‘I’m not going anywhere,’ says defiant kiosk owner

VASILIS Piripitsis, the owner of the unlicensed kiosk in Nicosia’s Solomou Square, is still refusing to leave and is continuing to delay the full renovation of the bus terminal there.

Agalma kiosk needs to be demolished as part of the major reconstruction works, but the municipality cannot force the owner to leave because the kiosk lies on government land.

For commuters in the old town and taxpayers alike this may translate into increased costs and continued traffic diversions.

“I’m not going anywhere until there’s a court ruling. I’ve been here for 23 years,” said Piripitsis.

The other two kiosks in the construction site landed deals with the government allowing them to reopen after the works were completed, but because Piripitsis was never there legally, he has no such agreement and no alternative premises. And yet, because he has been there so long, he cannot be evicted.

For Pipiritsis, the way the other kiosk owners have been treated is unfair.

“We’re not the only ones who broke the law,” he said.

Nicosia Mayor Eleni Mavrou described the conundrum as consisting of complex legal actions.

“The government is ignoring the whole thing – I don’t know why,” said Pipiritsis referring to the ministerial silence on the issue.

Politis newspaper reported yesterday that the case is being tossed back and forth between the ministry of public works and interior with no one taking a decision on the matter.

Nicosia municipality officials confirmed this.

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