THE DOOR is wide open for political alliances of every nature between parties of every creed and ideology, political analysts noted yesterday in the run up to the second round of the presidential elections.
IN A SINGLE afternoon on Sunday, Greek Cypriot voters who ousted Tassos Papadopoulos, did a huge amount to overturn the negative image that Cyprus has developed over the past four years.
Some commentators have likened it to the Turkish Cypriots’ rejection of Rauf Denktash in early 2004, which opened the way for them to pursue pro-solution policies.
THE MORNING after the first round of voting and the question on everybody’s mind is who is pairing with whom and at what price to secure the presidency?
TURKISH Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat said yesterday that President Tassos Papadopoulos’ elimination from the second round of the elections raised hopes that the deadlock in the Cyprus negotiations could be overcome.
HUNDREDS of Cyprus Airways passengers were stranded at Larnaca Airport after casting their vote, as flights back to Greece were cancelled due to bad weather conditions at their destination.
Flights to and from Athens international airport were grounded because of poor visibility, which was at less than 100 metres.
TURKEY’S National Security Council is due to meet on Thursday to discuss the implications of Kosovo’s declaration of independence on the ‘TRNC’, Zaman reported yesterday.
Backed by the US and most EU countries, Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence from Serbia on Sunday. A number of EU countries, including Cyprus, are refusing to give it recognition.
THE Foreign Ministry said yesterday it was saddened by the unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo on Sunday.
In a written statement, the Ministry said the move was outside of international law and therefore invalid, and was a violation of Serbia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
NEWS of Tassos Papadopoulos’ defeat in Sunday’s first round presidential vote has generally been greeted with pleasure in the Turkish Cypriot north.
“He was an EOKA fighter, and a Turk hater,” Nicosia taxi driver Cevdet Ozguler told the Cyprus Mail on Sunday night, adding: “I’m very glad to see him go”.
THE rainfall of the last three days has created some long-awaited inflow at Limassol’s parched dams. Limassol Water Board yesterday announced that the inflow at Limassol’s water reservoirs in the past three days slightly exceeded the town’s daily water needs.
DISY Presidential candidate Ioannis Kasoulides said yesterday that the people’s choice on Sunday had “opened the path to unity and hope for our country”.
Kasoulides beat the odds and departing President Tassos Papadopoulos into the second round, finishing just ahead of AKEL candidate Demetris Christofias.
The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.
