Municipal elections: why the big no-show?

2011-12-18

MUNICIPAL elections are taking place in 34 municipalities today in the face of growing voter apathy which has prompted predictions that as many as 25 per cent of voters will abstain.

Although voting is still theoretically mandatory for the 546,011 registered voters, this year’s parliamentary elections saw a 22 per cent abstention rate, a sharp increase on the 10.6 per cent abstention rate for the municipal elections of 2006 and the 11 per cent of the presidential elections in 2008. 

Our View: At last a prudent, if still flawed, budget

2011-12-18

THE STATE budget for 2012 was finally approved Friday night, after weeks of political bickering, public grandstanding, strikes and protests outside the legislature. Never before has a budget provoked such acrimony and caused such deep divisions in society, but never before have public finances been in such a mess, and so desperately in need of drastic remedies.

In the past, governments mostly followed the ‘spend-spend-spend’ mantra while ignoring the fact that this profligacy would eventually catch up with us. The Christofias government, which spent money like there was no tomorrow in its first two budgets and – despite the recession – failed to make any substantial cuts in its third, was eventually left with the thankless task of taking the unpopular measures. 

Tales from the Coffeeshop: A bruised Hadjipetrou for Christmas

2011-12-18

CHRISTMAS is just a week away but the season of goodwill to all man has still not arrived in poor old Kyproulla. 

We are still in the season of bad will and selfishness imposed on us by that mean, miserable, moaning maniac Hadjiklamouris, who just cannot accept that for the first time in the history of the Republic, his pathetic public parasites will get what they always rightly deserved – a zero pay rise.

Instead of coming to terms with reality, he has been in denial, acting like a complete madman in his public appearances, frothing at the mouth, viciously spitting out threats, lying, abusing politicians, telling off hacks and urging his blood-sucking members to take revenge in the courts for the injustice they suffered.

Kazamias: now ‘we have the right to hope’

2011-12-18

FINANCE Minister Kikis Kazamias yesterday said that the House approval of the 2012 budget gave them reason to hope that the state would be able to sort out its finances. 

“I feel we have the right to hope that we will now be able to handle the in-house financial situation more easily,” Kazamias said. 

On Friday the House approved the budget after delaying the discussion for a day so that lawmakers could prepare amendments. 

Discussion was then originally scheduled for the morning, but pushed back to the afternoon. But with furious background negotiations and discussions as deputies scrutinised funds and amendments the plenum only finally convened at 7pm. 

No faith in official response to animal welfare

2011-12-18

THE MAJORITY of people have no faith in the authorities to carry out adequate animal welfare practices with over 87 per cent believing that Cyprus does not have a proper welfare system, according to a survey released this week by the pet protection organisation, Cyprus Voice for Animals.

“The results are not far from what we anticipated since animal welfare societies are the first to have felt the hardships,” said Cyprus Voice for Animals’ president Mary Anastasi.

The survey of 1072 participants targeted both English and Greek speakers all over the island, revealing what they really thought about animal welfare.

Mayor of north Nicosia issues EC complaint

2011-12-18

THE mayor of occupied Nicosia called on the European Commission to encourage the Nicosia Municipality to include the occupied municipality in a common bid for the 2017 European Capital of Culture.

In a letter addressed to EU commissioner for education, culture, multilingualism and youth Androulla Vassiliou on December 15, Cemal Bulutoglulari said that according to the 1960 Constitution, which provided for separate municipalities for the two communities, his municipality was the sole legitimate local representative of the Turkish Cypriot residents of Nicosia.

“We are aware that the European Capital of Culture is a forward-looking programme and we are looking forwards as well,” wrote Bulutoglulari.

Europol bust online child abuse network

2011-12-18

POLICE from 26 European countries – including Cyprus- have arrested 112 and identified 269 suspects in a carried out a major crackdown against online child sex abuse file-sharing networks. 

The Danish-led Operation Icarus targeted those sharing the most extreme forms of video material, which, according to a EUROPOL statement, included the abuse of babies and toddlers. 

A lot of the material seized during the house searches is awaiting forensic examination in order to support follow-up investigations and possible prosecution of offenders. However, this operation has already uncovered previously unknown networks of child sex offenders operating on different internet channels.

Police request UK access to probe match fixing

2011-12-18

POLICE are preparing a request to UK judicial authorities to allow them to visit a London betting company believed to be involved in a recent match fixing scam.

According to police spokesman Michalis Katsounos, police will supplement a previous request to interrogate the owners of the London based betting firm – believed to be involved in the coming days.

“We are also hoping to obtain information that will help us in our enquiries, including IP Addresses.” Katsounotos said.

On December 10 Police interviewed a Brazilian Olympiacos player in connection with match fixing, after the Cyprus Football Association observed suspicious betting in cup games, including the one between Olympiacos and Doxa.

Eight arrests for drugs

2011-12-18

 

POLICE have arrested eight youths, among them three minors, in relation to drug-related offences after discovering drugs at a house in Larnaca. 

Police searched the house of a youth, 21, where they found 105 grammes of cannabis, seven cannabis plants, seven ecstasy pills and €290. 

The youths were also found to be carrying small amounts of cannabis. 

The seven youths who were in the 21-year-old’s house told the police that he was their supplier.

The youngest among them was a 16-year-old male while the other two were a male and female, both aged seventeen. 

The three other were males aged 18, 19, 20 and 24 years of age. 

Early morning death

2011-12-18

 

ANDREAS Charalambous, 65, died in the early yesterday being knocked down by a car while crossing a street in Limassol. 

Charalambous was crossing on the intersection of Makarios avenue and Jules Verne street at 2am. 

At the same time a 21-year-old who had with him a passenger, 27, was driving on the avenue heading westbound, 

The driver hit and dragged Charalambous along the road. 

Charalambous was taken to Limassol General Hospital where he was declared dead. 

The driver, who was slightly injured, took an alcohol test but was  below the legal limit. 

 

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.