CYPRUS’ political leaders yesterday addressed the 16th international overseas Cypriots’ conference, which continued for the second day running and ended with a dinner hosted by President Demetris Christofias.
The conference started with a brief recount of the overseas’ Cypriots’ work so far and their action plans for the future.
Their day ended with a meeting with Christofias – who briefed them on recent developments in the Cyprus problem – followed by a dinner in their honour at the Presidential Palace gardens.
Earlier in the day, ruling party AKEL’s general secretary, Andros Kyprianou, defended Christofias’ handling of the Cyprus problem and responded to the criticism he has received over his views on rotating presidency and the property issue.
“It is not right to exercise criticism on the President of the Republic because he projects views that aim at serving the best interests of the Cypriot public,” said Kyprianou.
“In the property, a step forward was made, which isn’t satisfactory but it can’t be overlooked,” he added. “For the first time ever, [Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali] Talat has recognised the right to property; all that remains is the bigger step, which is the only one that will solve the property issue and has been confirmed in the most celebratory way with the Xenides-Orams court ruling – that the legal owner has the right to decide what will become of his property.”
But coalition DIKO’s vice president, Nicolas Papadopoulos, didn’t hold back on his criticism of Christofias’ political moves. “The direct talks’ procedure for the Cyprus problem will either lead to a dead-end and the decriminalisation of Turkey, or to the return of a worse variation of the Annan Plan,” said Papadopoulos.
He added that accepting a bizonal, bicommunal federation as a solution to the Cyprus problem would be a step back for the Greek Cypriot side, akin to a painful compromise.
The head of the state’s other main coalition partner, EDEK, Yiannakis Omirou, was pessimistic over there ever being a resolution to the national issue. “The way the direct talks are going, as well as Turkey’s and the pseudostate’s general behaviour, don’t justify any optimism in there ever being a solution based on International and European Justice,” said Omirou. “On the contrary, one-sided concessions on our part are not only failing to curb Turkish intransigence, but breed it.”
In contrast to the government’s coalition parties, opposition DISY’s leader Nicos Anastassiades was less forthcoming in his criticism, calling for more initiatives and diplomatic moves that will make it easier to connect a Cyprus problem solution with the broader best interests of the EU.
An example of this, he added, would be for Cyprus to become part of the Partnership for Peace.
