The President is searching for pretexts not to continue the negotiations based on the UN Secretary General’s Framework

Statement by the AKEL C.C. Spokesperson Stefanos Stefanou, οn the President of the Republic’s interview to “Politis”

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 17 February 2019, Nicosia

The President of the Republic, in another interview he gave, instead of giving convincing and clear answers as the conditions and situation demands, raises questions and sends out wrong messages both inside and outside Cyprus about the Greek Cypriot side’s intentions and policy for the solution of the Cyprus problem.

To substantiate our aforementioned conclusions, and without exhausting the matter, we point out four comments on the President of the Republic’s interview to “Politis”.

1. The President is yet again reaffirming that he is ready to discuss a solution beyond that of a bizonal, bicommunal federation. Otherwise the President’s position that “we should reflect (on developments) in case of an impasse” can’t be interpreted. Partition, in whatever form, is not an option. Partition is dangerous for our country and people.
2. The President, with his insistence on the existence of Minutes of 4^th July is sending out the message to the international community that he is constantly seeking pretexts not to continue the negotiations on the basis of the UN Secretary-General’s Framework. The discussion surrounding the date of the Framework is unnecessary given that the Secretary General, at the Crans Montana Conference gave explanations of what he meant on the issues and what he himself had set for negotiation.
3. The President’s reply on the East Med issue gives the impression that the Greek Cypriot side is annulling one of the most significant convergences achieved, which is related to the positive vote that the Turkish Cypriots will have in the Ministerial Cabinet. On the one hand, the President cannot on the one hand be stating that he is ready to continue negotiations from the point where they had remained and, on the other hand, to be “re-opening” convergences.
4. Once again, the President does not answer the question as to what he specifically means by “decentralized federation”. He does not give an answer as to which of the competences of the central government that have been agreed – and it is well-known that the President in the negotiations sought and increased the competences of the central state – he is ready to transfer to the regions of the Federation. In addition, we point out as dangerous the inclusion of the issue of a single sovereignty, a single citizenship and a single international personality in the discussion on competences. The three singles do not represent competencies, but innate characteristics which by definition exist in a single state. No one can decentralize them and of course they cannot be the subject of negotiation.