Ministerial Update

A large percentage of the cabinet went along to Saittas on Friday to keep TeePee company and to do their thing. Photis looked more alarmed than the rest and must have been even more flustered as he was already entertaining the EU Commissioner for Agricultural Development, Mrs Boel. He has since recovered and put the blame for the blaze square on the Electricity Authority's shoulders, citing sparks from a faulty high tension cable. He has since bounced back with gusto by announcing that in place of every tree lost he will plant two. Steady on, Photi. Doesn't the Agriculture Minister realise that there is an additional danger in planting higher densities in forests? Ask someone who knows, dude, before getting all melodramatic and soppy.

The ministers who retained their cool were Syllikiotis (Interior), Sarris (Finance) and that pleasant chap in charge of our health. Say whatever about TeePee but you must admit that having 3 ministers with a hands-on and can-do attitude is no mean feat. Kudos to Da Man.

Of course the hospital in Nicosia had its hands full. Besides the civilian heatstroke victims, the new General Hospital had a stream of ambulances rushing over reservists and national guardsmen. Well done Chris Pash. Organising a military exercise during a heatwave is a brilliant idea, seeing as the high season for wars on the island is at the height of summer. So, what was the deal, sending them all home in the afternoon. Come on, Chris, let's toughen the boys up a little.

The one minister who arrived way to late for the party was the one that looks a bit like a bassett hound and a stoned one at that. Hey, if you got access it you might as well smoke it. Yep, Soph Soph made his own soppy comment about rushing back from an official visit abroad to "stand next to the men. The men who gave their best..." Maybe tomorrow he can do something about the picture above which appears on the firefighting section of the Cyprus Police site.

Not to be outdone by the rest of the crew, Yorkos Lillikas informed the nation that he was going to place an order for firefighters via SMS to Brussels. He should have scooted off to Saittas and borrowed Mrs Boel's phone, or, better still, checked out this post on Stratis' blog.

In the middle of CyBC wildly popular "blazing forest" show, Themis the European gave the station a call. "I have been authorised by the EU Agricultural Commissioner to convey to the people of Cyprus.....". Yes, alright Themi.

But Lillikas was the first to get into post blaze mind set and today decided to put the matter of Serbia's accession to the EU high up on the agenda during his meeting with the ....Slovenian Foreign Minister. Good move, slick.

Alright boys, let's go helicopter shopping and see how much we can make in commissions.

This bulletin has been brought to you by Mitsides Village Macaroni which used to sport the motto: "Eat it once and try to forget it" on every packet.