Cabinet will decide whether to buy Seychelles villa where Makarios spent exile
FINANCE Ministry officials yesterday confirmed reports that the government intends to purchase a USD$7 million villa in the Seychelles where Archbishop Makarios lived during his exile from Cyprus.
The Sans Souci House, on Mahé Island in the Seychelles, was inhabited by Makarios during his exile from March 1956 to April 1957, and the government is now considering its purchase. It was not clear yesterday why the government was interested in purchasing the building, beyond its significance as a former temporary residence of the Archbishop.
An officer in the Planning Bureau of the Finance Ministry said: "The government is considering it although no decision has been made yet".
"The Planning Bureau had an involvement but it is not us who will make the decision. The matter is now with the Council of Ministers who will make the decision."
George Georgiou, Secretary to the Council of Ministers, said yesterday that he was aware of the proposal, but could not confirm the Council of Minister's position.
According to reports, the plan to buy the house was hatched by members of the diplomatic community and senior members of the civil service. The reports said initially the owner of "Sans Souci", an American named Mrs Church, was unwilling to sell.
However, following negotiations with Cyprus' Chargé d'Affairs in the Seychelles an offer of between $5 million and $7 million was negotiated in 2008 but the transaction was never completed.
The Council of Ministers will now re-examine the proposal, however, given the current economic climate they are unlikely to proceed with it, the reports said.
The house is set on a cliff in an isolated area overlooking the capital, Victoria. Janine Durup, who owns a nearby guesthouse by the same name told the Cyprus Mail yesterday: "The house is still the same as it used to be when Makarios stayed here. We are in a beautiful area and very green here."
Mahé is a lush mountainous island of around 150 km squared and with a population of around 80,000. Given the isolated location it was not clear yesterday what purpose the residence would serve.
During his exile Makarios was accompanied by Papastavros Papagathangelou, Cyprian the Bishop of Kyrenia and journalist Polycarpos Ioannidis. Following his exile he moved to Athens before returning to Cyprus in 1959.
http://www.cyprus-mail.com/cyprus/cabin ... e/20100116
Just for Ministers, MPs and high ranking un-civil servants, of course!