Cyprus Mail: Press Review in English, 97-10-18

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

Saturday, October 18, 1997

Clerides to make intentions clear

SEVERAL papers preview Monday's meeting between President Clerides and Spyros Kyprianou at which the forthcoming elections in February will be discussed.

Alithia said Clerides would inform Kyprianou of his intention to stand in the presidential elections. However, the official announcement of his plan to stand for re-election would only come in November when he gives a press conference to present the achievements of his government.

The paper described Monday's "eagerly-awaited" meeting as being of "critical importance" as it would determine the future of the Disy-Diko alliance and clarify the issue of the presidential candidacies. It added that sources at both parties want the alliance to survive as this was in the interest of Cyprus.

Machi said Clerides would make his intentions about the elections clear to Kyprianou because he understood that the Diko leader needed to know where he stood.

Kyprianou was under intense pressure from Akel, which had offered him many inducements to forge an electoral alliance. However, Kyprianou has resisted Akel's advances because he would prefer to maintain the alliance with Disy, the paper said.

Haravghi predicted that the government alliance would be dissolved on Monday after the Clerides-Kyprianou meeting. It said the government spokesman did not know what to say when asked about the matter.

Meanwhile, Clerides's advisers have already begun looking for replacements for the five government ministers who belong to Diko. None of the five would stay in the government after the dissolution of the alliance, the paper said.

Phileleftheros reported that, despite the attempt of Turkey's Chief of Staff to defuse tension with his "arrogant statements", Ankara "heightened its provocations" by sending fighter jets to buzz the plane carrying Greece's Minister of Defence to Crete.

It said General Karadayi's comments had no effect in Turkey, where the press continued to carry belligerent and jingoistic reports. It quoted Greece's Foreign Minister Theodoros Panagalos as saying that "Turkey has a problem with the civilised world".

Simerini predicted that Finance Minister Christodoulos Christodoulou's proposal to put back the retirement age of public servants from 60 to 65 years of age would have serious consequences and provoke "serious reactions".

It said the public servants' union Pasidy, despite some reservations, was willing to discuss the proposal.

© Copyright 1997 Cyprus Mail

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