THE THIRD consecutive meeting of the National Council ended yesterday with leaked documents still the buzzword on most party leaders’ lips.
Speaking before the meeting, AKEL leader Andros Kyprianou said he was saddened by the fact that some had tried to leak the documents submitted by AKEL at Tuesday’s meeting, and in a distorted manner, he added.
“We believe the leaks in the National Council ruin the climate, provoke unnecessary conflict between us and in the end undermine our negotiating capabilities,” said Kyprianou.
DISY leader Nicos Anastassiades said he was now forced to release his party’s documents to the public in a press conference today after confirming that the leaks in the Council were distorting the truth.
“When I hear, for example, that DISY proposed to suspend Turkey’s evaluation in December… I am obliged to give a press conference giving the documents verbatim, at least those relating to Turkey’s evaluation,” said Anastassiades.
EVROKO leader Demetris Syllouris also revealed he had information that someone had leaked National Council documents to foreign ambassadors and UN officials.
“The National Council meets and the next day, I have been informed, written texts go to people in the UN or ambassadors of other countries,” he said, noting that he was referring to the last time the national body had met.
The National Council, which is the top advisory body to the President on the Cyprus problem, commenced deliberations on Monday, continuing them on Tuesday and yesterday. The president and parliamentary party leaders are expected to reach adequate convergence to draft Cyprus’ position on the EU’s upcoming evaluation on Turkey’s membership negotiations. During the two previous sessions, the parties submitted documents with their views both on Turkey’s EU bid and on the second phase of negotiations on the Cyprus problem.
Government Spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said the Council would conclude deliberations tomorrow, when the President will codify the positions of the parties.
Meanwhile, President Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat will meet again today to discuss the bridging proposals on the chapter of governance, specifically the election of the President and Vice-President of the United Republic, which they submitted at their last meeting on September 10.
The UN’s Special Adviser on Cyprus, Alexander Downer, is currently in New York for a series of meetings on Cyprus, though he had to cut back his trip from seven days to two, the reasons for which remain unknown.
The state broadcaster reported last night that the re-elected European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso is likely to appoint Leopold Maurer to follow the talks to ensure that any solution remains in line with the EU acquis communautaire. The unconfirmed reports said Maurer was most likely chosen for his in-depth knowledge of Cyprus, having represented the EU during accession negotiations with Cyprus before its 2004 membership.
