Cyprus Mail: Press Review in English, 98-02-28

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

Saturday, February 28, 1998

Ministries still up for grabs?

THE FLURRY of activity surrounding the formation of the cabinet continued to draw the attention of most papers.

Simerini said President Clerides had finally decided the formation of his cabinet. Edek leader Vassos Lyssarides had proposed the party's deputy leader, Yiannakis Omirou, for the defence ministry and also gave a list of names from which Clerides would choose the education minister.

This provoked the reaction of Disy chief Nicos Anastassiades, who twice visited Clerides with the demand that Disy member, Ouranios Ioannides, should be given the ministry. Clerides though had made up his mind to appoint someone from Edek's list.

Phileleftheros said the presidential palace was once again the venue for a string of meetings as party leaders tried to impose their people for the two vacant ministerial posts.

While Clerides had made up his mind about the education ministry there was still uncertainty about health, which had been promised to New Horizons leader Nicos Koutsou. Disy was opposed to Koutsou, wanting the current minister, Christos Solomis, who was a party member to stay on. After a meeting with Clerides, Koutsou insisted he would represent his party in the cabinet, implying that he would be given health.

Machi, which described the efforts to find an education minister as a thriller, said there was dissatisfaction at Disy with Clerides' planned appointments to the ministries of health and education. Disy insisted that Koutsou should not get a ministry.

Alithia gave prominence to comments by British envoy Sir David Hannay on his arrival to Cyprus. Sir David was reported as saying that the time had come to work anew for a Cyprus settlement.

He would also help to achieve an agreed approach that would allow the participation of Turkish Cypriots in the EU accession negotiations. His main objective was to recruit all parties involved in an effort to create a positive dynamic, the paper said.

Haravghi, under the headline "Danger of Euro-partition", reported a speech given in parliament by the general secretary of the Communist Party of Greece Aleca Papariga. She had claimed that a partitioned Cyprus would enter the EU, without a settlement being reached.

Agon alleged that the two men who had robbed a Bank of Cyprus branch had left behind important clues which would enable the police to arrest them. However, the police, who were, reportedly, very close to cracking the case, were refusing to say anything more, as this could jeopardise their investigations.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1998

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