Author: Leonid Mamchenkov

Russian for a president in Cyprus, really?

Cyprus Mail is a lot of fun today.

CHIEF Returning Officer Demetris Demetriou yesterday confirmed that a Russian businessman had shown an interest in running for February’s presidential elections.

“Yes, an interest has been shown, but we can’t release any details as the application for candidacy has not yet been made officially,” Demetriou told the Cyprus Mail.

He said the businessman’s lawyer contacted his department to enquire about how to apply. It was reported on Tuesday that the Russian in question had acquired Cypriot citizenship. Only Cypriot citizens over 35 years of age can stand in the presidential elections.

… because Russians are doing so well in Russia now, that they should be running for presidents all over the world.  WORLD DOMINATION!!! Mua-ha-ha-ha.

What are they thinking?

Cyprus Mail reports that Cyprus Airways expands its operations in Greece:

“After the positive response from the Athens-Thessalonica-Athens route, the airline decided to start new regular flights to the country’s most important airports,” CY announced yesterday.

Starting on October 28, there will be twice-daily flights between Athens and Heraklion, one from Athens to Rhodes and back; one a day between Heraklion and Thessalonica and another between Rhodes and Thessalonica three times a week.

My first reaction after reading this is – what are they thinking?  Cyprus Airways has been in a lot of financial troubles lately, getting lots of help from the Cyprus government, including the kick out of the competition – Ryanair (here and here).  But at least Ryanair was working with Cyprus, bringing lots of people in and out.  What does Cyprus Airways do?  Yeah, right, instead of trying to help the Cyprus tourism a bit, they go to Greece.  Which, given Greece’s troubles, is questionable as well.  What’s the point of having Cyprus Airways in Cyprus at all then?  And why does the government spend the money on them.  Let them go to the other side of the world, if they want to, and help Australia’s tourism, or something…

Cyprus public transport is in trouble

It’s been only a couple of years since I blogged about Limassol joining the rest of the world with a rebirth of its public transportation system.  And now Cyprus Mail reports that it’s on the edge of being dead and over. Again.

PUBLIC transport is faced with collapse, a top MP has said, as lawmakers discussed a bill to inject an additional €21 million into the system to keep the upgrade programme going.

The House Finance Committee heard that bus companies were losing between €200,000 and €300,000 a month while banks were no longer willing to provide more breathing space.

Oh, well.  At least they tried.