AKEL on the President’s briefing to the House of Representatives on the Cyprus problem

 

Statement of Georgos Loucaides, AKEL C.C. Spokesperson

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 12th February 2016, Nicosia

 

Yesterday’s briefing of the House of Representatives surrounding developments on the Cyprus problem confirmed once again that the framework of the negotiations and of the solution of the Cyprus problem is agreed for some decades: namely, a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation with political equality as set out in the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and with a single sovereignty, a single international personality and a single citizenship safeguarded. The President of the Republic correctly pointed out that all the given Presidents of the Republic without exception negotiated within this framework.

Through the briefing given, the clear conclusion is drawn that AKEL’s long-standing positions on the Cyprus problem were confirmed. We recall in this regard that for five years all the other political forces, including the governing DISY party, were in collusion standing shoulder to shoulder against AKEL’s positions, as the Christofias – Talat convergences were condemned in purgatory. And when that policy proved to be ineffective and destructive, President Anastasiades abandoned the logic of negotiations from scratch and continued the talks from where they were left off. This is the main reason why today progress is being observed at the negotiating table. However, there is quite a way that needs to be covered, given that, inter alia, on the property issue we are still not within range of an agreement, while the critical chapters on the territorial issue and security are pending.

If the President remains consistent to this line and negotiates on the basis of principles and the agreed framework, AKEL will support with consistency the negotiation procedure, which is the only existing way to reverse the partitionist status quo, for a solution, for the liberation and reunification of our homeland and people.

We believe, however, that reflection is required on the way Parliament is briefed. Fully respecting the institutional issues likely to arise, we believe that yesterday was more of a public briefing of the people than of the House of Representatives, something which naturally can also affect the breadth and depth of the briefing.

We are at a critical junction and AKEL is appealing to all political forces – always retaining the inalienable right to disagree – to make every effort to achieve the greatest possible unity that is necessary today more than ever