We are heading full speed ahead to a two states solution! – Article by Eleni Mavrou, AKEL Political Bureau member

 

29 August 2021, ‘Haravgi’ newspaper

Anastasiades monopolized the news last week with the decision to revoke the passports of “officials” of the pseudo-state “Trnc”, the announcement of an inter-state appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and primarily his proposal to Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar for…a return to the 1960 Constitution.

On the passports issue, I really wonder who this government is convincing that its decision was taken solely to protect the Republic of Cyprus when it itself has issued several thousand passports in recent years to wanted persons, thieves and many others. So what if Tatar is consciously working against the Republic of Cyprus (and to the detriment of his own community too), but aren’t many Greek Cypriots too doing the same?

Many legal experts have already have commented on the 5th inter-state appeal to the ECHR, expressing not only concerns about its chances of success, but more specifically about the possibility of negative developments emerging taking into account the case law developments of the European Court of Human Rights itself and bearing in mind in particular the “Demopoulos” decision that had left us with Turkey’s Property Commission.

More tragic was the President’s “proposal” for a return to the 1960 Constitution. Never before has such a thing been said by a President of the Republic of Cyprus. The reason is simple. Identifying with the positions of the most extremist forces in this country certainly does not lead to a unitary state, but to the permanent partition of Cyprus, which satisfies Turkey’s aspirations.

Has Anastasiades forgotten that the 1960 Constitution provides for a veto over the executive regarding matters related to defence, foreign policy and security, as well as separate majorities in Parliament, without any mechanism for resolving deadlocks?

Has the President forgotten that the 1960 Constitution provides for guarantees of Turkey (even though DISY Vice-President Diplaros states that it doesn’t!)?

Has the President forgotten the fixed ratios in the Ministries, Parliament, the civil service and police? And he wants us to believe the fairy tale that he left Crans Montana because…he disagreed with political equality on everything?

I really wonder with all this in mind where the government spokesman finds the nerve to accuse AKEL of supposedly calling for further concessions to be made on the Cyprus problem. As if it is AKEL that had suggested that Turkey should limit itself to drilling in the northern part of our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Just as it is AKEL that had proposed that any natural gas revenues be shared with the Turkish Cypriots – even before the solution of the Cyprus problem. Just like it is AKEL that is sounding out in all directions, even the Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu himself, about a possible two state solution.

What has happened in the EEZ of the Republic of Cyprus, what is happening in Famagusta, the abandonment of the agreed basis for a solution of a bizonal, bicommunal federation, is evidence of a path towards permanent partition with all the dangers that this entails for Cyprus and our people. Tatar and Ankara already exploiting the latest developments are declaring that the international community has no choice but to recognize a separate entity in the occupied territories.

Unfortunately, our country and its survival are also tied to Anastasiades’ downhill path.