Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 03-02-11

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From: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>

CONTENTS

[01] Election results ready well before midnight, says Cypriot official

[02] Cyprus: Ten presidential hopefuls

[03] Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus

[04] IMF accepts conclusions of its mission to Cyprus

[05] Cyprus Stock Exchange

[06] Annan may visit Cyprus, spokesman says

[07] Cyprus' income from EU larger than contributions

[08] Cyprus to participate in EU Programme with 17 million euros

[09] Kasoulides says nothing definite about Annan visit

[01] Election results ready well before midnight, says Cypriot official

1250:CYPPRESS:01

Election results ready well before midnight, says Cypriot official

Nicosia, Feb 11 (CNA) -- Results for the presidential elections of 16 February in Cyprus will be ready well before midnight, Chief Returning Officer, Kyriacos Triantafyllides told CNA.

The candidate who will secure 50% plus one vote will be declared President from the first round and the pronouncement will be made at the Interior Ministry, he said.

If no candidate secures more than 50%, then a second round will be held the following Sunday between the first two candidates.

A total of 476,345 people are registered to vote, of which 234,128 are men and 242.217 women. The new registered voters amount to 13,698, and are aged 18-19.

A total 1,078 polling stations will operate, of which 414 in Nicosia District, 323 in Limassol District, 50 in the free areas of Famagusta District, 169 in Larnaca District and 120 in Paphos District.

Two special polling stations will operate for the enclaved of the Kyrenia election district and the Famagusta election district.

The number of enclaved registered to vote is 406 and special arrangements have been made to transport them from the Turkish- occupied north to the free areas to vote, and then return to their homes.

Those who may wish to visit their relatives in the free areas can do so, Triantafyllides said, adding the rest will return to the occupied areas afterwards.

Meanwhile, the ballot papers are ready at the Government Printing Office and will be dispatched to the district polling stations by next week where they will be kept in safety rooms until they are handed over to the heads of the election centres one or two days before the elections.

Polling stations will open at 0700 local time (0500 GMT) and will stay open until 1700 with an hours break at midday. If necessary and only at the discretion of the head of the polling station, voting may continue until 2100.

[02] Cyprus: Ten presidential hopefuls

1400:CYPPRESS:02

Cyprus: Ten presidential hopefuls

Nicosia, Feb 11 (CNA) -- Ten hopefuls climaxed this week their campaign in view of next Sunday's presidential elections in Cyprus.

If no candidate receives 50% plus one vote, on Sunday, 16 February, then a second round will be held the following Sunday, 23 February, between the two candidates who will win most of the votes in the first round.

Eight of the candidates appeared to be independent. Among them is incumbent President Glafcos Clerides, who is seeking a limited third term in office.

Two candidatures come from political parties. They are Tassos Papadopoulos, leader of the centre-right Democratic Party (DIKO), who is also supported by leftwing AKEL party, the largest in the Parliament, and the Social Democrats Movement (KISOS) and Nicos Koutsou, supported by the right-wing New Horizons, the party that he leads.

President Clerides is supported for re-election by the rigthwing Democratic Rally Party although a number of deputies belonging to this party have publicly backed the candidature of Alecos Markides.

First on the ballot paper is Nicos Koutsou and second Tassos Papadopoulos. Third is Andreas Efstratiou, a businessman, followed by lawyer Christos Iosifides and composer Adamos Katsantonis.

[03] Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus

1445:CYPPRESS:03

Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus

Nicosia, Feb 11 (CNA) -- Today's weather and temperatures for Cyprus,
according to the Meteorological Service at Larnaca International
Airport are:

Temperatures (degrees Celcius)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Station               Maximum     Minimum       Weather
(At 1200 UTC)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Nicosia                 14            2         FAIR
Larnaca                 15            3         FINE
Limassol                17            5         FINE
Paphos                  16            6         FAIR

[04] IMF accepts conclusions of its mission to Cyprus

1455:CYPPRESS:04

IMF accepts conclusions of its mission to Cyprus

Nicosia, Feb 11 (CNA) The International Monetary Fund accepted the preliminary conclusions of the IMF mission to the island, noting the Cyprus economy has exhibited macroeconomic stability, a high rate of growth, low inflation and unemployment rates.

Concluding the 2002 Article IV Consultation with Cyprus, the IMF Executive Board said that over the last two decades, economic performance has been impressive, with GDP per capita rapidly approaching the average level in EU countries.

[05] Cyprus Stock Exchange

1500:CYPPRESS:05

Cyprus Stock Exchange

Nicosia, Feb 11 (CNA) - The Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE) All Share
Index closed at today's stock exchange meeting as follows:

CSE General Index                               91,47   ( 3,25)

Traded Value                  CYP    997.927

FTSE/CYSE 20                  CYP    410.500   353.50   ( 4,24)

Sectoral Indices

Banks                         CYP    295.034   102,86   ( 4,94)
Approved Investment
Companies                 CYP     33.600    79,62   ( 1,88)
Insurance Companies           CYP      5.156    19,50   (-3,13)
Manufacturing Companies       CYP      7.719    62,84   ( 1,01)
Tourism Companies             CYP      3.464    97,83   ( 3,13)
Trading Companies             CYP     10.176    18,80   ( 1,79)
Building and Cement Companies CYP     28.224    73,74   ( 3,42)
Énformation Technology
Companies                 CYP      9.313     3,28   ( 2,82)
Financial Services Companies  CYP     68.364    17,99   ( 2,22)
Fish Culture Companies        CYP      1.340    12,34   (-5,51)
Hotels                        CYP      3.116    45,12   ( 0,27)
Other Companies               CYP    129.670    85,35   ( 3,15)

* The third column presents the percentage variation of

[06] Annan may visit Cyprus, spokesman says

1625:CYPPRESS:06

Annan may visit Cyprus, spokesman says

Nicosia, Feb 11 (CNA) -- UN Secretary General Kofi Annan may visit Cyprus by 2 March, depending on the outcome of his discussions in Turkey and Greece from 24-26 of February, Government Spokesman Michalis Papapetrou said here today.

The spokesman also said that the coming period will be crucial and decisive as far as the peace effort is concerned.

Papapetrou noted two developments relating to Cyprus he described as ''important events'', namely next week's talks between Greece and Turkey on security concerns in the context of the peace effort and Annan's tour in the region (he will be in Ankara on the 24 and in Athens on 25-26 of this month).

[07] Cyprus' income from EU larger than contributions

1715:CYPPRESS:07

Cyprus' income from EU larger than contributions

Nicosia, Feb 11 (CNA) - The total income of Cyprus from the EU during the period 2004-2006 will surpass its total contributions by 91 million euros.

The Office of Cyprus' Chief Negotiator with the EU announced that the EU has set the contribution of Cyprus in the EU budget, as well as the subsidies the island will be receiving from various community funds and programmes.

[08] Cyprus to participate in EU Programme with 17 million euros

1805:CYPPRESS:08

Cyprus to participate in EU Programme with 17 million euros

Nicosia, Feb 11 (CNA) - Cyprus will contribute approximately 17 million euros by the year 2006 in order to participate on an equal basis in the EU Sixth Framework Programme on Research and Technological Development, Minister of Finance Takis Klerides said here today.

Addressing a gathering in Nicosia on the Sixth Framework Programme, Klerides said this was the second time Cyprus would be participating in ''one of the largest research programmes worldwide, with a total budget of around 17,5 billion euros''.

[09] Kasoulides says nothing definite about Annan visit

1945:CYPPRESS:09

Kasoulides says nothing definite about Annan visit

Larnaca, Feb 11 (CNA) - Minister of Foreign Affairs Ioannis Kasoulides said here today that UN Secretary General Kofi Annan may visit Cyprus but was not in a position to confirm such a trip.

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