KYRENIA district municipalities and associations yesterday blasted the Annan plan, saying accepting it was tantamount to national catastrophe.
At a gathering held at Nicosia’s International Conference Centre on Sunday, speakers vilified the plan in its current form, but said they supported President Papadopoulos’ efforts for a just solution.
“We condemn the Annan plan and categorically say ‘No’ to it,” said Kyrenia bishop Pavlos, a staunch detractor of the plan.
“The second national disaster for the Greek world will come about through acceptance of this plan, and not its rejection,” said the bishop, refuting the argument by some quarters that the cost of saying no would be too high.
“This is an evil and cursed plan,” said the bishop.
For his part, Kyrenia mayor Constantinos Orologas said it “would be better to turn down an unjust and unworkable solution than say yes to a bad settlement, with all that entails for our people and future generations.”
Kyrenians are opposed to the plan because they say it does not guarantee fundamental human rights and the implementation of UN resolutions on Cyprus, such as those concerning the return of all refugees.
They also demand the full withdrawal of Turkish occupation troops, and are opposed to the tight deadlines for a settlement and to derogations from the EU acquis.
“We shall never agree to a solution that makes Kyrenians second-rate citizens in our own country, nor one that makes Cypriots second-rate European citizens,” said Nikos Hadjistefanou, secretary of the Kyrenia Co-ordinating Committee.
According to the provisions of the Annan plan, Kyrenia will remain under Turkish Cypriot administration, and only a some of its original Greek Cypriot residents will be allowed to return, as determined by arrangements governing population ratios.
Also attending Sunday’s gathering were representatives of the New Horizons and Greens parties, and the Relatives of Missing Persons Committee.
Speakers criticised politicians for giving out false promises down the years that all Kyrenia refugees would return to their homes.
The gathering adopted a declaration on the Cyprus problem that they will be handing to the governments in Cyprus and Greece, the EU and the United Nations.
