Front Page Headlines
C. Petrides-N. Christodoulides: Two strangers, in the same government
The Finance Minister put the Foreign Minister, who was absent from the conference of the political office of DISY, on the wall.
- Pandora Papers: No wrongdoing, the President insists
- Vaccination: Ages 20-40 an Achilles heel
Vaccinations again under pressure
The Government is not making them mandatory, but the Commission is making the first step. The abolition of the SafePass is being postponed to seven months if you haven’t gotten a third dose.
- Some mobility with the arrival of Stewart
- Ultimatum to Christodoulides from the DISY political office: He sent them a letter: The discussion is premature
- This is the life of the Pope of the poor of the world: Pope arriving today
We’re paying for the under-functioning of our hospitals with the loss of lives!
Polis Chrysochous hospital: Three ambulances, but just one has personnel.
- Pandora Papers: The ‘offshore President’ once again unblemished and spotless
- Cyprus problem: Colin Stewart coming and taking up his duties
- Presidential elections: Message DISY to N. Christodoulides. Candidacies by January 10!
- Pope Francis arriving in Cyprus today. Draconian security measures.
- AKEL: Conclusion of the spy van case a shameful stigma
Probe into taxi death of patient
Sick pensioner sent in a cab to Paphos hospital 40km away.
- Ahead of visit, Pope urges prayers for the wounded
DISY is not anyone’s flag of hope
Averof Neophytou to the political office. On 10 January the candidacies for the DISY nomination and on 12 March the choice of the candidate for the 2023 presidential elections. ‘No to a candidate outside the party’s democratic processes’. Intense response by Petrides to Christodoulides’ letter.
- Preside clears up Pandora Papers: With a 12-page letter to the Ethics Committee
- ‘No’ from the Supreme Court to a TC for the retrieval of property
- Parliament: Amendment to the Law-weapon against the draft dodging of athletes
- Cyprus on alarm: Cyprus welcomes the Pope
Main News
Stewart arriving in Cyprus, assuming duties next week
Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
The UN Secretary General’s (UNSG) new Special Representative and head of UNFICYP, Colin Stewart, is set to arrive on the island early next week to assume his duties, the dailies report.
Stewart will also take on the role of Deputy to the UNSG’s Special Adviser on Cyprus.
The dailies report that the UNSG’s good offices mission in Cyprus has already requested the arrangement of several contacts which Stewart will have with officials and stakeholders on the island, upon his arrival. Stewart is expected to hold meetings soon with President Nicos Anastasiades and TC leader Ersin Tatar.
Over the next couple of weeks, Stewart will also meet with members of UNFICYP, ambassadors of foreign countries serving in Cyprus, and the members of the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP).
Phileleftheros reports that Stewart’s arrival is expected to create some mobility in the Cyprus problem, though what carries the most weight for the next steps is the appointment of the UNSG’s envoy, a matter which has yet to be cleared up.
The paper adds that Steward’s job will be equally as hard as that of his predecessor, Elizabeth Spehar, whose term of office as head of the UN mission in Cyprus ended on November 30. Phileleftheros notes that the statements being issued by Tatar regarding the continuation of efforts in the Cyprus problem are greatly limiting the moves the UN can make.
Schinas: EU unaware of Buffer Zone surveillance agreement
Politis
EU Matters
OVERVIEW
European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas said the EU has not been briefed on measures being taken along the Buffer Zone aiming to deter migrant flows coming in from the north, Politis reports, with the paper noting that the Republic had created the impression that it had informed the EU of its moves.
Addressing a group of Cypriot journalists in Brussels, Schinas, after being asked whether the EU could fund the agreement for an Israeli system to monitor the Buffer Zone, responded that the EU has not been informed of such an agreement, Politis reports.
Schinas said that the Buffer Zone cannot be considered an external border of Cyprus or the EU, adding that Brussels will never acknowledge it as such. Therefore, he said, Frontex cannot have a presence there. This, however, does not mean that the Republic of Cyprus cannot control migrant flows, in a way that is compatible with the characteristics of the Buffer Zone, he added. He said that the EU could help the Republic of Cyprus setting up monitoring equipment and spoke about providing financial assistance.
Regarding pushbacks, Politis reports that Schinas said that they are illegal, but recognised the need for national authorities to protect the EU’s external borders and to combat the irregular movement of people, as well as provide protection against hybrid attacks.
Speaking about EU-Turkey relations, Schinas said that there has been a mix of incentives and sanctions which applies more to the Eastern Mediterranean, noting that Varosha is also part of the incentives-sanctions framework. He said this led to easing the tension while making it clear to Turkey that games in the Eastern Mediterranean are not without costs.
LIBE Chair: Cooperation with Turkish side on missing persons problematic
Alithia
Human Rights
OVERVIEW
Solving the issue of missing persons in Cyprus is not impossible but cooperation with the Turkish side is “never satisfactory”, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, the Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, (LIBE) said on Wednesday, Alithia reports.
Addressing a group of journalists from Cyprus, the Spanish S&D MEP, who is also the standing rapporteur for the issue of missing persons in Cyprus, López Aguilar said that so much energy, EU money and EU skill has been put into solving this humanitarian problem, and yet there are so many people that remain to be found. There has been some progress, however there are families still waiting for their beloved ones, he said.
Asked about efforts to persuade Turkey to release its military archives, containing information on the whereabouts of missing persons in Cyprus, the MEP said he was aware about the issue with Turkey, which he said is not an easy issue.
“Although we heard from the Turkish side that they are willing to cooperate, that cooperation is never satisfactory,” he said.
As for exhumations, López Aguilar said that the number of people still to be found is not impossible to reach and referred to his country’s experience, where half a million people went missing during the Spanish civil war in the 1930s.
López Aguilar who visited Cyprus twice in the past with LIBE, said that he would return to the island to be briefed properly on efforts on missing persons, once the pandemic allowed for another follow up mission.
Anastasiades rejects Pandora Papers allegations anew
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi
Migration & Citizenship
OVERVIEW
President Nicos Anastasiades on Wednesday rejected anew suggestions that he was involved in setting shell companies abroad for personal enrichment after leaked documents, dubbed the Pandora Papers, implicated the law firm bearing his name and another law practice.
Anastasiades was responding to the House Ethics Committee, which has been discussing the papers in light of Cyprus’ involvement in alleged money laundering activities. In a lengthy statement submitted by the Director of the President’s Office Petros Demetriou, Anastasiades described the claims against him as unfounded and misleading.
Anastasiades’ name is not even mentioned once, the statement said, nor is it connected with the alleged crimes attributed to the officials. The statement said that immediately after his election in 2013 and before assuming office, he had transferred all his shares (60 per cent) to his daughters. Since, 1997, when he was elected leader of DISY, his participation in the business of the firm was zero.
Responding to a resolution by the European Parliament which called for an in-depth investigation by member states into politicians whose names appear in the Pandora Papers, with the draft specifically mentioning Anastasiades and other presidents and former political leaders, Anastasiades expressed indignation over the resolution, suggesting other expediencies were at play.
He said it was the first time an EU Parliament resolution included specific references and questioned why out of the 35 leaders or the 330 state officials allegedly implicated, only seven were singled out.
“How unacceptable is it to assign responsibility or equate the President of Cyprus with those allegedly involved in offshore activities because the law firm veering his name, from which he departed in 2013, represented or represents a Russian senator?” the statement said.