Political unity in tatters

SIX DAYS of debate on the Cyprus problem has left unity on the domestic front in tatters, with President Demetris Christofias cutting a lonely figure just days before the restart of talks next week.
The National Council wrapped up six days of meetings inconclusively late on Wednesday, forcing government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou to admit that the political parties were unable to agree on a joint communiqué. They could not even agree to reconfirm the joint communiqué released after the last set of meetings last September.
DISY leader Nicos Anastassiades yesterday expressed his “deepest regret” that the top advisory body to the president on the Cyprus problem had failed to reach agreement on the substance and procedure of the talks. “For us, this is what’s sad, not the fact that a PR-style joint communiqué was not possible,” he said.
The opposition leader noted that the recent “threat” of the direct trade regulation, the latest decision by the European Court of Human Rights and a series of other negative developments had brought the Cyprus problem to a crucial phase which should sound the alarm bells for all political leaders.
“The danger of the occupied areas of our country becoming a new Taiwan is now a painful yet visible reality,” said Anastassiades.
The DISY leader bemoaned the failure of the marathon session of the National Council to produce a comprehensive strategy on the dangers facing the Greek Cypriot side.
EDEK leader Yiannakis Omirou said his party had submitted proposals aimed at finding convergence, consensus and unity but this proved impossible.
The aim should not be unity “in words only” which would only serve to cover up a significant disagreement in the Council. “This would be deceiving the public,” he said.
DIKO spokesman Fotis Fotiou called on all parties to avoid internal conflict and build stronger unity on the home front while EVROKO leader Demetris Syllouris spoke of an “unbridgeable” gap between the president and the parties. On the rotating presidency issue, he said Christofias was “desperately isolated”.
The only evident ally to the president was AKEL whose leader Andros Kyprianou expressed regret that the National Council had failed to agree on a joint communiqué. 
“It is incomprehensible why we couldn’t agree on positions which for 33 years now are commonly accepted and declared principles of a Cyprus solution. Unfortunately, this fact reveals that other political and party motives factored above the concern for the future of the country and the Cypriot people,” he said.
Kyprianou warned that certain players in the international community were hinting that there was no political will for a solution on either side of the divide. “Something which has no standing on our side but we are obliged to prove our will for a solution on a daily basis through our policy and positions,” he added.
The communist leader highlighted that Eroglu would likely play a seemingly flexible role in the talks, giving a false image of his will for a solution.
“The current phase of the Cyprus problem is probably the most critical since the 2004 referendum. So we call on the political leadership to step up to the plate, to work together with consensus, calm, seriousness and consistency,” said Kyprianou.
Government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said the government’s view was that the National Council could have concluded with a joint statement on the basic principles of a solution, but that the president would continue with determination regardless.