Experience never guides our vote

2011-08-07

It grieved me to read the comment from Stelios Iacovides, “Silence outside the Palace on weekends speaks volumes”. This is a culture of spoiled people, unwilling to suffer for their privileges. I have lost count of all the scandals of the last few years and nothing comes of ‘inquiries’. Yet when the elections come around, again the Cypriot people will elect these same fools, because we don’t learn! And that Person in the Presidential Palace is betting on that.

 

Sandra Tryfon,

Nicosia

 

Omonoia outprices itself at a time of economic stricture

2011-08-07

As a Dutch citizen, happily living in this beautiful country, I felt rather embarrassed to read on a Dutch website that the football match between Omonoia Nicosia and Den Haag would not be broadcast by the Netherlands’ biggest private football channel, ‘Eredivisie live’ (EL). Although it did not affect me personally, since I watched the match live at the stadium anyway, the following (literally translated) comment made by a representative of EL especially struck me: “Omonoia asked an insane amount for broadcasting the match; it was 10 times as high as the norm in the industry (€100,000 versus €10,000).”

So, Omonoia missed a unique chance to gain some extra money in times of an economic crisis. Needless to make the analogy with the tourism industry…

 

Coffee shop gossip should not override everyday facts

2011-08-07

To the author of Tales from the Coffee Shop: my name is Leonidas Pantelides and I am the person you commented on in your piece July 31, 2011.

Coffee shop talk (or “kouventes tou kafene”) in Cypriot parlance stands for sub-standard discourse as concerning claims to truth value. And yes, it is also vacation time and there is a temptation to copy gossip from the local press.

But, please, before you speculate at the expense of your fellow citizens, check your facts and read up on your basic technology.

Comparing British actor to probe chief is clearly a failure of judgement

2011-08-07

I AM writing in reference to the item mentioned in ‘Tales from the Coffeeshop’ last Sunday, in which there was a comparison made regarding the appearance of the late actor Charles Laughton and Mr P Polyviou.

I am addressing this message to you in my capacity as the lawyer of the estate and the descendants of the late Charles Laughton.

Any comparison between the late Charles Laughton and Mr. P. Polyviou is grossly offensive to the late Mr Laughton.

Government will reap what it sows

2011-08-07

Isn’t it a bit laughable that most of us simple folk, who perhaps didn’t vote for the village gnome and his cronies, realise that action needs to be tough, fast and sustainable?

Instead, what we see is a defiant, lukewarm and rather pathetic official response to even trying to safeguard the economy, never mind the criminal negligence we’ve seen demonstrated over public safety.

The audacity of a president who can stand ‘tall’ and say that he will not resign as the people voted him in to power is, in my opinon, absolutely delusional.

What makes him think that at the end of the day ‘his word is final’?

Challenges facing asylum seekers in Malta

2011-08-07

NINE YEARS on since irregular immigrants of mainly sub-Saharan origin started arriving in boats from Libya, Malta seems to have remained stuck in its crisis response approach.

Since 2002, around 15,000 have arrived in Malta. Almost all, 98 per cent, applied for asylum from which the majority has been granted some form of protection. An estimated 5,000, including this year’s 1,500 new arrivals, remain on the island.

Asylum seekers in Malta face numerous challenges on a daily basis:

Detention

Unlike Cyprus, a policy of mandatory detention applies to all irregular arrivals. Transfer to an open centre takes place once some form of protection is granted or after a 12-month period, whichever comes first.

‘Fortress Europe is not the answer to migration woes’

2011-08-07

THERE IS no doubting migration has become the ‘hot potato’ of European politics, particularly during this hour of economic crisis.

It wasn’t always seen in the negative light it is today. According to John Torpey, author of a book on the invention of the passport, the right of freedom of movement was born from the achievements of 19th century classical liberalism. Between 1840 and the early decades of the 20th century, almost 60 million people emigrated from Europe to other parts of the world.

Since the First World War and the declaration of a state of ‘national emergency’, governments have attempted to restrict and control the free movement of people, with passport controls becoming an institutionalised feature of international travel.

Media too needs to take a look at itself in the wake of Mari blast

2011-08-07

THE JULY 11 naval base blast and its aftermath has been keeping journalists busy.

Newspapers and TV stations have been talking among other things of criminal negligence, the loss of heroes, the energy crisis, our dire finances, a government reshuffle and calls for President Demetris Christofias to resign, but to what effect?

“We have become parrots and transmission vehicles for the goals of others,” said the Chief Editor of Astra radio station, George Pavlides, during his morning show on Wednesday.

“In almost all mass media right now there is a lack of alternative views,” said Pavlides.

This for him shows a lack of pluralism and an unwillingness to say anything that might offend.

Rediscovering Cyprus’ ancient heritage

2011-08-07

ONCE SUMMER hits and the holiday mode sets in, islanders are inclined to head straight for the beach and lap up the sun as the highway fills with cars and just about every inch of sand down in Protaras and Paphos is packed with people crammed in like sardines.

But Cyprus isn’t just about sun and sea, with the island’s rich cultural heritage often not given the attention that it deserves. Away from the hustle and bustle of sea side resorts lie a whole host of spectacular archaeological sites that make for a great day out. And while many of us may not have visited any one of these ancient sites for a good number of years, there are still plenty of people who seem to make the effort to soak up our rich heritage, with visits to the Curium proving extremely popular.

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.