

The deputy said most women brought here had no form of protection from the state because they were here illegally. “They are being blackmailed by the traffickers who keep their passports, restrict their movements and force them into prostitution,” said Theocharous.

Any attempt to make a formal complaint results in their immediate deportation. Asked whether courts could ask police to suspend deportation until after trial, she replied “The Attorney-general’s office refused to give information on this at the meeting.”information on the protection offered to women brought to Cyprus and actions taken against the culprits who often force them into a modern form of slavery, Theocharous said: “The police refused to give more details on the matter saying they didn’t have information, even though I have asked them several times. We don’t know who the traffickers are.

“The Legal Services, the police and immigration have been unable to give information on the matter which is why I will arrange another meeting with them but this time without the media present,” she added.

Since Tuesday’s Committee meeting, the DISY deputy has received many phone calls, some offering information, others making threats.

“There is no law to accuse traffickers of a crime. I hope to bring in a proposal next week to make it a crime punishable by the state. For this, we need the help of the Welfare Department to provide protection for victims of abuse and the collaboration of the police to enforce the law,” she said.

At the Committee meeting, the president of the Artistes’ Agents’ Association, Andreas Pirillos, blamed the problem on the uncontrolled number of women who come to Cyprus and either sign up as college students or work in bars and then move into prostitution. He also highlighted the problem of marriages of convenience. Pirillos said that of the 1,300 known cases of marriages of convenience, 900 happened in Aradippou municipality and from that number, 400 brides were artistes and 500 bar waiters.

The Mayor of Aradippou challenged the validity of these statistics on a radio programme yesterday.

Ombudswoman Iliana Nicolaou confirmed to Committee members that her office had dealt with the matter on a number of occasions. She agreed that women very often lived in harsh conditions and fell victim to abuse and blackmail with very little chance to testify against their oppressors before being deported.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

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