GREEK Cypriots on the street were worried yesterday as the full consequences of their resounding ‘no’ on Saturday began to sink in.
One 55-year-old woman, who refused to give her name, admitted she was already regretting her decision.
“I voted no mainly because of the president and other people’s influence and pressure to do so. I now regret it more than I can say,” the woman said.
She added she was angry with herself, but even more so with President Tassos Papadopoulos. “The president’s tears in his speech to the nation will lead us to permanent partition,” the woman said. “He should not have gone on TV and told the people to vote a resounding no, but should have highlighted both the positive and negative points to allow the people to decide for themselves.”
The woman said her whole family had voted yes in the referendum, but she felt torn when the Greek flag hanging outside her home was stolen. “I asked my priest if he knew who would have done such a thing and he told me it was the yes supporters who were traitors,” she said.
“I foolishly believed the president, my priest and the masses, and now I fear that there will be no other chance for a united island. There may be another opportunity, but after many years,” said the woman.
Lakis Loizides, 55, who voted ‘yes’, said he had no regrets but that he was sorry that the majority of people chose to vote ‘no’.
“I want to live with everyone on the island. Those who voted ‘no’ in my opinion were voting ‘no’ to a united Cyprus and not only to the plan. I have grandchildren and I am thinking of their future,” said Loizides.
He does believe that Cyprus will have another chance to be reunited, but not in the near future. “The international powers will not make any efforts to help us now. The UN gave a plan to our leaders who rejected it, and they in turn gave it to the people, who also rejected it,” he said.
Costas Prodromou, 60, told the Mail he had voted ‘no’ and had no regrets. “They will give us another plan, another referendum and if it is better then we will vote ‘yes’. I don’t want partition, but the plan was simply not viable. The Turkish Cypriots are our friends and neighbours,” said Prodromou.
One woman who overheard Prodromou, Lia Voyiadji, 33, said she had voted ‘yes’ and would do so again in the event of a second chance.
“I hope that we will not be internationally isolated and that we will be given a second chance to end partition,” said Voyiadji.
One man, 53, who did not wish to be named, said although he did not regret his ‘no’, he was worried about the future of the island.
“I have heard political leaders from Europe and America talk about how our resounding ‘no’ could leave us an isolated EU member state. I want a united island under a more secure plan, but am concerned that we have cemented the future of our island to partition,” he said.
Another 35-year-old ‘no’ voter said he did not regret his choice. “If we remain divided because the UN and foreign powers have had enough of us, then so be it,” he said with conviction.
“We don’t want the north under the lame contents of the Annan Plan, that clearly favours the Turks. We don’t need the north. Let them keep it and even if the world recognises the TRNC, who cares?” he said.
One young woman, Maria Ioannou, 35 said she did regret voting ‘no’ in the referendum. “At the time I was very confused and thought that since our president has advised us not to accept the plan there must be something wrong with it,” said Ioannou.
“But since then I have heard we may not get another chance, and I would like to get back the island that is rightfully ours. Perhaps we all made a grave mistake voting ‘no’, perhaps our government, our president did not properly inform us as a nation on what we were voting for, and now we can only wait,” said Ioannou.
