March 8, 2003	Saturday	Muharram 4, 1424

NICOSIA, March 7: Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, backed by thousands of supporters, on Friday dealt a heavy blow to UN efforts to reunite Cyprus by blocking a parliament move to put the plan to a referendum.

Despite rival protests by thousands of candle-bearing supporters of the UN plan, pro-Denktash lawmakers boycotted the Turkish Cypriot parliament, denying it the numbers needed to assemble and debate the referendum the United Nations wants.

Tens of thousands of Turkish Cypriots took to the streets in the morning to support veteran leader Denktash over his rejection of the UN plan.—Reuters