Sir,
I am writing in response to Nicos Rolandis’ recent article, “King Jigme and floundering Cyprus” (Sunday Mail, February 26). His recollections of the events of recent Cypriot History are very accurate: we started going from worse to worse, after Makarios in 1960 agreed to create an independent country, without putting the issue to a referendum to the Cypriot people. Maybe he did not do so because in the most recent referendum of the times in 1950, the Cypriot people had voted for enosis with Greece by 95 per cent majority. Furthermore Makarios knew that the EOKA uprising and the sacrifices of the Greek Cypriot people to support the uprising were not for an independent country, but for enosis with Greece. The only other referendum since 1950 in which the people were asked to participate directly, was in 2004 when President Papadopoulos realised that it was not his decision to make but the people of Cyprus had to decide. And the people of Cyprus said ‘no’ to the atrocity of a plan that was presented by Mr Annan.
Mr. Rolandis: Since 1960 until now, all the elected presidents of Cyprus have behaved like kings. Maybe not like King Jigme, but certainly like kings who craved power and wealth and who liked to have quiet followers. They behaved like kings who thought that they alone and single-handedly could decide on a “solution” to the Cypriot problem, without asking the people.
Mr. Rolandis: The kings are dead! Long live the people of Cyprus! If you have one ounce of knowledge of International Law, you ought to know that it is the people of Cyprus and not their monarchs or kings who must approve a solution to the problem. The international rule of law must be applied to any proposed solution and those who bothered to read beyond the first paragraph of any of Mr. Annan’s plan saw the the rule of law was not considered when those plans were designed.
Mr. Rolandis: A solution to the Cyprus problem must be derived from the rule of law and approved by the people of Cyprus.
The people of Cyprus must not be extorted by fear into submission to solutions that violate the rule of law. Yet you and many other Greek Cypriot “leaders” are doing exactly that: You are trying to intimidate the Cypriot people into agreeing to a solution that violates the international rule of law, all the resolutions of the UN on Cyprus and all the principles of the European Union. Shame on you and all the other Cypriot kings. You must comply with the rule of law and the will of the people.
Marcos P. Sivitanides, PhD
Austin, Texas, USA