Cyprus Mail: Press Review in English, 98-12-03

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

Thursday, December 3, 1998

Millennium bug threatens security

THE MISSILE sage continued to dominate the front pages, with extensive coverage given to Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem's assertion that Ankara would also object to the deployment of the S-300 missiles in Crete.

All the papers also pointed out that President Clerides was concerned about reports, suggesting that there was a rift between the governments of Cyprus and Greece about the missiles.

There was a good variety of 'less important' news stories on the front pages as well.

Haravghi gave prominence to the decision of the Akel-backed trade union federation Peo to fight to defend the living standards of the workers, which were under attack from the government's "conservative, neo-liberal economic policies".

Peo would be on the front line of the fight against the government's anti- popular measures, such as the new tax package and the privatisation of state-owned organisations. It opposed the new taxes as they would redistribute wealth in favour of the wealthier classes.

Alithia reported that no-one knows what the National Guard General Staff has done about the millennium bug, which could affect weapon systems. It said that the members of the committee set up to look at the problem were in the dark about how the Guard's weapons systems would be affected.

The issue was whether the necessary measures had been taken, because if they had not, the island's security would be threatened. The National Guard should ask the suppliers of the equipment to carry out checks on everything, a committee member said.

Machi reported that the police had handed to the Attorney-general its report about one of the cases involving the former Bishop of Limassol Chrysanthos. According to the report, there were grounds to prosecute the bishop in connection with three cases of fraud.

The Church hierarchy was in favour of no charges being brought against the bishop, but the Attorney-general would have the final say, the paper said.

Phileleftheros reported that Minister of Commerce and Industry Nicos Rolandis had asked from the ambassador of Japan for certification about the specification of imported second-hand cars from his country.

Rolandis said that the EU had been demanding that all Japanese cars imported to Cyprus have European specifications.

Simerini alleged that an organised ring of transvestites was operating in Nicosia, luring National Guardsmen into a life drugs and homosexuality.

Drugs and women were used to entice the soldiers before the transvestites stepped in. According to police information, some 40 Guardsmen frequently visited "the house where the transvestites lived".

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1998

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