Budget approved in the House

AFTER a gruelling three-day debate in the House the government last night managed to get its 1999 budget voted through unopposed.

Although the opposition parties lambasted the government’s economic record it was never in any danger of losing the budget vote.

Despite Edek abstaining – they only have five seats in the 56-member House – the government easily secured more than the 28 votes necessary to get the £1.68 billion budget passed.

This year’s budget provides for a deficit of £508.8 million, five per cent more than 1998, with revenue projected at £1.1 billion.

According to state forecasts growth is expected to reach four per cent this year, with inflation contained at 2.5 per cent.

More than 20 hours of debate culminated in half-hour closing speeches from party leaders and parliamentary spokesmen yesterday. The debate, as on the two previous days, focused as much on the government’s controversial decision not to bring the S-300 missiles to Cyprus as on matters fiscal.

Newly appointed Disy deputy Christos Rotsas made his mark on the debate by going off on a nationalistic tangent.

“We need to create young people who are masters of their own destiny and not subservient, spineless and cowardly. Young people cannot be afraid of the Turks,” he said.

“Power is not on the side of the numerous. If God had wanted us to be numerous he would have made us Chinese. But he did not make us Chinese. He gave us gifts that have to do not with size and numbers but with substance and quality,” Rotsas explained.