GCC Press Review 17 Dec 2021

Front Page Headlines

Politis

They were all innocent… now rubber-stamped by a judge

The Cooperative Bank’s spending party of millions is now officially without anyone at fault. Τhe Nicosia criminal court, in a lengthy decision, describes the unbridled impunity that prevailed in the Strovolos Co-op but acquitted the seven natural and three legal persons in all 48 charges they were facing. It identified serious and continuous irregularities while focusing on Chlorakiotis and Stavrou. For the former, it ruled that he enjoyed special treatment while for Stavrou it states that he was serving relatives and friends with exceptions. However, it considers that the prosecution has failed to prove the offences.

  • TC workers: 200 applications in just 24 hours
  • G. Kolokasides: Candidacy for an anti-federal front
  • The epidemiologists are calling for a reassessment of the measures

Phileleftheros

Parliament is firing presidential (assistants)

The parties, through the state budget, act as employers for the associates of the president and ministers. Unconstitutional adventures from targeted terminations of employment.

  • He is seeking political will for the restart of the talks
  • Boycotting the ‘elections’ is a bet for the TCs – Parties are calling on them to send a message to Turkey.
  • Financial assistance to the TCs for harmonisation on halloumi
  • Hammering from the Carmel – The cyclone will be created and will peak in Cyprus during the weekend. Rain, strong winds, snow, prolonged and severe storms are expected.

Haravgi

The new government measures have brought yet again uncertainty for many businesses

There have been reduced numbers of customers at recreation centres after the ministerial decree. For the past two years, the owners of eateries have been paying the price of the pandemic. Cancellations of events (christenings, weddings) have reached 50%.

  • ‘Parliament elections’ under boycott: Eight parties & 400 candidates
  • DIKO’s former deputy president G. Kolokasides is candidate for the presidential elections
  • Fraud: A lab was carrying out rapid tests with ear swabs.

Cyprus Mail

Tourism: there is no restart button

Cautious optimism from Perdios but Omicron looms large over 2022.

  • Unions across the divide partner up to solve pandemic jobs fallout
  • First 12 migrants invited by Pope head to the Vatican
  • Turkish lira at record low after central bank cuts rates

Alithia

A mini crash for the Turkish economy

A new, historic low for the Lira amidst a storm of reactions. The exchange rate of the pound against the dollar and the euro is out of control but Erdogan is resorting to. . . Allah. “He is kept up on his feet with morphine – Erdogan is not alive anymore…”

  • TCs line up for the Republic of Cyprus – 120 applications for jobs in the free areas in a few hours. Among them were doctors, civil engineers, and holders of other university titles.
  • Endless provocations: Turkey is sending the Oruc Reis again back in the Cypriot EEZ
  • A TC woman in Famagusta handed over a GC man’s wallet with €550
  • Giorgos Kolokasides: He announced candidacy against the federation and corruption
  • Police probe: An officer passed through the Larnaca airport (to travel) without going through the security checks

Main News

Stewart, UN seek political will for resumption of talks  

Alithia, Phileleftheros
Negotiations Process

OVERVIEW

Phileleftheros reports that the next moves by the United Nations on the Cyprus issue should be expected in the second half of January and will aim to the resumption of talks.

According to the paper, the new UNSG Special Representative in Cyprus, Colin Stewart, has completed his first round of contacts on the island and will return to Canada and the US with notes ahead of his appearance before the United Nations Security Council in a month. The next moves on the part of the UN on the Cyprus issue should be expected in the second half of January and will aim to resume talks. This is expected to follow the discussion in the Security Council on the developments in Cyprus during discussion on the renewal of the UNFICYP’s mandate.

Stewart’s first round of contacts moved within the known framework with meetings with both sides and with members of the diplomatic corps. His contacts did not go beyond the pre-determined framework that wants UN officials to hold meetings based on the logic of equal distances between the two communities, the daily reports.

The daily also reports that during their meeting yesterday, Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides pointed out to Stewart that he has a dual role: on the one hand, to work in a way to effectively exercise the terms of his mandate, especially on the fenced area of ​​Famagusta, and on the other hand, he has an important role to play in the direction of the resumption of talks.

What was evident from Stewart’s meetings yesterday with the foreign minister and diplomats accredited in Cyprus is that he knows the importance of his mission and made it clear that he is ready to take on the burden to facilitate the resumption of negotiations. Citing information, the paper reports that during his talks with foreign diplomats, Stewart conveyed the assessment of the UN that with political will on the part of both leaders, the resumption of negotiations in the Cyprus issue is possible, Phileleftheros reports.

According to Alithia, Stewart is expected to return to Cyprus towards the end of January, ready to start working on the Cyprus problem.


Strong interest from TCs to work in south

Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Economy

OVERVIEW

There has been great interest among TCs to work in the government-controlled areas after SEK trade union announced cooperation with Turk-Sen on the matter, with more than 100 applications submitted within a few hours, the dailies report.

Within the first few hours Turk-Sen started receiving applications on Thursday, 120 expressions of interest were submitted the dailies report citing TC media.

According to Alithia, among those who went on Thursday to Turk-Sen’s offices in the north to sign up for a job in the south were doctors, civil engineers and many others with university degrees.

The daily also cites statements by head of SEK, Andreas Matsas to Alpha TV that Turks-Sen is registered with the Republic’s trade unions registrar. Matsas also said there has been cooperation between SEK and Turk-SEN for years in efforts for a solution to the Cyprus problem and through the international trade union federation. He said that, after consultations with the labour minister and recording the needs in labour force, it was deemed the time was right to give a boost to the labour market in the free areas with available personnel among the TCs.

Head of the Employers & Industrialists Federation (OEB), Michalis Antoniou, told Alithia they had absolutely no problem or reservations as regards interest by TCs to work in the free areas and wished there was enough staff with Cypriot IDs regardless of nationality. Commenting on the increasing numbers of TCs working in the south he said most concern the sectors of tourism and construction.

Antoniou, however, pointed out that what employers want from TCs is the commitment to fulfil their employment obligations, especially those who will receive training for their job, and not leave soon after due to the distance to get to their workplace, Alithia reports.

Politis and Phileleftheros report that according to Matsas, the applications on Thursday reached 200.

Politis also cites statements by Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides to Alpha TV that this cooperation is a positive development both politically and economically.

The daily also cites a source within PEO trade union saying that they have been helping TCs find employment in the south since 2003, in cooperation with DEV-IS union in the north. The same source pointed out that the employment of TCs must be according to the terms of collective agreements.

The dailies cite the bad economic situation in the north due to the freefall of the Turkish lira as the reason so many TCs seek employment in the south.


First presidential candidacy announced

Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Governance & Power Sharing

OVERVIEW

Giorgos Kolokasides, former DIKO deputy chairman, announced he will be running in the 2023 presidential elections calling for the support of those against a federal solution to the Cyprus problem, the dailies report.

Kolokasides said, if elected, he will also strive to stamp out corruption. He said no one at fault has paid for all the big scandals of the last few years except from the people who now carry on their shoulders the burden of a heavy public debt.

On the Cyprus problem, Kolokasides said developments were not unrelated to the distance observed between parties and citizens, explaining that though 76% rejected the Annan Plan all presidents after Tassos Papadopoulos, did not adjust their negotiations goals accordingly in a way to take this into consideration. He called on everyone rejecting the bizonal bicommunal federation to rally around him.

Haravgi reports that Kolokasides said that the solution discussed in Crans-Montana, was one with a toothless central government with few responsibilities and non-existent enforcement possibilities, with a rotating presidency and one TC vote on each decision, with borders and minimal involvement of the population, no return of refugees and without property recovery, and with guaranteed ethnic majorities.

 Politis reports that Kolokasides’ announcement, that kickstarts a long election campaign, makes things difficult as regards a candidacy from the world of DIKO and especially the possible proposal for the candidacy of Nikolas Papadopoulos. Citing reliable information, the daily reports that Kolokasides has the support of a group of top brass within DIKO whose positions are in line with his own on the Cyprus problem something that can cause cracks in the intraparty discussions on their final decisions on the matter.

The dailies also report that parties in the north call on TCs to boycott January’s ‘parliament elections’ in a bid to send Turkey the message they are not alright with its interventions.


GC man thanks TC woman for returning lost wallet

Alithia
Human Rights

OVERVIEW

The daily reports on a “noteworthy” act by a young TC woman living in Famagusta who returned a wallet with €550 she found, to its owner.

The owner of the wallet, former PEO trade union official Andreas Pavlikkas, described what happened on his Facebook profile. He said that about a month ago he lost his wallet with €550 during a visit in occupied Famagusta. It was found by Zeynep Kemer, who contacted him through Messenger to let him know so that she could give it to him. They met this week in Famagusta at the confectionary Kemer owns.

Pavlikkas expressed his appreciation for the young woman’s honesty, the daily reported.


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