Cyprus Mail: Press Review in English, 98-01-22

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

Thursday, January 22, 1998

Diko crisis continues

THE presidential elections -- particularly an outburst by Diko president Spyros Kyprianou that the presidential palace was trying to annihilate him, the results of a new opinion poll and statements by US Secretary Madeleine Albright on Cyprus were the main stories in yesterday's press.

Phileleftheros leads on the internal strife in Diko. It carries complaints by Diko president Spyros Kyprianou that there was a plan to annihilate him politically and secure the re-election of Glafcos Clerides.

Kyprianou added that immediately after the presidential elections there would be a pancyprian party congress and elections for a new party leadership. Diko vice president Dinos Michaelides, who disagrees with the party's decision to back George Iacovou, hit back saying Kyprianou should resign the House presidency because he was elected with the joint votes of Disy and Diko.

Simerini also leads on the Diko crisis. It describes the situation in the party as "fullscale conflict" and says there are no prospects the row can be defused. It quotes Alexis Galanos, the former vice president who is running for president, who accused Kyprianou and his associates of creating a dictatorial situation.

Kyprianou countered that there were plans to annihilate him politically, and said Diko voters were being summoned to the presidential palace and told to support the re-election of Clerides.

Haravgi also leads on Kyprianou's complaints. Under the headline "Ruthless" the paper says some circles of the right were ruthless in their effort to secure Clerides' re-election.

The paper also carries a reply from a Diko spokesman rejecting Foreign Minister Yiannakis Cassoulides' remarks that Iacovou was avoiding a public debate because he could not align the positions of Akel and Diko on the Cyprus problem.

Agon carries the results of a new opinion poll which it says confirms the fight between chief contenders George Iacovou and Glafcos Clerides would be very close. In a separate story Agon reports on yesterday's scheduled meeting between Clerides and Kyprianou to discuss Cyprus' EU accession course.

Alithia leads on statements by US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright which it said gave a clear warning. Albright told Reuters that the outcome of the peace process in Cyprus and of US involvement in the process would depend on the outcome of the elections.

Machi leads on another report from Reuters on concern by western experts of a crisis countdown in Cyprus. This concern is prompting anxious western governments to step up mediation efforts.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1998

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