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Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 00-11-29

Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Cyprus Mail at <http://www.cyprus-mail.com/>


CONTENTS

  • [01] Teachers go on strike, parents threaten to retaliate
  • [02] Attorney-general chasing overdue rents
  • [03] Four die in a week of crashes
  • [04] Investors may need to go to court to get their money back
  • [05] `New place is jinxed'
  • [06] `Denktash decision has nothing to do with us'
  • [07] Students demand subsidies
  • [08] Journalists condemn petrol bomb attack on Avrupa offices
  • [09] Are you entitled to free health care?
  • [10] Who wants to mange Omonia?
  • [11] Rain keeps falling down

  • [01] Teachers go on strike, parents threaten to retaliate

    By Martin Hellicar SCHOOL was out yesterday as the island's 4,500 primary and nursery school teachers came out on strike to demand pay rises. About 1, 000 of the striking teachers braved the rain to march to the Presidential Palace in Nicosia to urge President Clerides to intervene on their behalf. The Cabinet is due to consider the teachers' demand when it meets today, a ministerial committee chaired by Education Minister Ourannios Ioannides having failed to decide on the matter on Monday. The teachers, represented by the POED union, are threatening an indefinite strike if the government does not give in to their demand that their salaries be brought into line with those of their colleagues in secondary schools, who were recently promised pay rises by the government. Disgruntled parents were yesterday repeating their threats to take undisclosed "dynamic action" of their own should the strike action continue. "We are not demanding anything, we are only defending our children's right to learn and not to have their lessons disrupted," said Heraclis Papandreou, chairman of the Pancyprian Association of parents of primary school pupils. Putting pressure on the Cabinet, Papandreou said parents would take action tomorrow if the dispute between teachers and Ministry was not resolved today. Reports yesterday suggested parents were planning to respond to the teachers' strike action by blockading schools and keeping children at home. Papandreou did not confirm or deny the reports yesterday, saying only that such possibilities had been discussed. Minister Ioannides yesterday urged parents to "tone things down". He also said the government would not negotiate with teachers while they were on strike. Ioannides has condemned the teachers' strike action, saying they should have awaited the conclusion of official negotiations on the pay issue. Despite the reactions from state and parents, the mood among the protesting teachers outside the Presidential Palace yesterday was resolute. "We are determined to fight to the end, till teachers are vindicated," one protester said. The chairman of the House Education Committee, Sofoklis Hadjiyianis, yesterday stressed the need for dialogue between all involved in the dispute. He suggested his committee might provide the ideal forum for such discussions.

    [02] Attorney-general chasing overdue rents

    By George Psyllides THE ATTORNEY-general is investigating cases of tenants who have not been paying rent for as long as 10 years on land leased from the government in Ayia Napa, the Land and Surveys Department said yesterday. In her report last week, Auditor-general Chrystalla Yiorkadji said that by the end of 1999 there was £301,592 in outstanding rent owed to the government by people leasing land in Ayia Napa. Some of the late rents went back as far as 1990, the report said. The Auditor-general also noted the specific case of a tenant whose contract had expired in 1993 with £34, 620 still outstanding, adding that no legal measures had been taken. The same occupant had also used other state land illegally, with no contract whatsoever, but again no measures were taken, the report said. The report stressed that the Land and Surveys Department was not taking any measures to collect the back-rents, resulting in loss of income for the state. But yesterday the department's Director Andreas Christodoulou told the Cyprus Mail that he had informed the Attorney-general of the various cases, adding that the legal service was now handling the issue. Christodoulou said many cases had already been to court, with some contracts being annulled, while many debtors had paid up. "Some people unfortunately are inconsiderate. They don't care, just as long as they do their job," Christodoulou said. He said his department was going after these tenants through the Attorney- general's office, but complained that the justice system was too slow. "They have the luxury to raise various objections: they request re- examination of the case or say they are ill, and so on," Christodoulou said. They find various excuses to postpone hearings and every time that happens the cases are delayed for several months, he added. "Some cases take four to five years to clear from the moment the procedure begins," he said. Christodoulou was adamant there was no foul play involved in the cases. The land in question is leased out for agricultural, farming, or industrial purposes. It is understood that no business interests are involved in the matter. Christodoulou said no hotels had been built solely on state-leased land.

    [03] Four die in a week of crashes

    By a Staff Reporter FOUR people were killed and 20 seriously injured in 136 traffic accidents during the week between November 12 and 19. A further 53 people were slightly injured. During the same period, police recorded 3,603 traffic violations, while 523 traffic-related cases were tried in court. Fifty people lost their licence or the right to acquire one, and £29,768 was paid in fines. Police booked 1,801 drivers for speeding and a further 92 for driving without wearing seatbelts. Eighty-four motorcycle and moped riders were booked for failing to wear a crash helmet, and 198 drivers for using a mobile phone while driving. Five drivers were booked for excessive emissions. Police breathalysed 486 drivers, of whom 10 were reported for drink driving.

    [04] Investors may need to go to court to get their money back

    By Jean Christou HUNDREDS of investors entitled to have their money returned from companies awaiting listing on the Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE) may have to resort to lengthy legal battles to recover their funds, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said yesterday. Tomorrow is the deadline for the return of investors' cash from the 150 companies awaiting a CSE listing under a law passed last month, but many companies are either stalling or refusing outright to give back the money. Others have tried to get out of returning the money by issuing title deeds for shares since the law was passed, but this will not absolve them, said Investors' Association president Alkis Argyrides. Argyrides told the Cyprus Mail yesterday that the new law was not clear on what would happen when tomorrow's deadline passed or what investors who were still waiting would have to do. The law passed by the House late last month said anyone who had invested money in companies via irrevocable applications had until November 30 to claim their money back, plus six per cent interest calculated from the day of collection, if their shares had not been issued before October 18. Companies who have not yet listed but did issue titles before this date are exempted. The SEC has already called on the companies affected to comply with the new law, but can do little if they do not, said chairman Andreas Charalambous. "We are trying to pressure the companies to act according to the spirit of the law," Charalambous told the Cyprus Mail. But he said that if the companies did not, individual investors would be obliged to pursue their cases through the courts. He said the SEC's job was only to secure a means by which investors could get their money back. "It is an issue between the investors and the companies," he said. Charalambous said it would be impossible to gain a clear picture of the current situation, but he could confirm that a lot of companies were reluctant to give the money back. "I know a lot of cases of this, or of cases where companies have now issued the shares," he said. Charalambous said there had been considerable interest among investors in getting their money back, but he could not put a figure on it. Agryrides said the number ran into the hundreds. "But the law is not crystal clear and there are some gaps which the investment companies are using to get out of it," he said. "But I must say that in many cases the companies are paying." Argyrides said some companies were interpreting the October 18 deadline as meaning they should either register shareholders at the Companies Registration Office or issue the titles. "The point is how the law is being interpreted," he said. "It's true the law has opened the door for people to get their money, but it means a court case." He said the police should intervene if the deadline was not met and that the offending companies should not be allowed to enter the CSE when their listing date finally came up. "But I'm afraid they don't always intervene when they should," he said. "Nothing is clear right now so we will have to wait a few days to see, or until a few cases are tested." Under the new law, companies who refuse to return investors' cash plus interest will be subject to up two years' imprisonment or a cash fine of up to £50,000 or both.

    [05] `New place is jinxed'

    By Jean Christou SELLING WAS the order of the day on the CSE again yesterday with the all-share index losing another 2.01 per cent on top of Monday's disastrous 4.5 per cent drop. Trading opened at 236 points, eight points down on the previous day's close, dropped as far as 234 before rebounding to close at 238.6, a new year low. Volume remained low at £14.9 million as losers outpaced gainers by 119 to 30 with 57 companies remaining unchanged. Sectoral losses ranged from 0.27 per cent in construction and technology to 3.17 per cent for hotels. The banking sector was also hard hit with losses of 2.56 per cent led by plunging Bank of Cyprus (BoC) and Laiki stocks. BoC shed another 13 cents yesterday to close at £4.26 while Laiki dropped 16 cents to end at £5.29. Trading in the two banking stocks accounted for almost half the day's volume. In Athens BoC fared little better losing 3.28 per cent to close at 2,650 drachmas (£4.43) after hitting an intraday low of 2,515 drachmas (£4.20) with over 60,000 shares changing hands. The Greek market fell 2.98 per cent yesterday and the banking sector 2.28 per cent. The third most active share traded on the CSE yesterday was GlobalSoft with a volume of £1.2 million. The share was one of the day's few winners, adding ten cents to close at £5.30. "This is the fourth trading session at the IMC and all four have been disastrous," said the CSE web analyst yesterday. "Not to be superstitious but it seems that the new place is jinxed. All that talk and excitement about finally moving into a new place has backfired and the show goes on as usual." ENDS

    [06] `Denktash decision has nothing to do with us'

    By Jean Christou PRESIDENT Glafcos Clerides said yesterday that Turkish Cypriot participation in the next round of UN peace talks was not a matter of concern to him. He said the Cyprus government was working quietly to achieve its goals and stressed that it has already been decided that the Cyprus solution would take UN resolutions fully into consideration. Clerides was responding to statements made by Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash that he would not attend the January proximity talks in Geneva unless his breakaway regime in the north was recognised. Denktash said last week the year-long UN sponsored talks had been a waste of time. Clerides declined to comment on Denktash's remarks but when pressed further on whether he believed Denktash would go to Geneva, Clerides said: "It is no concern of mine if Mr Denktash goes to the talks or not, he is the one who is dealing with the matter." "Our side is doing exactly what it has to do, without any fanfare," he added. "It is high time everybody understands that foreign policy is not carried out for local consumption but for a successful outcome and has to be well organised and carried out quietly." Clerides said he wished to make it clear that decisions already taken stated that the solution to the Cyprus problem had to take UN resolutions fully into consideration. "It appears that Mr Denktash does not wish to take into full consideration the resolutions," Clerides said. Turkish Cypriot papers yesterday quoted Denktash as saying that in order to get back to the negotiating table, the Turkish Cypriot side would need to discuss "principles" and that there was no point going to negotiations "blindfolded". Denktash said decisions taken in Ankara last week included talks on a `state to state' basis, talking confederation as opposed to federation, protecting the Greco-Turkish balance and introducing a property exchange mechanism and compensation. He said signing an agreement that recognised the right of Greek Cypriots to return to their homes would amount to making half of the Turkish Cypriot population homeless. He said they had come face to face with an approach that only took the Greek Cypriot position into consideration. `We have to discuss with those concerned the principles which we are ready to accept in order to return to the negotiating table," Denktash said. "There is no point sitting at the negotiating table with our eyes closed," Denktash said. UN special envoy for Cyprus Alvaro de Soto is expected to arrive on the island on Sunday for a two-day visit, which will involve contacts with both sides.

    [07] Students demand subsidies

    By Melina Demetriou MORE than a hundred university and college students protested outside the Presidential Palace yesterday morning, calling on the government to respect a unanimous parliamentary decision to subsidise all students. "Sponsor us, not the stockbrokers," students chanted, demonstrating in the rain for more than an hour. Students' Union POFNE and other student organisations submitted a memorandum to a Presidential Palace's representative, warning they would step up their action if President Glafcos Clerides did not stop challenging the House decision. College students and those who are on a Foundation, a Master's or a prior admission language course are not entitled to state subsidises, while university students receive £1,500 each a year. Less than a month ago, the House Plenum approved a bill, granting those students £700 a year. But the President appealed last week to the Supreme Court to challenge the decision, pledging it was not in line with the Constitution. Students argued the President's move would split the student body in two. "The matter is not constitutional, it is political, and it should be addressed as such. We have submitted a memorandum to the Presidential Palace's representative Nicos Panayiotou, calling on the President to table a new proposal before the House, providing for all students to receive a state subsidise. We are offering him this chance to sort out the problem once and for all. But if he doesn't, we will take further action," POFNE President Chrysis Pantelides told reporters. Christina Christofia, a law student at a university in Athens, told the Cyprus Mail: "The President has stabbed us in the back and he is being disrespectful to the legislature. Even students who have to take extra years to finish their course because of health problems are not eligible to a state subsidy." College students are planning to rally outside the Presidential Palace tomorrow.

    [08] Journalists condemn petrol bomb attack on Avrupa offices

    By a Staff Reporter THE JOURNALISTS' Union yesterday condemned a suspected arson attack on Turkish Cypriot opposition newspaper Avrupa, accusing the regime in the north of attempting to eradicate the freedom of expression. According to Turkish Cypriot papers, a fire started at the newspaper in the early hours of Monday morning. The cause is reported to be "not officially known". However, some newspapers said the fire was started by a petrol bomb thrown into the premises, although they said `police' had refused to confirm this. The fire caused damage to the main printing machines and to stocks of paper. The attack was condemned in the north by the left-wing Republican Turkish Party, which said it was aimed at targeting the democratic struggle of the supporters of peace in Cyprus. Several Turkish Cypriot trade unions also condemned the attack. On the Greek Cypriot side, the Journalists' Union said the attack was part of an "extermination campaign" against opposition circles in the north. "The union expresses its anger and abhorrence at this fascist action, which is the work of forces that do not hesitate to resort even to open violence and terrorism in order to strangle Avrupa, stifle freedom of expression and silence those voices in the Turkish Cypriot community which demand that an end be put to the oppressive regime of Denktash and the Turkish occupation army, and that a peaceful solution be found that will reunite Cyprus and its people and safeguard the human rights of all Cypriots regardless of ethnic origin," a written statement said. Avrupa has suffered a series of blows this year for publishing articles critical of the Denktash regime. The newspaper's owner Sener Levent and several of its journalists were arrested earlier this year accused of sedition, but later were released. The paper has also been fined after being convicted of libel against Rauf Denktash, and had its equipment seized for failing to pay the fine.

    [09] Are you entitled to free health care?

    By a Staff Reporter THE GOVERNMENT yesterday announced details of the new criteria for securing free or half-price state medical care. The new criteria, which come into effect on January 1, classify people as either class `A' or class `B' claimants. The former are entitled to almost completely free medical care, the only charge being £1 for every visit to hospital outpatient departments. Class `B' claimants are entitled to half- price medical care. At the moment, claimants need to secure a "needy" certificate from the local community leader to secure free care. As from January 1, the system will change, with claimants having to secure a "Health Care Certificate" from hospitals or rural medical centres. Application forms for such certificates are already available from hospitals, medical centres and village mukhtars. Retired civil servants, regular government workers and war wounded do not need such certificates to secure free health care. Only Cypriot citizens are entitled to such medical aid. Class `A' claimants are: - Single persons earning up to £6,000 a year - Couples without dependant children earning up to £10,000 a year - Couples with one dependant child earning up to £10,600 a year - Couples with up to two dependant children earning up to £11,200 a year - Couples with three dependant children earning up to £11,800 a year - All members of families with over three children - The enclaved and their families - The dependants of missing persons. Class `B' claimants are: - Singles earning between £6, 001 and £9,000 - Couples without dependant children earning between £10,001 and £14,000 a year - Couples with one dependant child earning between £10, 601 and £14,600 year - Couples with up to two dependant children earning between £11,201 and £15,200 a year, - Couples with three dependant children earning between £11,801 and £15,800 a year.

    [10] Who wants to mange Omonia?

    By a Staff Reporter OMONIA's search for a manager is turning into a major saga of repeated rejection for the Nicosia football club. In the latest twist, Dutchman Ari Haan has jumped ship after less than a fortnight in charge, reportedly accepting an offer to become general manager of Austria Vienna instead. Last month, having sacked Bulgarian coach Dimitrov Asprouhov early in a disappointing season, the Nicosia giants triumphantly announced they had signed ex-Everton manager Howard Kendall as a top-notch replacement. But the euphoria quickly turned to embarrassment for Omonia as Kendall pulled out at the last minute, citing family problems. The story repeated itself with Omonia's next choice, Dutchman Thys Libregts, the man who coached the Dutch team that reached the 1990 World Cup. With the deal again apparently sown up, Ligbrets pulled out at the last minute, citing family problems. Omonia then turned to Hann, the former manager of Dutch club Feyenoord. The deal was signed and Hann, who is best remembered as the player whose long-range shooting lit up the 1978 World Cup, arrived in time for the November 18 clash with big Nicosia rivals APOEL, a game which Omonia lost 1-0. Hann's next match in charge was a 2-0 win over AEK on Saturday. But, by yesterday, the Dutchman was on his way out. An offer from Austria Vienna had reportedly proved too tempting to keep Haan on the island. Omonia director Doros Seraphim had an emergency meeting with Hann late on Monday night but failed to persuade him to stay. Rebuffed once again, Omonia were yesterday threatening to seek compensation from Haan for abandoning them. It was not clear yesterday who the Omonia board would be turning to as a replacement for Haan.

    [11] Rain keeps falling down

    By George Psyllides THE RAIN continued to fall yesterday, but without the flooding and destruction experienced the day before. On Monday, torrential rains and strong wind wreaked havoc in Paphos. Yesterday, there were a few reports of flooded houses and shops, while some roads were made dangerous because of wet tarmac and falling rocks. The Meteorological Service said that the rains were expected to continue through to tomorrow. The temperatures were normal for the season although the overcast could push them down a little, meteorologists said. Despite the storms in Paphos, it was Nicosia that recorded the highest rainfall on Monday, with 96mm falling in Athalassa, while Paphos accumulated just 40-43mm. The flow in the dams was steady yesterday, despite the fact that Monday's rains had mostly been absorbed by the dry earth. The Water Development Board said around 280,000 cubic metres had flowed in the dams since Monday morning, and more was expected today. Total accumulation in all dams around the island was 17.4 million cubic metres yesterday morning, representing only 6.4 per cent of capacity. At the same time last year, the volume stood at 30 million cubic metres - 11 per cent of capacity. In Paphos, the rain continued, but without the problems reported on Monday. People worked on repairing damaged property, while the fire service was called twice to pump water from flooded establishments. Electricity was restored after Monday's power cuts and damaged pylons were replaced. Electricity Authority Spokesman Tassos Roussos said most power cuts had been repaired on Monday night and two minor cuts in Protaras and Polis Chrysohous were expected to be fixed by yesterday afternoon. Roussos warned consumers to be extra careful with their appliances during power cuts. He said they should make sure to disconnect them in case electricity was restored while they were not at home. Police Spokesman Stelios Neophytou warned that the tarmac was slippery, but apart from a couple of flooded roads no serious problems have been reported. No serious accidents had occurred, Neophytou said.

    Cyprus Mail 2000


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