COUNCIL OF Europe Rapporteur for Cyprus, M?ty?s E?rsi, submitted his resignation on Tuesday, saying he no longer enjoyed the trust of the Greek Cypriot side.
The surprise move came during a meeting of the Council’s Political Affairs Committee in Strasbourg when Cypriot delegates objected to some of the contents of a memo that E?rsi submitted in relation to his latest report on Cyprus.
The Hungarian rapporteur said he was concerned over Cyprus and wanted to visit to see for himself how the situation had developed since the April 2004 referendum on the Annan plan, which was rejected by the Greek Cypriots.
However Cypriot delegates objected to the proposed visit, saying it was too near the time for the parliamentary elections on May 21.
The Cypriot members were also concerned about the contents of a report titled ‘The Situation in Cyprus’. According to reports from Strasbourg the document contains “Turkish positions” and it also reproaches the EU for not fulfilling promises it made to end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots.
The report also allegedly says that Cyprus, since it became an EU member, did not have the same motivation to push for a settlement.
Cypriot member, DISY deputy Christos Pourgrourides confirmed the reports from Strasbourg yesterday for the reasons stated.
“The chairman asked him to remain until some clarifications were made but he was insisting (on visiting),” said Pourgourides who dismissed E?rsi’s concerns over the Greek Cypriot reaction to a memo related to the Cyprus report.
“It was his interpretation of our reaction,” he added. “He expressed the wish to visit Cyprus before the elections and we said it was in appropriate.”
Pourgourides said he had not seen the report itself, only the memo. “There were a number of points we could not agree with,” he told the Cyprus Mail.
One in particular was E?rsi’s views on ending the economic isolation of the Turkish Cypriots, which Pourgourdies said was leaning towards the promotion of direct trade between the north and the EU.
Members of Turkish delegation at the meeting called on E?rsi to recall his resignation.
Pourgourides said if the decision was final, another rapporteur would be appointed and “life would go on”.
“I don’t see any serious implications,” he said.
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