Frank and Joan's news for 27 April 2009 in Northern Cyprus

Frank and Joan's Adventures in Northern Cyprus

Our adventures in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus continue....

After a weekend of further hedge cutting etc., as it is very much that time of the year, I now have time to look at what the local journalists have to write about.

The saddest article on the front page is about a 35 year old English guy, arrested for robbing a supermarket in Alsancak. Prompted by this arrest and the man's apparent confession, Lapta police have posted on a North Cyprus Internet site, urging anyone to come forward with information about the recent spate of burglaries in the area to get in touch. I have been told that the man's legal representative is trying to get an immediate deportation order, instead of first a prison sentence followed by deportation. Whatever, lets get the man off the island, we don't need this sort of ex-pat around.

The election

result was as forecast, a win for the UBP party. This time they have a majority sufficient to form a government without needing a coalition partner. Let us just hope that the locals who are saying this will mean big changes for the better, have got it right.

Next Tuesday is the date for the ruling in Luxembourg on the Orams case. I feel sure that this will have far reaching effects on all of us here so we will have to await the result.

Summer working hours start on May 4th. From that date government departments will work 7.30am until 6pm on Mondays with a lunch break from 2pm until 3.30pm. The rest of the week they work only 7.30am until 2pm. This in the modern world of air conditioned offices is ridiculous and is one of the reasons why nothing gets done here, plus of course they get thirteen full salaries for these part time jobs.

There is big fuss about Serdar Denktas, son of the previous president and leader of the DP party, admitting to paying out 19,000TL to buy votes for his party in the election. He says that this happens all the time and only did it to expose vote rigging. This is democracy and observers say that vote buying has come to be expected in TRNC elections? If he knew all this was going on, why wait until after the results are announced to tell the world what he did.

What is very noticeable this year is the overall weather situation. Normally by this time in April we have been swimming in our pool. But alas not this year, for this old couple it is just not warm enough yet.