Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 03-07-03

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

Thursday, July 3, 2003

CONTENTS

[01] Cabinet approves football bail-out scheme

[02] Keep your kids out of the sun

[03] Hotel employees in strike action

[04] EAC to abandon estimated bills in face of public opposition

[05] Fuel leak on Limassol beach

[06] Defence Ministry under fire after gay man denied driving licence on grounds of army discharge papers

[07] Iranians brave the heat in hunger strike

[08] 149 booked on first day of mobile phone crackdown

[09] Local olive oil clinches top international award

[10] Paphos putting Cyprus on the cultural map with world class opera

[01] Cabinet approves football bail-out scheme

THE CABINET yesterday approved a revised bill, which will subsidise local football clubs with £4 million this year. The bill will go before the House today for final approval, said Finance Minister Markos Kyprianou.

However, the decision to hand out grants to the Cyprus Football Federation (CFF) will only be effective for three years, he said. After that the state will continue its usual sponsoring tactics to all clubs through the Cyprus Sports Organisation (CSO).

Kyprianou said the Cabinet had decided to give all clubs £4 million in order to fulfil its obligations to UEFA, Europe’s top football organisation, this year. In 2004 and 2005 this will be slashed to £1.5 million per year.

The clubs need the money to meet UEFA criteria but the debt-ridden teams fear even the £4 million grant won’t be enough.

The minister added that the revised bill did not include the clubs’ debts to the state. He said a separate bill would be drawn up for what they owed the state because at present the all the clubs’ tax obligations were not on the same level. He said some club had submitted tax returns until 2002 and others had not submitted income tax statements since 1992.

According to the bill, 17 clubs would benefit from the grant, 14 already in the first category and three more that move up.

Referring to the three-year subsidy, Kyprianou said it would cover the clubs dues until May 31 this year, as well as the amounts and dues included in UEFA’s criteria, such as obligations to footballers, coaches, other employees and the state. He added that the debts or obligations created during the championship period for 2003-2004 would not be covered – even if they came to light before May 31.

Meanwhile the minister said the clubs would have to guarantee their ability to pay their debts to the state until the new plan was drawn up. They would also have to fulfil their obligations to the Income Tax department, including any social insurance and/or VAT obligations.

Any club not complying with the terms would lose the grant, however this would not mean the excess money would be shared between the remaining clubs. Instead the subsidy would be lessened.

The terms are not negotiable, he added.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Thursday, July 3, 2003

[02] Keep your kids out of the sun

HEAT-waves are more harmful for children than adults, the Cyprus Pediatric Association warned yesterday.

The warning comes as forecasters predict higher temperatures for the weekend.

In a statement issued yesterday, the Association said children were more vulnerable to extreme heat, and advised parents to take some simple precautions to protect them from the hot sun.

Children should wear light and loose-fitting clothes, which cover as much of the body surface as possible. They should also wear a hat.

The Association also advises against exposing children to the heat outdoors without reason, particularly between 10am and 3pm, when the sun is at its strongest. The outdoors should be avoided where possible, and children should stay in an air-conditioned environment. Fans can also help to cool the body temperature.

Where children are exposed to the sun, they should wear sunscreen of at least factor 15. Sunscreen should also be worn on their ears and throat, as these sensitive areas are often neglected.

It is important for a child to drink plenty of liquids during the hot summer, even if the child says it is not thirsty. Meals should be light and frequent.

Strenuous outdoor games, like football, should be avoided.

If a child comes indoors feeling particularly hot, a refreshing - not cold - - bath is recommended.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Thursday, July 3, 2003

[03] Hotel employees in strike action

EMPLOYEES at the Apollonia hotel in Limassol started pre-emptive strike action last night, with more developments from other hotel employees expected today. Eighty per cent of the Cyprus Hoteliers Association (PASIXE) yesterday voted in favour of a lockout, during an extraordinary general meeting to discuss whether or not to accept a Labour Ministry proposal aimed at ending the long-running dispute between hotel owners and staff.

Speaking after the four-hour meeting, PASIXE chairman Avgerinos Nikitas said the association had agreed to accept Labour Minister Makis Keravnos proposal for the renewal of collective agreements in the hotel industry, except for the point concerning hotel employees’ welfare fund.

He said that from July 1 the welfare fund would be deposited in each hotel and handled by the employees themselves. The decision was taken during a secret ballot, with a majority vote in favour, and the Minister was subsequently informed of the conclusion.

Nikitas added that it was the association’s right to come to this decision, just as it was the right of the employees’ unions to hold their positions.

Asked whether or not the hoteliers were prepared for the employees to take strike action, Nikitas said: “We will deal with it.”

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Thursday, July 3, 2003

[04] EAC to abandon estimated bills in face of public opposition

THE ELECTRICITY Authority (EAC) will abandon the controversial estimated billing system currently in use, EAC spokesman Costas Gavrielides said yesterday.

The decision was made yesterday by the EAC’s Board of Directors, following Tuesday’s House Trade Committee meeting, where deputies criticised the authority for using a system which led to clients receiving huge estimated bills.

“We have decided to go back to the old system,” Gavrielides said yesterday. “We decided to do this not because the existing system was not good, but because our clients were not happy - they did not like the system.”

Currently, actual electricity consumption is measured every four months; customers receive an -- often inflated -- estimate after two months, which is adjusted at the end of the four-month period when electricity meters are read.

Deputies said low-income groups, such as pensioners, had suffered under the estimate system, while the EAC profited by holding onto a significant amount of money from VAT in the short-term.

But Gavrielides warned yesterday that reverting to the old bi-monthly bill system would not lead to cheaper bills in the long-term.

“In going back to the old system inevitably our costs will rise,” he said. “Sooner or later all costs relating to billing will rise.”

He stressed that there had been few disadvantages to the estimate system: “There are no drawbacks to the system other than the fact that bill (amounts) were not equally distributed.”

Customers will in future receive a bill every two months, based on meter readings taken by EAC workers at the end of each two-month period. The return to bi-monthly bills will mean a higher wage bill for the EAC, as hundreds of thousands of house calls will have to be made more frequently.

“We will now make 350,000 house calls every two months, instead of 350,000 every four,” Gavrielides said.

Asked when the change in billing system would come into effect, he said,

“we have no details yet, but it should be very soon.”

Some EAC customers were relieved at the news yesterday.

“I’m glad they’ve seen the light,” said one customer. “I hated being in the dark about what I was paying every month.”

“Even though you were eventually reimbursed, it was often a struggle for us at the time,” said another.

Gavrielides noted that even after the system change, customers could opt for the equal monthly payment scheme introduced by the EAC recently.

“We have had a good response to this and people are continuing to show interest.”

The monthly payment scheme involves customers receiving a bill every month based on the previous year’s readings. At the end of the year, customers are reimbursed, or charged extra accordingly.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Thursday, July 3, 2003

[05] Fuel leak on Limassol beach

AUTHORITIES were yesterday trying to determine the source of a fuel leak, which caused small-scale pollution on a Limassol beach.

The state lab said the fuel, which was spotted on Sunday on the beach near the former Theodhosiou warehouse, was a mixture of leaded petrol and motor oil.

But although still unsure, authorities suspect the leak could have originated from a petrol station across the road.

Yesterday, they opened a hole in front of the station in an effort to locate the exact source of the fuel leak on the beach.

The director of the municipality’s environmental service, Nicos Georghiades, said there was no danger of sea pollution, adding that the quantity of fuel on the beach was small.

Assistant district officer Yiannakis Monoyios said the fuel found on the beach had not been there for a long time.

Crews have already started pumping the fuel from the beach.

Fisheries department sea pollution expert Loizos Loizides said on Tuesday that there would not be any leak into the sea because the fuel floated on the area’s waterbed and could not be channeled to the sea.

Loizides also assured that there was no danger of fire.

The investigation into the affair started on Monday after complaints by the public about a strong smell of fuel in the area.

A probing hole was opened on the beach, revealing a small pool of fuel mixed with water.

On Tuesday, the electro-mechanical services carried out checks at two petrol stations in the area.

The incident follows a similar case in April, again in Limassol, which is still under investigation.

Residents of Serifos Street in Zakaki are still waiting for answers concerning the large amount of fuel, which apparently leaked from a nearby petrol station and accumulated on the waterbed under their homes.

All boreholes in the area have been sealed, but almost three months on, the residents are still waiting for the authorities to tell them how they plan to deal with the matter.

The investigation found that the fuel came from the underground tanks of a nearby petrol station, whose owner said he has lost fuel worth over £150, 000.

According to residents, the owner had complained in the past that fuel had gone missing from his tanks.

He suspected someone was stealing the fuel and around a month ago the station was closed for a few days in order to carry out checks.

The fault was apparently fixed but not before huge quantities of fuel had seeped into the underground waters.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Thursday, July 3, 2003

[06] Defence Ministry under fire after gay man denied driving licence on grounds of army discharge papers

THE OMBUDSWOMAN has asked the Defence Ministry to change the content of discharge papers after a homosexual was denied a driving licence based on a military assessment that he had psychological problems.

Although homosexuals are - like all other men - obliged to do military service in Cyprus, they have been allowed to seek an exemption, though not on the grounds of their homosexuality. Instead, it has been standard practice in the army to grant exemptions on various psychiatric grounds, such as personality disorder or neurosis.

However, such references can deny people classed in this way other basic rights, such as a driving licence.

The case investigated by Ombudswoman Iliana Nicolaou was filed by a 28-year old homosexual, who was discharged from the army after being deemed “unsuitable” for health reasons. He had been examined by a military committee and classed as being “neurotic”. He was later unable to obtain a driving licence.

An official at the Road Transport Department told the Cyprus Mail yesterday that as far as he knew, when it came to issuing licences, there was no discrimination against homosexuals exempted from the army on psychological grounds. “We never refuse in such as case,” he said, adding that applicants in such cases were usually sent for a second opinion “to clear the case”.

“There is no discrimination,” he insisted.

Gay rights activist and architect Alecos Modinos, whose case at the European Court of Human Rights eventually brought about the decriminalising of homosexuality in Cyprus in 2000, also said he was not aware of any cases of discrimination against gays when it came to driving licences. He said the army had had a strong discrimination policy towards homosexuals in the past, but that it was not as prevalent today. “They used to class them as psychotics, but they have stopped,” he said.

However, in her report Nicolaou suggested that the Defence Ministry change the discharge papers of people exempted from military service for medical reasons to avoid their personal rights being violated. She also said that the issue of homosexuals and the military needed particular attention.

“Specifically, during the handling of these matters it must be taken into consideration that the sexual choices of these people attract social and moral scepticism, and consequently the voluntary or involuntary lack of action on the part of the authorities to regulate matters concerning homosexuals while at the same time they are subjected most of the time to daily discrimination,” the report said.

The battle between gays rights activists and the army has been a bone of contention for years. Homosexuals have in the past objected to being classed as psychologically disturbed on army discharge papers and the issue was raised in a case brought before the European Court of Human Rights in the mid-nineties.

In August 1994, the International Association for the Protection of Human Rights in Cyprus asked the Ministry of Defence not to use the sexual orientation of the applicant Stavros Marangos as a grounds for declaring him psychiatrically unsuitable for military service, as this would violate the Constitution and the country's international obligations.

Six months later, the Ministry of Defence replied to the Human Rights Association that, although homosexuality was not considered a disease, the competent committee examined the presence of personality disorders.

In June 1995 the Cyprus Mail obtained a copy of a certificate of military exemption given to a gay man, which said: “Mr. S is unsuitable for military service because he suffers from a sexual perversion, being a passive homosexual”.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Thursday, July 3, 2003

[07] Iranians brave the heat in hunger strike

BENJAMIN Wakhili has not had any water or food for two days. He and four other members of Iran's opposition, the People’s Mujahedin, were yesterday sitting in the scorching summer heat outside the French embassy in Nicosia on hunger strike in protest at the arrest of the wife of the organisation’s military commander, Massoud Rajavi, and designated “president-elect” of a future Iranian government, Maryam Rajavi.

Rajavi was arrested during a mass sweep operation of the organisation’s offices by French police and national security officers in Paris on June 18, which saw the arrest of 160 people.

His arrest sparked outrage among the Mujahedin and two people have died so far after torching themselves outside French interests around the world.

French security officials said the operation was carried out after the People's Mujahedin, which has been branded a terrorist organisation by the United States, the EU and Iran - appeared to be intending to turn France into its centre of operations against the Tehran government after losing its bases in Iraq following the US-led invasion.

The raids were conducted according to a court order, which accused the People's Mujahedin of "criminal association aimed at preparing terrorism acts" and of "financing a terrorist enterprise." The People's Mujahedin is the main armed Iranian opposition group and the military wing of an umbrella exile opposition party, the National Council of the Resistance of Iran (NCRI).

Speaking to the Cyprus Mail yesterday, Wakhili, 27, said the People’s Muhahedin were not a bunch of terrorists but people who wanted democracy in their country.

“It’s very hot today and we’ve been without water for two days, but I think this is the only thing we can do to try and get a message through to the world that we are not terrorist and Mrs Rajavi is not a terrorist,” he said.

“This woman cares about my people and about me and has to be released. Mujahedin want democracy, now we don’t have democracy. Every day the Mullahs go to the University and arrest people, they kill people and we say to them why are you like this?

“In Persia everybody has to be a Muslim, women must wear a veil and we are not allowed to practice our religion.”

On Monday, two of the demonstrators were taken to hospital suffering from dehydration, but Wakhili said he would not call of his hunger strike until Rajavi was released.

“I will stay here for as long as I can make it,” he said, “and so will my comrades.”

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Thursday, July 3, 2003

[08] 149 booked on first day of mobile phone crackdown

POLICE booked 149 motorists on the first day of an island wide crack down on the use of mobile phones while driving, an announcement said yesterday.

Sixty-six drivers were reported in Nicosia, 45 in Limassol, 24 in Larnaca, three in Famagusta and 11 in Paphos.

The bookings are expected to fetch the state £7,450 at £50 per offender.

The campaign will run throughout July.

Since the beginning of the year, police have booked around 5,700 motorists for using their mobiles when driving.

Meanwhile 8,340 motorcycle and moped drivers or passengers were booked in an earlier campaign, which started on June 6.

The offences concern engine conversions, noise, failure to wear crash helmets, underage drivers and a collection of other traffic violations.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Thursday, July 3, 2003

[09] Local olive oil clinches top international award

A LOCALLY produced extra virgin olive oil has beaten dozens of others to secure second place in an internationally acclaimed contest.

Archontiko olive oil, produced by Novel Agro, won a prestigious Mario Solinas Quality Award, organised by the International Olive Oil Council (IOOC), said company manager, Petros Maliotis. This is the first time a Cypriot olive oil has won this award and “we are extremely happy” to have earned it, he said.

The International Olive Oil Council, established in 1959, is an intergovernmental organisation whose major objectives include improving olive oil and table olive production, developing international co-operation, standardising international trade through norms and procedures, and expanding olive oil and olive consumption.

In order to take part in the contest, Maliotis said all the olive oils had to fulfil two major IOOC criteria. “They have to have low acidity and their aroma has to comply with extra virgin regulations.”

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the best grade of olive oil and, according to the IOOC, has “an absolutely impeccable taste and aroma, is fruity, and the acidity, expressed in oleic acid, may not exceed one per cent”.

The competition drew 48 extra virgin olive oil entries from eight IOOC member countries: Italy (1), Spain (19), Greece (6), France (5), Portugal (6), Israel (1), and Egypt (2). Cyprus only had one entry.

The oils are classified into three groups based on the median intensity of their fruitiness: 64.6 per cent of the oils were entered in the intense fruitiness section and 35.4 per cent in the medium fruitiness section. No oil was classified in the slight fruitiness group.

A panel of seven internationally trained testers judged the competing oils based on an organoleptic appraisal, which is a 100-point assessment and grading of olfactory (smell), gustatory (taste) and retronasal (back of nose and throat) qualities. The tasting took place in a specially designed tasting room at the IOOC headquarters in Madrid, Spain, said Maliotis.

“The oils are judged according to their taste and aroma and six finalists are selected. They are then tested again and places one, two and three are chosen,” he said. The awards are named in posthumous tribute to Dr Mario Solinas, a keen champion of olive oil quality, who helped develop this objective method of assessment.

Cyprus won second prize in the Intense Fruitiness category, following first prizewinner, Castelas Huiles d’Olives from Les Baux de Provence, France. Third prize in the same section went to Rihuelo S.L. Alfaro in La Rioja, Spain.

The prizes - a medal and a diploma - allow the winners to mention the award on their labelling, he added.

Novel Agro is based in a small mountain village near Limassol called Vasa Kellakiou. The olives used to produce Archontiko are selected from many places around the island, said Maliotiou.

At present the company does not export its product and only sells it locally, although it produces enough to do so. However, it has received requests from Malta, Holland and the United Kingdom, he said. But, “the price of European olive oil is very low because it is subsidised by the EU and so our prices are not competitive. When we join in May we will also start exporting,” he said.

Asked if he believed Archontiko would do well in the foreign market, Maliotou said: “The quality is certainly very high, so I’m positive that we can export and do well.”

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Thursday, July 3, 2003

[10] Paphos putting Cyprus on the cultural map with world class opera

PAPHOS is putting Cyprus on the European cultural map, says Paphos Mayor Phidias Sarikas.

The Paphos Aphrodite Festival (PAF) is this September presenting Giacomo Puccini’s opera Tosca, performed by Arena di Verona, as part of their annual festivities, announced PAF president, Sarikas.

The Arena di Verona Foundation will be making its first visit to the eastern Mediterranean to perform in the open air in front of the Mediaeval Castle at the old harbour in Paphos.

Arena di Verona, whose home theatre is the Roman amphitheatre in Verona, is one of the most famous producers of open air opera worldwide. The troupe, known for the excellent quality of their performances and enthusiasm they generate, will perform for three nights between 5 and 7 September 2003.

Sarikas told reporters that this year’s production was the fifth in a series of festivals, and highlighted his aim to put Cyprus on the European cultural map, making it an international centre of high-quality cultural events. The Mediaeval Castle at Paphos port is not just an enchanting location, but has become a recognized arts venue, hosting last year’s production of Puccini’s Turandot.

A total of 7,500 tickets will be on sale, said Sarikas, adding they expected a lot of interest from overseas with tourists arriving on chartered flights from neighbouring countries to watch the opera.

Around 220 cast and crew from the Arena di Verona will arrive on the island for the £630,000 production.

Italy’s Ambassador to Cyprus, Gherardo La Fransesca, whose country assumed the European Union presidency on Tuesday, told the Cyprus News Agency that culture was one of the most important elements “in our lives because it is linked with our roots, which are common for all countries of the Mediterranean”.

Education Minister Pefkios Georgiades said that in the last five years the festival had become an “active cultural organisation with significant contribution to the town and Cyprus’ cultural development in general”.

Meanwhile, Larnaca Mayor, Andreas Moses, also promised a rich cultural summer for the Larnaca Festival 2003, starting with London’s West End musical Fame on July 4-5 at the Patticheon Theatre. The festival will also be showcasing a Maria Callas tribute with a 131-member opera group from Moscow, including the participation of Marios Frankoudis and Deborah Myers. Other events include Moscow ballets, theatrical productions, Greek artists, poetry nights and the screening of two films by Andreas Panzis.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

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