Cyprus Mail: Press Review in English, 97-10-31

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

Friday, October 31, 1997

Candidacy declaration sooner?

ADAPTING to the frenzy of backstage activity regarding the candidates for the February elections the Greek papers continued on Thursday to deal with the issue.

Phileleftheros predicted in a front-page story that President Clerides, upon arrival at Larnaca airport yesterday, was due to give yet more hints as to what his intentions are regarding the question whether he will run for a second term or not.

The paper says that Clerides is being pressured by friends to make his plans known soon, but it adds that a clear indication should not be expected in the next few days.

In another brief front-page report the paper says that according to Turkish sources Turkey seems ready to cancel its military exercise Toros '97 if Greece agrees to cancel its exercise Parmenion. Both exercises are expected to start next week.

Alithia informs its readers that President Clerides and Diko president Spyros Kyprianou are expected to meet again next week to discuss the presidential elections.

Quoting well-informed sources the paper says that Clerides will announce his intention to stand again on November 6. The paper says that the President has been convinced by close aides to announce his decision as soon as possible.

The paper also says that the office of the Presidential Adviser on Humanitarian Issues had received some 10,000 applications from people who want to go to the occupied monastery of Apostle Andreas, in the Karpass region, on November 30. Only about 600 are expected to make the pilgrimage as the Turks have set a limit to the number of visitors.

Haravghi says that Disy officials are pressuring Attorney General Alecos Markides to issue a statement making clear that he does not intend to run for President during the February elections.

The political office of Disy was due to meet yesterday to discuss the current developments regarding the presidential elections.

Simerini says that a planned meeting between President Clerides and Spyros Kyprianou in the next few days is not expected to yield any results.

The paper predicts that the meeting will probably give the green light to Diko to ask its ministers in the Clerides administration to quit their posts, thus formally putting an end to the governing coalition.

Machi says that President Clerides and Alecos Markides are on a collision course.

The paper says that Disy members are now split in two groups, one supporting Markides and the other Clerides. It says that former Disy president Yiannakis Matsis is one of those in favour of a Markides candidacy.

Agon says that the police have discovered forged £20-notes which are very hard to detect. The paper says that the forged notes were circulated both in Nicosia and Limassol.

© Copyright 1997 Cyprus Mail

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