Nikiforos cancellation sparks opposition

POLITICAL parties have aired their disapproval over the President’s decision to cancel the Nikiforos military exercise, even though the Turkish Cypriot side has reciprocated the gesture.

The government’s decision to cancel the military exercise is aimed at maintaining the peaceful climate in accordance with the ongoing peace negotiations, President Christofias said yesterday.

He said that if a solution to the Cyprus problem is to be achieved peacefully and under the guidance of the UN, cancelling the Nikiforos exercise would give Cyprus added political leverage.

“We must arm ourselves where we are the weakest and this is in the area of diplomacy,” he said.

Political party EUROKO has denounced the move saying that the annual military exercises are a legal right.

Referring to the cancellation of the Turkish Taurus exercise, EUROKO said in a statement that the presence of Turkish troops in Cyprus is an infringement of the Republic’s constitutional rights. As such their decision to cancel the illegal exercise cannot be recognised as gesture of goodwill.

House Defence Committee member Zacharias Poulias echoed EUROKO’s objection stating that the decision to cancel Nikiforos was one of many peace efforts that are one-sided and come to no avail.

“We have repeatedly on our part made efforts to contribute to a peaceful climate,” said Poulias. “Military exercises have been cancelled in the past but the outcome is never welcomed.”

Meanwhile, EDEK’s President Yiannakis Omirou in light of the Turkish Cypriot side’s decision to cancel the Taurus military exercise retracted a statement he had made previously, condemning the cancellation of Nikiforos.

“I cannot pass judgement on the President’s decision to cancel Nikiforos,” said Omirou.

“If the effort is mutual.”

“To continue with the exercise at this stage would leave us open to criticism, during the peaceful climate.”

He added that while the National Guard should continue military exercises, the mutual agreement to cancel the scheduled exercises was within the framework of the peace negotiations.

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