Front Page Headlines
Decision for a third dose to save lives
SafePass at the universities and continuation of the existing restrictions. The administration of the third, booster shot starts in Cyprus for residents of nursing homes, the immunosuppressed, people over 65 and health professionals, who have been vaccinated six months ago, following recommendations by the EMA and a cabinet decision.
- Back in 1960: the situation has become blurrier
- EDEK: Sizopoulos has announced his candidacy (for the party presidency)
- (Transport minister Yiannis) Karousos is seeking to attribute responsibilities over the… (security) holes in airports (after a woman was able to breach the Paphos airport’s security system)
Starting today from nursing homes
The administration of the third vaccine dose starts immediately. Decisions also for the rest of the groups. Recommendations also from the European Medicines Agency for the inoculation of certain population groups.
- There is no common ground for a new informal 5+1 summit
- New strategic moves by Cyprus and Egypt – The president goes to Cairo with half the cabinet.
- Sizopoulos is asking from EDEK members a strong mandate
- Hellenism lost its pulse: The great Mikis Theodorakis has passed on to eternity
A barrage of price revisions of all essential products and services
Data by Cystat: a 40% rise in electricity prices and 21% in fuel.
- Cyprus problem: return to 1960 for Anastasiades, two states for Tatar
- Farewell, great Mikis… we thank you!
- Installation of speed cameras without a legal basis and at a €43m cost
Cabinet gives the nod to booster jab
‘It is necessary to complete the immunity wall’.
- Greece mourns one of its greats: ‘Zorba the Greek’ composer Mikis Theodorakis dies in Athens aged 96
We also beat unemployment
Eurostat: the government measures in the right direction. Unemployment was 5.2% in July which means we are headed to full employment conditions, something that has not happened since 2003 when AKEL took over the government. The reduction of the unemployed from 35,000 to 23,000 corresponds to a decrease of 34.3%, the biggest decline at European level.
- Cyprus problem: Tatar closed the doors
- (EDEK leader) Marinos Sizopoulos: He announced his candidacy (for re-election) and called for a strong mandate
- We made it also with coronavirus: the vaccination with the third dose starts for people over 65 and health professionals – Michalis Hadjipantelas: We are on the right track to stop the galloping of the deadly virus and its mutations.
- Universal Mikis, immortal
- The speed cameras will start operating on a pilot basis towards the end of October to reduce traffic accidents
Main News
No sign of another informal summit on Cyprob
Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
The dailies cite statements by TC leader Ersin Tatar that there is no common ground for a second summit like the one in Geneva.
Alithia reports that Tatar has closed the doors. Tatar said that he will go to New York where he will have informal bilateral contacts and will convey the views of the people and his own, explaining the realities of Cyprus, the daily reports. The TC leader reiterated the claim that the federation belongs to the past and could not succeed, arguing that the mentality of the GCs is the transformation of Cyprus into a Greek island and its union with Greece and that they are not going to stop resisting this goal.
Phileleftheros, also citing Tatar’s statements, reports that all stakeholders in the Cyprus problem will go to New York for the minimum, which is separate meetings with the UN secretary-general. Each side will present its own positions that, it seems, have not changed much, and will be on their way, the daily reported.
There is still a possibility, though limited, for a joint meeting between the two leaders and Guterres, the daily reported, adding that this will depend on the result of the UNSG’s consultations in New York in the last 10 days of September.
Both President Anastasiades and Ersin Tatar will go to New York ready to present more or less what they support so far. This means that the UNSG cannot be expected to convene a tripartite meeting with these data in mind, the daily reports.
Haravgi reports that Tatar continues to carry his own tune about the two states that will exist side by side.
KEY ACTORS
Tatar
>> Believes there is no common ground for a second informal summit.
>> As realities have changed, a federal solution cannot succeed since GCs will never give up on goal of turning Cyprus into a Greek island & unite with Greece.
Confusion on 1960 Constitution proposal continues
Haravgi, Politis
Negotiations Process, Governance & Power Sharing
OVERVIEW
The uproar by the president’s call on TCs to return to the 1960 regime continues with opposition lambasting the government of its stance.
Haravgi cites head of main opposition AKEL’s Cyprus problem office, Toumazos Tsielepis, saying that the big picture now for the international community after the president’s proposal for return to the 1960 Constitution, at the time when the TC side has proposed a two-state solution, is that both leaders have strayed from the agreed solution framework for a bizonal bicommunal federation (BBF). Tsielepis also said this proposal by President Nicos Anastasiades has caused great damage to the case of Cyprus. He added that the 1960 Constitution is one of a unitary state with many negative elements while the resolutions and the High-Level agreements speak of a BBF.
On the ideas by guarantor Britain, Tsielepis said they were discussed in Nicosia before the summer in the presence of the Director for Cyprus Affairs at the UK Foreign Office Ajay Sharma. He said AKEL immediately rejected these ideas that lead nowhere. He added that these ideas were tabled after finding a negotiation gap and with the excuse by the British to help reduce the gap between the two sides. He pointed out that these ideas adopt former TC leader Rauf Denktash’s position that there are pre-existing entities that talk for a solution, meaning there will be a succession of state, something that was also categorically rejected by former UNSGs Perez de Guéllar and Boutros Galli. Tsiepelis said the best response to the British is to continue negotiations from where they left off in Crans Montana, without reopening convergences. The daily recalled that there was an attempt by special UN envoy Jane Holl Lute to embellish this stand by the British on her last visit to Cyprus.
Haravgi also reports the head of ruling DISY, Averof Neophytou, reiterated yesterday that the GC side has accepted the High-Level agreements that were adopted by the UN resolutions to transform one entity from a single state to a federal state and said that “we must remain committed to these positions.”
Politis reports that the situation has become blurrier as neither the meeting of the National Council nor the meeting of the negotiating team helped to explain the proposal for the 1960 Constitution as a result of which, different interpretations continue. There is confusion even among the members of the negotiating team, the daily said, while parties disagree in their interpretation of the president’s statement. Member of the negotiating team Panayiotis Demetriou told Politis radio that, in his opinion, it was not a proposal for the change of the basis talks and that it was clearly a figure of speech.
The daily also reports that the big parties, however, do not agree on their interpretation of the president’s proposal with the head of ruling DISY, Averof Neophytou, saying that “the president was clear, as clear was the announcement of the government spokesman to the provocative action and rhetoric of Mr. Tatar”, adding that “we remain committed to our positions on the Cyprus issue and there is no room for confusion, nor misinterpretations.” AKEL spokesman Giorgos Koukoumas however, claimed that Anastasiades insists on the proposal while he is the first and only president who dared to question the basis for a solution to the Cyprus problem, Politis reports.
KEY ACTORS
Tsielepis (AKEL)
>> Anastasiades’ proposal on return to the 1960 Constitution when Tatar calls for two states sends international community the message that both leaders are have strayed from BBF solution.
>> 1960 Constitution is about a unitary state with many negative elements as opposed to UN resolutions & High-Level agreements that speak of a BBF.
>> Britain’s ideas for the way forward on Cyprob lead nowhere as they rehash those by Denktash on pre-existing entities that were rejected by former UNSGs. Way forward is resume talks as they left off from Crans Montana without trying to reopen convergences. Neophytou (DISY)
>> GC side accepted High-Level agreements for transition from a unitary state to a federal one & remains committed to these positions.
>> Anastasiades was very clear in his reference on the return to 1960 Constitution in response to Tatar’s provocative actions & rhetoric.
Koukoumas (AKEL)
>> Anastasiades is the only president who dared question the basis for the Cyprob solution.
EDEK leader runs for re-election
Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Governance & Power Sharing
OVERVIEW
The dailies report that EDEK leader Marinos Sizopoulos announced on Thursday he is to run for re-election for the party’s leadership.
Sizopoulos, who received the backing of 163 EDEK members, said his goal was for the party not remain in opposition in the next elections but change position and role.
Referring to the Cyprus problem during the announcement of his candidacy, Sizopoulos said the big bet for EDEK is the continuation with stability and credibility of its policy for a democratic and sustainable solution to the Cyprus problem while at the same time preventing the adoption of the bizonal bicommunal federation, which he said, was “a racist and partitionist solution.”
EDEK, he added, was the only party firmly opposing, with political arguments and concrete proposals this form of solution, as also in the case of the settlement of the city of Famagusta.
Nicosia to enhance relations with Cairo on number of sectors
Phileleftheros
Regional/International Relations
OVERVIEW
The daily reports that President Nicos Anastasiades’ visit to Cairo along with half of the cabinet for the first Cyprus-Egypt Intergovernmental Summit, to be held on Saturday, is a new strategic move between the two countries.
Government circles told Phileleftheros that the aim of the intergovernmental summit is the sectoral review of Cyprus-Egypt relations. The same circles said this was a comprehensive effort to establish strategic relations.
Anastasiades will be accompanied by the ministers of foreign affairs, defence, education, trade and agriculture, the deputy minister of shipping and the government spokesman.
He is to hold a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. Citing information, the daily reports that at the meeting, there will be a review of policies that can further consolidate peace in the region and will once again send a clear message of strengthening regional cooperation on the basis of international law and for the benefit of the peoples of the region.
Deliberations will also take place on enhancing cooperation on energy, defence, education, environment, trade and shipping, the paper reported.