Cyprus Mail: Press Review in English, 98-01-30

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

Friday, January 30, 1998

Leaders unwilling to take stand on cops

A VARIETY of election-related stories appeared on the front pages, ranging from the number of policemen guarding politicians to the ongoing the in- fighting at Diko.

Simerini claimed that public opinion had posed the question: Why do all the presidential candidates and the political parties not make a commitment to reduce the use of hundreds of policemen in duties that are unrelated to their official responsibilities.

Apart from causing problems of undermanning for the police force, the assignment of officers to protect politicians cost the taxpayer �3 million per year. The paper said that when contacted for their views, all party leaders refused to take a clear-cut stand.

Phileleftheros reported bickering among the parties over the results of the opinion poll, conducted by CYMAR for CyBC, which gave President Clerides a four per cent lead over George Iacovou. Akel asked how the poll could give Iacovou 31 per cent when its own strength was 33 per cent in the parliamentary elections.

Disy alleged that Akel and Diko had tried to influence the CyBC in the way that the poll would be presented. Other candidates, George Vassiliou, Vassos Lyssarides and Nicos Koutsou, were satisfied with the poll results.

Haravghi covered Iacovou's Pancyprian rally in Nicosia which was held in a "climate of unrestrained enthusiasm and an unbreakable faith in the victory" of Iacovou.

The rally, the paper said, turned into a "popular referendum on the triumph of Democracy and the powers which represent it". There was a large youth presence and Iacovou devoted a large part of his speech to the problems faced by youth - drugs and unemployment.

Machi reported that Diko's former Defence Minister Costas Eliades was "kicked out" from a recent meeting with his Greek counterpart Akis Tsohatzopoulos when he requested that a Cyprus-Greece agreement should be signed on the Dogma of Unified Defence Space.

Eliades was conveying the request on behalf of Iacovou. According to the paper, Greece's General Staff fears that Iacovou's election would signal the end of the Dogma.

Alithia gave extensive coverage to a letter sent by former Interior Minister Dinos Michaelides to Spyros Kyprianou, urging him to understand where his "mistaken decisions" were leading.

Michaelides' "genuine concern for the future of Diko", of which he is deputy leader, was evident, claimed the paper. His "anxiety" over the Diko leadership's short-sightedness was obvious, it added.

Agon led with the same story, concentrating on Michaelides' request not to appear before the Diko Disciplinary Council today. All actions against people who disagreed with the "mistaken actions" of the leadership, should be terminated, he said.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1998

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