Cyprus Mail: Press Review in English, 98-09-10

Cyprus Mail: Press Review in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

Thursday, September 10, 1998

Akel defends the EAC board

THE OUTCOME of the meeting of the National Council and the ongoing saga of the Electricity Authority's (EAC) land purchase from the Limassol Bishopric were yesterday's main stories.

Alithia lambasted the communist party Akel for backing the beleaguered EAC board at a special House meeting which discussed the land purchase. Akel parliamentary spokesman Andreas Christou asked the government not to carry out its threat to sack the board before the House had investigated the matter. He praised the EAC board and asked the government to set up an inquiry.

However, the government was determined to pursue the matter and seek punishment of those responsible for paying an inflated price to the Church for the plot of land. Meanwhile the members of the board had made it clear that they had no intention of resigning.

Machi, calling the land purchase a 'fiasco', noted that the EAC could build offices on only 13 per cent of the plot, unless it managed to secure building relaxations. The EAC board claimed that the director of the Town Planning Department had given assurances that relaxations would be given.

Meanwhile, the Bishop of Limassol Chrysanthos has offered to return the money he was paid if the land was returned to him by EAC, the paper noted.

Simerini reported that the government had signed a new, modified contract with the Russian company that would supply Cyprus with the S-300 missiles. According to the contract, which was submitted to the National Council, the missiles would be delivered either in the second half of November or the second half of December.

If the government does not take delivery of the missiles by the end of December, then they will be stored in Russia. Storage and maintenance of the missiles would cost a million pounds a month, the paper reported.

Phileleftheros said that the National Council had reached no major decisions. Regarding the talks, the prevailing view was that the Greek side would not return to the negotiating table if the Turkish side refused to modify its views on confederation.

The issue of the recourse to the UN General Assembly was left open. No decision would be taken before the party leaders had gone to New York and completed their investigations.

Haravghi reported that Akel leader Demetris Christofias had called for an immediate recourse to the UN Security Council, and criticised the government for not being ready to do so.

He also criticised the island's diplomatic service for not furnishing the National Council with the type of reports that would have helped the Party leaders reach a decision on the recourse to the UN.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1998

Cyprus Mail: Press Review in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article