THE contention that the Cyprus Problem cannot be resolved on the basis of the Annan Plan is the “personal” opinion of the Director of the President’s Diplomatic Office, whose comments invoked a flurry of government reactions, as well as speculation as to whether the opinion is more political in nature than personal.
During an interview with Phileleftheros, Tasos Tzionis said that almost 70 per cent of Greek Cypriots rejected the Annan Plan and therefore “his personal opinion was that it would be a mistake to return to a process to solve the Cyprus problem… [that is] based on a document that was rejected politically and legally by the people and that will bring back to the surface negative moments in their collective memory.”
Because of his position as Director of the President’s Diplomatic Office, Tzionis’ rejection of the Annan plan raises questions as to whether he is merely articulating the President’s view in a blunt and direct manner without any diplomatic niceties.
Tzionis yesterday defended the statements he made in the Phileleftheros interview, saying that it was his “democratic right as a citizen of this place” publicly to express his opinion, though he also claimed to recognise the restrictions that come with his position.
Tzionis said that if the solution were pursued on the basis of the Annan plan then the deadlock or political bartering that would follow would “trap” them in a process that could lead to no solution.
Despite AKEL’s endorsement of a ‘no’ to the Annan plan in last April’s referendum, AKEL Press Spokesman Andros Kyprianou said that Tzionis’ rejection of any future solution based on the Annan plan “causes problems for the President of the Republic” and that Tzionis “should have limited himself to the responsibilities that he has as the Director of the Diplomatic Office of the President”.
“I believe that Tzionis’ statements don’t help in sending the right messages,” Kyprianou said, adding they were at odds with both the decisions of the National Council as well as with statements made by the President of the Republic.
“Some will ask, ‘well is this then the opinion of the President of the Republic?’”
But the President defended the Director, saying that Tzionis was only saying that if talks on the basis of the Annan plan led to a deadlock or to an “equal trade” of demands then they would get trapped into making only “cosmetic changes”, which Papadopoulos said were not the “substantial changes” required.
Papadopoulos also referred to the Annan plan in vague terms, saying that “plans like the Annan plan are always on the table, and never disappear.”
Foreign Minister George Iacovou also spoke in elusive, non-committal terms about the Annan plan, first saying that it was “absolutely going to play some role” in a solution, but then stating that the plan was “not necessarily the only basis for a solution” and that “what was needed was a framework that is not being discussed this minute”.
Government Spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides said he would not comment on Tzionis’ remarks since it was a “personal opinion and the government doesn’t make any statements on personal opinions.”
When then asked whether Tzionis was speaking on behalf of the President, the Government Spokesman replied: “When the President has something to say, he says it himself.”
