CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY, 96-05-07

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From: Panayiotis Zaphiris <[email protected]>

CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY (CNA)

CONTENTS

[01] SPORT: APOEL WINS CYPRUS FOOTBALL TITLE

[02] DENKTASH'S SON BECOMES PARTY LEADER

[03] CANDIDATES FOR PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS NAMED

[04] CLERIDES: INCREASED INTEREST IN CYPRUS PROBLEM EXISTS BUT...

[05] MP'S URGE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO ACT ON MISSING PERSONS QUESTION

[06] CANADIANS WILL NOT CEASE TO HAVE AN INTEREST IN CYPRUS

[07] POLAND WANTS TO IMPROVE RELATIONS WITH CYPRUS

[01] SPORT: APOEL WINS CYPRUS FOOTBALL TITLE

TWO GAMES BEFORE THE END OF THE SEASON, THE NICOSIA CLUB STAYED UNDEFEATED FOR 24 MATCHES.

AFTER THEIR 1-1 DRAW YESTERDAY AGAINST OMONIA OF NICOSIA, APOEL FANS CELEBRATED IN THE CAPITAL'S STADIUM AND DOWNTOWN, THE 16TH CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE OF THEIR TEAM.

APOEL HAVE ALSO QUALIFIED FOR THE FINAL MATCH OF THE CYPRUS CUP. THEY WILL PLAY AGAINST AEK OF LARNACA.

APOEL WILL REPRESENT CYPRUS IN THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP CUP AND AEK IN THE CUP WINNERS' CUP.

TWO OTHER TEAMS COMPETE FOR THE UEFA CUP. THEY ARE OMONIA AND ANORTHOSIS, WHO TRY TO BECOME THE SEASON'S RUNNERS UP, TO SECURE PARTICIPATION IN THE UEFA CUP.

HERE IS THE TABLE OF THE CYPRUS LEAGUE

APOEL       58
OMONIA      50
AEK         50
ANORTHOSIS  49
APOLLON     37
SALAMINA    33
ENOSIS      32
ALKI        31
ETHNIKOS    31
ARIS        25
OLYMPIAKOS  24
AEL         23
EYAGORAS    13
ARADIPPOU    2

CNA GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

[02] DENKTASH'S SON BECOMES PARTY LEADER

SERDAR WON 65,11 PER CENT OF THE VOTES (629 VOTES) IN THE PARTY'S CONGRESS YESTERDAY AS AGAINST 34,26 PER CENT (331 VOTES) OF TANER ETKIN.

DENKTASH'S SON WAS BORN IN 1959 IN NICOSIA. HE STUDIED ECONOMICS IN BRITAIN. HE SERVED AS CHAIRMAN OF A BANK IN THE OCCUPIED AREAS. HE WAS ELECTED MEMBER OF THE ILLEGAL ASSEMBLY IN 1990. HE WAS DP GENERAL SECRETARY.

THE FORMER DP PRESIDENT HAKKI ATUN WILL REMAIN DP HONORARY PRESIDENT. ATUN, WHO IS SELF-STYLED PRIME MINISTER OF THE ILLEGAL ENTITY, SAID HE WOULD SUBMIT HIS RESIGNATION TODAY FROM THE POST OF THE SO-CALLED PRIME MINISTER.

HE SAID THE DP PRESIDENT SHOULD BE ALSO ''PRIME MINISTER''. IN HIS FIRST STATEMENT AFTER HIS ELECTION, SERDAR DENKTASH WARNED THE REPUBLICAN TURKISH PARTY (RTP), WHICH FORMED A ''COALITION GOVERNMENT'' WITH DP THAT IN CASE IT WILL NOT CHANGE ITS ATTITUDE THE DP WILL DISSOLVE THE ''COALITION''

IN A RESOLUTION ADOPTED IN THE CONGRESS, THE DP SET A NUMBER OF PRECONDITIONS FOR THE SOLUTION OF CYPRUS PROBLEM, NAMELY THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A BIZONAL, BICOMMUNAL FEDERATION, CONTINUATION OF TURKEY'S GUARANTEES AND EQUAL SOVEREIGNTY FOR THE TWO SIDES.

THE DP THREATENS WITH ECONOMIC UNION WITH TURKEY IN CASE THE GREEK CYPRIOTS CONTINUE THEIR ECONOMIC EMBARGO ON THE OCCUPIED AREAS.

CYPRUS HAS BEEN DIVIDED SINCE 1974 WHEN TURKISH TROOPS INVADED AND OCCUPIED 37 PER CENT OF ITS TERRITORY.

CNA GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

[03] CANDIDATES FOR PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS NAMED

THIS IS THE BIGGEST NUMBER OF CANDIDATES IN THE HISTORY OF THE CYPRUS REPUBLIC ESTABLISHED IN 1960.

THERE IS ABOUT ONE CANDIDATE FOR EVERY 1000 VOTERS. A TOTAL OF 409.672 PEOPLE, OVER THE AGE OF 21, ARE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE IN THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS. VOTING IN CYPRUS IS COMPULSORY.

THE MAJORITY ARE IN THE NICOSIA DISTRICT (151.539) FOLLOWED BY LIMASSOL DISTRICT (85.031), FAMAGUSTA (80.908), LARNACA (38.720), PAPHOS (32.420) AND KYRENIA (21.054).

TAKING PART IN THE ELECTIONS ARE A COALITION OF TWO PARTIES, SEVEN OTHER PARTIES AND FOUR INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES.

THE COALITION WAS FORMED BY THE RULING RIGHTWING DEMOCRATIC RALLY PARTY AND THE LIBERAL PARTY.

THE OTHER PARTIES ARE THE LEFTWING AKEL, THE CENTRE-RIGHT DEMOCRATIC PARTY, WHICH PARTICIPATES IN PRESIDENT GLAFCOS CLERIDES' GOVERNMENT, THE SOCIALIST EDEK, THE FREE DEMOCRATS MOVEMENT, ADISOK, THE NEW HORIZONS AND THE ECOLOGISTS AND ENVIRONMENTALISTS.

THE COALITION AND THE SIX FIRST PARTIES WILL COMPETE WITH FULL BALLOTS OF 56 CANDIDATES WHILE THE ECOLOGISTS AND ENVIRONMENTALISTS WITH A SMALLER NUMBER OF CANDIDATES.

FOUR PARTIES FORMED THE PREVIOUS PARLIAMENT, NAMELY THE RALLY PARTY WITH 20 SEATS, AKEL WITH 18 SEATS, DEMOCRATIC PARTY WITH 11 SEATS AND EDEK WITH SEVEN SEATS.

THREE PARTIES WILL COMPETE IN THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS FOR THE FIRST TIME. THEY ARE THE FREE DEMOCRATS MOVEMENT, THE NEW HORIZONS AND THE ECOLOGISTS AND ENVIRONMENTALISTS.

DEMOCRATIC RALLY PARTY LEADER YIANNAKIS MATSIS SAID HE WAS ''ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN'' THAT HIS PARTY WILL GET OVER 35,8 PER CENT, WHICH WAS THE PERCENTAGE IT ACHIEVED IN THE LAST PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN 1991.

LIBERAL PARTY LEADER NICOS ROLANDIS, FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER, EXPRESSED A SIMILAR VIEW AND NOTED THAT THE NEXT FIVE YEARS ARE CRUCIAL FOR CYPRUS DUE TO EFFORTS FOR A SOLUTION TO THE CYPRUS PROBLEM AND THE ISLAND'S ROAD TOWARDS ACCESSION TO THE EUROPEAN UNION (EU).

OPTIMISM CONCERNING ELECTION RESULTS WAS ALSO EXPRESSED BY AKEL GENERAL SECRETARY DEMITRIS CHRISTOFIAS, WHO SAID THE ELECTIONS SHOULD TAKE PLACE IN A DEMOCRATIC AND MODERATE CLIMATE.

EXPRESSING HIS OPTIMISM DEMOCRATIC PARTY LEADER SPYROS KYPRIANOU, CYPRUS PRESIDENT FROM 1977 TO 1988, EXPRESSED THE CONVICTION THAT HIS PARTY WILL GET 20 PER CANT OF THE VOTE.

FREE DEMOCRATS LEADER GEORGE VASSILIOU, CYPRUS PRESIDENT FROM 1988 TO 1993, EXPRESSED OPTIMISM AND CERTAINTY THAT HIS PARTY WILL ENTER THE PARLIAMENT AND CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS REFORMING POLITICAL LIFE AND DEALING WITH THE PROBLEMS FACING CYPRUS.

MICHALIS PAPAPETROU, LEADER OF THE REFORMIST DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST PARTY (ADISOK), SAID HIS PARTY ENTERS THE ELECTION RACE ''OFFERING THE CYPRIOT PEOPLE AN HONEST POLITICAL PROPOSAL BASED ON TRUTH, HONESTY AND RESPONSIBILITY.''

NICOS KOUTSOU, LEADER OF NEWLY FORMED NEW HORIZON PARTY, HOPED HIS PARTY WILL GET MORE CANDIDATES ELECTED THAN ANY OF THE NON-PARLIAMENTARY PARTIES TAKING PART IN THE ELECTIONS.

GEORGE PERDIKIS, A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MOVEMENT OF ECOLOGISTS AND ENVIRONMENTALISTS GEORGE PERDIKIS, EXPRESSED GREAT SATISFACTION WITH THE FACT THAT AFTER A LONG HISTORY OF PRESENCE AND ACTION IN CYPRUS' LIFE, THE GREENS NOW OFFICIALLY PRESENT THEIR PROPOSALS TO THE PEOPLE OF CYPRUS.

CNA MCH/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

[04] CLERIDES: INCREASED INTEREST IN CYPRUS PROBLEM EXISTS BUT...

PRESIDENT CLERIDES, WHO WAS SPEAKING AFTER A 40-MINUTE MEETING WITH GREECE'S PRESIDENT COSTIS STEPHANOPOULOS, SAID THEY TALKED ABOUT THE CURRENT PHASE OF THE CYPRUS PROBLEM.

THE CYPRIOT PRESIDENT SAID THEY AGREED TO COORDINATE ACTION IN VIEW OF THEIR FORTHCOMING SEPARATE MEETINGS WITH U.S. PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON, IN WASHINGTON.

ASKED IF HE WAS OPTIMIST, CLERIDES SAID HE ALWAYS FELT THAT WAY BUT NOTED THAT DEVELOPMENTS WERE ACTUALLY DEPENDED ON THE POLICY TO BE FOLLOWED BY THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT.

TURKEY HAS FAILED TO COMPLY WITH NUMEROUS U.N. RESOLUTIONS PROVIDING FOR THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE TURKISH OCCUPATION TROOPS FROM CYPRUS AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE REUNIFICATION OF THIS EAST MEDITERRANEAN ISLAND.

REPLYING TO DOMESTIC CRITICISMS ABOUT HIS REFERENCE TO THE NEED FOR AMENDMENTS TO THE 1960 TREATIES ESTABLISHING THE CYPRUS REPUBLIC DURING A FIVE-MEMBER MEETING, THAT SUCH A MOVE WOULD MARK THE END OF THE REPUBLIC'S SOVEREIGN RIGHTS, IN CONTRADICTION TO DECISIONS TAKEN BY THE NATIONAL COUNCIL, CLERIDES NOTED THAT THE TREATIES COULD BE AMENDED ONLY BY THOSE WHO HAD SIGNED THEM.

HE WAS REFERRING TO THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GREEK AND TURKISH CYPRIOT COMMUNITIES, AND THE THREE GUARANTOR POWERS OF CYPRUS' INDEPENDENCE, NAMELY BRITAIN, GREECE AND TURKEY.

THE CYPRIOT PRESIDENT WAS ACCOMPANIED AT THE MEETING WITH HIS GREEK COUNTERPART BY FOREIGN MINISTER ALECOS MICHAELIDES, GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN YIANNAKIS CASSOULIDES AND UNDERSECRETARY TO THE PRESIDENT PANTELIS KOUROS.

ALSO PRESENT WERE THE CYPRIOT AMBASSADOR TO GREECE, CHARALAMBOS CHRISTOPHOROU, AND THE GREEK AMBASSADOR TO CYPRUS, ALEXANDROS SANDIS.

CNA RG/KPK/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

[05] MP'S URGE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO ACT ON MISSING PERSONS QUESTION

THE MOTION AT THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ''CALLS UPON HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT TO DEMAND OF TURKEY AND THE ILLEGAL REGIME IN NORTHERN CYPRUS TO DIVULGE IMMEDIATELY TO THE UNITED NATIONS MISSING PERSONS COMMITTEE INFORMATION CONCERNING THE FATES OR WHEREABOUTS OF ALL MISSING PERSONS, TO END SUCH PROLONGED HUMANITARIAN ABUSE AND ALLEVIATE ANY FURTHER SUFFERING TO ALL CONCERNED.''

THE MOTION NOTES THAT ''THIS HOUSE WAS APPALLED BY THE RECENT CALLOUS ANNOUNCEMENT MADE BY TURKISH CYPRIOT LEADER RAUF DENKTASH, WHO STATED THAT ALL THE 1.619 PERSONS MISSING SINCE 1974 WERE PUT TO DEATH BY MEMBERS OF TURKISH CYPRIOT PARAMILITARY ORGANISATIONS AFTER BEING HANDED OVER TO THEM BY TURKISH TROOPS.''

THE MOTION SAYS THIS STATEMENT IS ''IN DIRECT CONTRAVENTION OF NUMEROUS HUMAN RIGHTS CONVENTIONS AND INTERNATIONAL LAW'' WHILE THE WITHHOLDING OF SUCH INFORMATION FROM THE RELATIVES OF THE MISSING FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS IS CONSIDERED ''A DISGRACE''.

THE MOTION STATES THAT THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ''DEPLORES THE CONTINUED ILLEGAL OCCUPATION OF CYPRUS BY TURKISH TROOPS IN DIRECT CONTRAVENTION OF BOTH U.N. POLICY AND THE 1960 TREATY OF GUARANTEE, NOTES THE REMARKS MADE BY (U.N.) SECRETARY GENERAL BOUTROS BOUTROS-GHALI THAT THE ABSENCE OF A SOLUTION ON CYPRUS IS DUE TO LACK OF POLITICAL WILL BY THE TURKS.''

TURKISH TROOPS HAVE BEEN OCCUPYING 37 PER CENT OF CYPRUS TERRITORY SINCE 1974.

CNA KPK/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

[06] CANADIANS WILL NOT CEASE TO HAVE AN INTEREST IN CYPRUS

NICOSIA, MAY 6 (CNA) -- A CANADIAN MINISTER HAS ASSURED THAT HIS COUNTRY WILL NEVER STOP HAVING INTERESTED IN CYPRUS WHILE MP'S OF THE CANADIAN HOUSE OF COMMONS EXPRESSED SUPPORT TO THE PROPOSAL BY CYPRUS PRESIDENT GLAFCOS CLERIDES FOR THE DEMILITARISATION OF THIS EAST MEDITERRANEAN ISLAND.

CANADA'S DEFENCE MINISTER DAVID COLLENETTE STRESSED THAT HIS COUNTRY WILL NOT CEASE TO HAVE AN INTEREST IN CYPRUS AND WISHED THAT A SOLUTION WOULD BE FOUND SOON TO THE ISLAND'S PROBLEM.

COLLENETTE WAS SPEAKING AFTER BEING PRESENTED A COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUE DURING A SPECIAL CEREMONY AT THE CYPRIOT COMMUNITY CENTRE IN TORONTO, WHICH ASKED FOR A MORE ACTIVE ROLE OF CANADA IN EFFORTS TO FIND A SOLUTION TO THE CYPRUS PROBLEM.

THE CYPRIOT COMMUNITY OF METROPOLITAN TORONTO ALSO HONOURED CANADA'S ARMED FORCES FOR THEIR 29-YEAR INVOLVEMENT IN THE UNITED NATIONS PEACE-KEEPING FORCE IN CYPRUS (UNFICYP).

[07] POLAND WANTS TO IMPROVE RELATIONS WITH CYPRUS BY MARIA MYLES

SHE STRESSED POLAND DEALS WITH INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED GOVERNMENTS, AN INDIRECT REBUFF TO CLAIMS BY TURKISH CYPRIOT LEADER RAUF DENKTASH RELATING TO HIS RECENT VISIT TO POLAND.

''WE HAVE OPENED TRADE ROUTES TO OVERSEAS INVESTORS AND WE WANT TO ESTABLISH STABLE CONDITIONS TO INCREASE ECONOMIC AND TRADE COOPERATION WITH PARTNERS ABROAD'', SHE SAID WHEN ASKED TO COMMENT ABOUT PROMOTING CLOSER TIES BETWEEN POLAND AND CYPRUS.

JAKUBOWSKA SAID COOPERATION IN THE DIPLOMATIC SPHERE ''CAN FACILITATE INCREASED TRADE LINKS BY ENCOURAGING PRIVATE ENTERPRISE AND INDICATING THE FIELDS FOR COOPERATION.''

ASKED IF SHE THOUGHT CYPRUS COULD SERVE AS POLAND'S GATEWAY TO THE MIDDLE EAST, THE SPOKESWOMAN SAID SHE BELIEVED THIS WAS ALREADY HAPPENING AS SOME POLISH GOODS REACH THE ARAB MARKETS THROUGH CYPRUS.

SHE SAID HER GOVERNMENT WAS WORKING HARD TO PROVIDE THE LEGAL AND FINANCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE TO ATTRACT FOREIGN INVESTORS.

INVITED TO COMMENT ON DENKTASH'S VISIT TO POLAND, SHE SAID IT WAS ''A FULLY PRIVATE VISIT, NOT OFFICIAL, NOT DIPLOMATIC.''

SHE SAID ''THE PERSONS OFFICIALLY INVITED TO POLAND ARE HEADS OF STATE AND OFFICIALS WHO ARE OFFICIALLY RECOGNISED AT INTERNATIONAL FORA. AS FAR AS I KNOW THE TURKISH CYPRIOT SIDE HAS NOT BEEN RECOGNISED INTERNATIONALLY'', SHE SAID, SPEAKING THROUGH AN INTERPRETER.

DENKTASH IS THE HEAD OF THE TURKISH OCCUPATION REGIME SET UP AFTER THE TURKISH INVASION AND OCCUPATION OF 37 PER CENT OF CYPRUS TERRITORY IN 1974. ONLY TURKEY RECOGNISED THIS ILLEGAL ENTITY WHILE THE UNITED NATIONS BRANDED IT ''LEGALLY INVALID'' AND CALLED ON ALL STATES NOT RECOGNISE IT.

THE POLISH OFFICIAL SAID THE CYPRUS GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN YIANNAKIS CASSOULIDES PAID A VISIT TO POLAND AS HER GUEST LAST YEAR AND SHE INTENDS TO VISIT CYPRUS IN THE AUTUMN (PROBABLY IN SEPTEMBER), AT CASSOULIDES' INVITATION.

REPLYING TO QUESTIONS, SHE SAID THE POLISH PEOPLE HAVE LIVED FOR MANY YEARS UNDER FOREIGN OCCUPATION BUT RETAINED THEIR FIGHTING SPIRIT FOR FREEDOM.

SHE CALLED ON THE PEOPLE OF CYPRUS, WHO ARE SUFFERING FROM CONTINUING TURKISH OCCUPATION, TO MAINTAIN THEIR ''LANGUAGE, RELIGION, TRADITIONS AND CULTURE'' TO HELP THEMSELVES SURVIVE THROUGH FOREIGN OCCUPATION.

COMMENTING ON HER GOVERNMENT'S GOALS, JAKUBOWSKA TOLD CNA THAT THE EUROPEAN UNION AND NATO MEMBERSHIPS ARE TOP PRIORITIES AND ARE BACKED BY THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE AND THE POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE COUNTRY.

SHE SAID POLAND EXPECTS TO ENTER INTO ACCESSION TALKS WITH THE EU AFTER THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL CONFERENCE AND EXPRESSED THE HOPE POLAND WOULD BE THE FIRST BALTIC STATE TO JOIN THE EU.

CNA MM/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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