Excerpts from the speech by the General Secretary of AKEL A. Kyprianou to a meeting at the “Doxa” Local Club of the Left in Deftera

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 13 October 2018, Nicosia

…As regards the uppermost issue concerning our people’s survival, namely the Cyprus problem, all we can say is that developments have now become dangerous. The withdrawal of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) and Turkey’s intention to drill in the Cypriot Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) are scenarios we face ahead of us. Unfortunately, Mr. Anastasiades and governing DISY party do not seem to realize their critical nature. We say this because instead of Mr. Anastasiades trying to prove to all that the Greek Cypriot side side has the will to move forward, he is giving the impression that he is focusing on other issues.

Mr. Anastasiades has now opened the debate about “decentralized federation” without a previous study and without reflecting on where such a debate will lead us to. At the same time as we are expecting the UN Secretary-General’s decisions on the future of the negotiations, Mr. Anastasiades is opening a discussion that will probably lead us to adventures. Where Mr. Anastasiades is supposed to have the continuation of talks from where they had remained as his declared position, all of a sudden he opens up the issue of the powers of the central government. He is therefore leading us to the point where the Secretary-General of the United Nations is asking us to begin the discussion from it had remained at Crans Montana and the government suddenly telling him that we want to commence the discussion from somewhere else. The UN Secretary General is calling for negotiations on the basis of his own Framework and the six key issues to reach a strategic agreement that has been set out. The President is raising issues that are outside of Mr. Guterres’ Framework.

Mr. Anastasiades raised the issue of a so-called “decentralized” federation during the presidency of Demetris Christofias. The relevant discussion that took place is recorded in the minutes of the National Council session. Back then the question was put to Mr. Anastasiades, which of the agreed competencies did he want to remove, but he still hasn’t given an answer. This time, we hope that Mr. Anastasiades will be in a position to say how many and what agreed competences of the central government – which Mr. Anastasiades himself has significantly increased in the negotiation – is ready to hand to the constituent states.

Last but not least, Mr. Anastasiades has to give an answer to something else as well. What problem – which he himself cites – does “decentralized federation” solve? It doesn’t solve the issue of guarantees or security. It doesn’t solve the issue of executive power. It doesn’t solve the issue of the so-called equal treatment of Greek and Turkish citizens and much more.

Why therefore is he engaging in this discussion?

We will not permit anyone to consign Cyprus’ perspective to the dustbin of history.

We will insist on reminding the government and DISY of their responsibility: either we will manage to reunite Cyprus within the framework of a bi-zonal, bicommunal federal solution, or we will slide towards partition.

Every day that passes by with the Cyprus problem unsolved the goal of imperialism which ordered the twin crime of 1974 is realized.

Every day that passes with the Cyprus problem remaining unresolved vindicates all those forces and circles in both communities that poisoned and are poisoning our people with nationalism and chauvinism.

Every day that passes without the Cyprus problem solved the consequences of invasion and occupation are being consolidated.

We will continue to struggle for the solution of the Cyprus problem.

A solution that will terminate the occupation and colonialization.

A solution based on the UN Resolutions, the High-Level Agreements, International and European Law.

A solution that will demilitarize Cyprus and exclude interventions and guarantees from foreign powers.

A solution that will reunite the land, the people, the institutions and the economy.

A bi-communal, bizonal federal solution with political equality as described in United Nations texts.

A solution that will lead to one state, the continuation of the Republic of Cyprus, with a single sovereignty, a single international personality and a single citizenship.

The situations we have to deal with are extremely difficult. We will manage to achieve our goals only if as a Party and as the mass organizations of the Left we are united and rally around the decisions we have taken.

Only by intensifying our actions for peace and our country’s reunification.

Only if we step up our actions in the struggle for rapprochement, the isolation of neo-fascism, to raise working people’s standard of living, for the protection and strengthening of their rights, for growth and prosperity for the many.

This is the role and goal of all of us, from the Party leadership to its members and friends.