Front Page Headlines
They did not see, they do not know, they did not hear about the boats of shame
The ambulance service and Civil Defence are not always informed on time about (migrant) arrivals.
- EDEK: New court blow for Sizopoulos
- Erdogan expected a lot from Biden, he got nothing
- Reform: Mayors with MP salaries
Bomb by Tatar under halloumi
He blames the Commission for the pseudostate’s inability to adjust to the situation. He is trying to achieve the assignment of the role of the competent authority to the TC chamber.
- Announcements on the Cyprus problem by the end of November
- Erdogan got offended and did not go to Glasgow
Bread and milk have joined the ball of high prices
AKEL suggests the abolition of VAT on the fuel consumption tax.
- Parliament: The Anastasiades bribes will be discussed at the House watchdog committee. The Ryanair file opens.
- Dozens of hotel employees were left without unemployment benefits
- Covid-19: Cases rose to 280 yesterday – Vaccinations are at 66.4 % of the total population.
‘Doomsday clock’ at minute to midnight
Developing world tells rich to deliver on their promises at climate talks.
- Plans to ease virus measures scuppered by Delta Plus
Pandemic, my precious…
(Health Minister) Michalis Hadjipantelas revealed the cost so far. Up to September 30, 2021, the cost of the pandemic at the health ministry exceeded €115m, more to come. Another €40m is sought to reinforce GESY.
- Interest by Christodoulides about the presidency – Harris (Georgiades): No moves outside the process will be accepted. The foreign minister has promised that there was no issue of bypassing DISY’s procedure or run as an independent candidate.
- Faiz Sucuoglu: Who is the new UBP leader in the occupied areas
- Kibris: 35,000 people in the occupied areas are waiting for the RoC citizenship
- New court order against EDEK by Michalis Terepeis: The party is sinking deeper into crisis
- A new type of scam: “An international arrest warrant has been issued on you”
Main News
UN moves on Cyprus expected at end of month
Phileleftheros
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
The daily reports that UN announcements on the Cyprus problem are expected towards the end of November.
UN sources told the daily that the appointment of the new envoy on the Cyprus problem is being handled by the UN secretary-general himself. The same sources assessed that by the end of the month, announcements will be made also on who will head the mission in Cyprus. The general secretariat might announce both on the same day.
Phileleftheros reports that, as it is known, the new UNSG special representative will be Canadian Colin Stewart who will be replacing Elizabeth Spehar, who is leaving at the end of November. Citing sources, teh daily reports that Spehar, before she leaves her post, is to brief the UN leadership in New York on Cyprus.
The arrival of the new special representative and the appointment of the new envoy is expected to give a new boost to the Cyprus problem process, Phileleftheros reports.
The daily also reports that TC leader Ersin Tatar continues to carry his own tune as regards the two-state solution, reiterating that a federal solution is a thing of the past.
Tatar calls for involvement by EC President in halloumi issue
Phileleftheros
EU Matters, CBMs, Economy
OVERVIEW
According to the daily, TC leader Ersin Tatar is trying to plant a bomb under the groundwork on halloumi by attempting to have the TC Chamber of Commerce appointed at the ‘competent authority’ about checks on halloumi production in the north.
The paper reports that Tatar, in a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, cites a series of pretexts for the inability of the pseudo-state to adapt to the new situation, hints at the GC side being favoured, and even criticises the independent body tasked with controlling the halloumi production process.
Tatar is trying to have the TC Chamber appointed at the authority in the north of overseeing halloumi production which is not possible since the competent authority for this is the Republic’s agriculture ministry, the daily reports.
Citing information, Phileleftheros reports that to assist the TCs in their effort to ‘integrate’ in the whole process of production of PDO halloumi, the GC side has accepted the assignment of a role to the TC Chamber, under conditions, but certainly not that of a competent authority. The way this was handled is considered positive by the government, since on the one hand they do not concede any sovereign rights to the pseudo-state and on the other hand they highlight the will of the Republic of Cyprus to help the TC producers to benefit from the registration of the product as a PDO, the daily reports.
According to sources in Brussels, the daily adds, Tatar expressed in his letter his concerns about halloumi, referring to the referendums on the Annan Plan and the conclusions of the Council of the European Union on Cyprus of 26 April 2004, that determined to end the isolation of the TCs.
He argues that the legislation adopted by the EU delegates power to the GC side, despite the fact that it has no jurisdiction in the occupied territories. Tatar also emphasises that the GC producers have already started to benefit from the executive regulation on the PDO halloumi. He notes, however, that the Bureau Veritas control body, also appointed by the TC side, has so far not entered into any contract with the TC Chamber of Commerce. To this end, he requests the intervention of the President of the Commission for an agreement to be signed so that the Turkish producers are not left out, the daily reports.
Erdogan: No to participation of Greece, Israel, GCs to new meeting on Libya
Haravgi
Regional/International Relations
OVERVIEW
The daily reports that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said after a meeting with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that he would not agree to a conference in Paris on Libya with the participation of Greece, Israel and Cyprus.
According to the paper, Erdogan, after a meeting with Macron, said the French president wants to convene a conference on Libya, inviting Turkey to co-chair, like the one that took place in Berlin.
Erdogan said he said he told Macron that such a conference already took place in Berlin, but in any case, Turkey would not participate in such an event alongside Greece, Israel and the GCs, the paper reported.
FM interested in running for president
Alithia, Phileleftheros
Governance & Power Sharing
OVERVIEW
Alithia reports that it has been confirmed the Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides is interested in running in the 2023 presidential elections, while it is not ruled out that DISY leader Averof Neophytou may decide to also run.
The paper reports that DISY’s deputy chair Harris Georgiades, speaking to state broadcaster CyBC, confirmed that Christodoulides has expressed interest in running as the party’s presidential candidate. He said that he had a meeting on the matter with Christodoulides about two months ago and that the minister gave reassurances that he would respect the party’s procedures and, in the case DISY decided not to back him, he would not run independently.
On the possibility of Neophytou running for president, Georgiades said that though the party chairman has the first say about these things, it is the DISY Supreme Council that has the final say. He said whoever is interested in running, including Neophytou, needed to be approved as DISY candidates by the Supreme Council, at the party’s congress.
DISY top brass told the daily that if Christodoulides is truly interested in running, he should resign his ministerial post to focus on his election campaign, as it would not be right to wage a campaign while holding that post. They also said, however, that his candidacy will first have to be approved by the party’s collective bodies.
Phileleftheros in a comment by journalist Giorgos Kallinikos, reports that DISY, fearing a possible independent candidacy by Christodoulides, made sure to announce through Georgiades that the FM gave reassurances he would not bypass party procedures in a bid to tie him down to a process that will ensure Neophytou’s candidacy. According to the comment, the DISY’s Supreme Council consists of people favoured by the party leadership so there is not a chance in a million of Christodoulides or anyone else getting ahead of Neophytou.
The comment also referred to indirect intimidation of Christodoulides not to dare run independently. What Georgiades revealed with his move, however, is how much DISY dreads a possible candidacy by Christodoulides, and that is a message society needs to asses, the comment said.
AKEL calls for House discussion of appointment of president’s advisors, family members
Haravgi
Human Rights
OVERVIEW
The daily reports that main opposition AKEL calls for discussion at the House watchdog committee of a report by Auditor-general Odysseas Michaelides on irregularities concerning the hiring procedures for President Nicos Anastasiades’ advisors and the appointment in various posts of family members of his.
AKEL MP Irene Charalambidou said she would table the issue with the committee in question on Thursday.
She said AKEL would seek explanations for the presidency’s actions referring to inequality, and the placement of people close to the president in posts with high pay scales regardless of qualifications.
Charalambidou said such actions reinforce the feeling of indignation to the political system by the people since they feel they do not live in a state of equal opportunities as it depends on who they know to get a job.
The daily also reports that AKEL will register for discussion the issue of Ryanair’s representation in the negotiations for the sale of Cyprus Airways, based on new information recently reported.
On whether the Nicos Anastasiades law firm would be called in to answer MPs’ questions, Charalambidou said she sees no reason why not since, in the past, this was the case with individuals or companies concerned.