The President’s choice to take on the UN and his reference to political equality is problematic

Statement by AKEL C.C. Spokesperson Giorgos Koukoumas:

26 July 2021, ‘Astra’ radio station

AKEL considers the fact that President Anastasiades chose to take on the UN Secretary General over developments in Varosha as problematic.

Speaking to ‘Astra’ radio station, AKEL C.C. Spokesperson Giorgos Koukoumas noted that if the President has chosen to clash with the UN, then he must indicate with whom Cyprus intends to find an understanding.

Furthermore, G.Koukoumas noted that UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is the only Secretary General who, within the framework of the proposals he himself submitted, has raised the issue of the abolition of guarantees.

Giorgos Koukoumas described as problematic the President’s reference to the issue of political equality in his interview with “Fileleftheros” newspaper yesterday. As he explained, the President of the Republic either commits himself to the resumption of negotiations from the point where they were interrupted on the basis of the relevant convergence recorded, or he questions the relevant convergence on political equality and effective participation, which includes, among other things, the convergence that was recorded for a single positive vote in the Cabinet of Ministers.

The AKEL Spokesperson stressed that as long as the convergence on a single positive vote is not accepted, there is no prospect for the negotiation procedure and the international community will continue to hold the Greek Cypriot side equally responsible for the deadlock on the Cyprus problem.