PHILELEFTHEROS “The people now have the say” The UN Secretary-general yesterday handed in his final version of the plan to go to separate referenda on April 24. However, no deals were made despite American intervention. The people now have the say, according to Kofi Annan.

A 47-YEAR-old man was seriously injured when a bomb exploded in his hand yesterday at 1.10am outside his home on Jerusalem Street in Limassol. Christakis Savvas was attempting to remove a bomb that had been attached to the front door handle of his home after his sister Nitsa Americanou informed him of the suspicious looking object.

A CEREMONY marking the beginning of the EOKA struggle against British rule from 1955-1959 ended on a sour note yesterday as youths hurled abuse at DISY deputy Christos Pourgourides for his apparent “treachery” on the Annan plan. Officials gathered at the monument of EOKA leader George Grivas in Limassol to mark the occasion.

WITH Easter approaching the holiday timetable for shops was enforced yesterday, with shops open on April 1 for the first time. The Easter shopping hours will end on April 10. During this 10-day period, shops will be able to stay open until 8.30pm, except on Good Friday when they will close by 6.30pm and on Easter Saturday when they will close their doors to shoppers at 2pm.

THE Turkish Cypriot press in general reacted positively to the news from Burgenstock yesterday. The positive reaction, however, was not born from the notion that negotiations had found common ground between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot negotiating teams, but that the Turkish side had been seen to gain more in terms of concessions than the Greek Cypriot side.

THE Greek Cypriot press yesterday focused on the lack of agreement in Switzerland, stressing that it was now up to the people to decide. Politis led with United Nations Secretary-general Kofi Annan’s warning that it was either this solution or nothing.

THE GROWING differences among Greek Cypriot political parties over the outcome of the talks yesterday set the scene for what looks set to be an increasingly bitter run-up to the referenda on April 24. The two big parties, AKEL and DISY, appeared reserved, and have not yet taken a clear position on the plan.

EU ENLARGEMENT Commissioner Gunther Verheugen said yesterday he believed Greek Cypriots might be swayed to support the Annan plan by provisions allowing them to buy land freely in the Turkish north after 15 years. Greek Cypriots are deeply sceptical about the plan announced by UN head Kofi Annan for an association of two ethnically-based, largely autonomous zones.

THE European Commission yesterday praised Turkey and urged Greece and Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos to show leadership after UN-brokered Cyprus peace talks ended without an agreement.