THE MAJORITY of Cypriots on either side of the Green Line desires a settlement. According to an opinion poll, conducted by ‘Cyprus 2015: Research and Dialogue for a Sustainable Future’, 68 per cent of Greek Cypriots and 65 per cent of Turkish Cypriots want an agreement, but have very low hopes (10 and 12 per cent respectively) of this being achieved.
The big majority on both sides is prepared to accept federation as a compromise even though it is the ideal for neither – 92 per cent of Greek Cypriots favour a unitary state and 90 per cent of Turkish Cypriots a two-state arrangement. Most interesting is that 60 per cent of Greek Cypriots consider the continuation of the current situation “entirely unacceptable” compared to only 27 Turkish Cypriots.
Admittedly, opinion polls could be interpreted in any number of ways. For instance even the most uncompromising hardliners, on either side, could say that they desire a settlement, even though it might be unachievable. By the same logic people have very different ideas about the type of federation they would accept, something that was made evident by the opinion poll.
Apart from the desire of most Cypriots to see the end of the Cyprus problem and a general wish to see the two leaders showing a greater sense of urgency in the process, the poll also highlighted the main stumbling block, which was also highlighted in the UN Secretary-General’s recent report. “Polls indicate overwhelmingly low public expectations that a settlement will be reached, as well as distrust on both sides that, if a settlement were to be reached, the other side would have any serious intention of honouring it,” Ban Ki-moon said in his report.
Ban’s observations were based on the above-mentioned opinion poll which made him arrive at the following conclusion: “A solution therefore needs more than a comprehensive plan. It needs strong and determined leadership that will make the public case for a united Cyprus with all the benefits this brings.” He is correct, but the opinion poll showed that most people are well aware of the benefits – long-term sustainable peace, Cyprus behaving like a normal state within the EU, more business and job opportunities, attraction of foreign investment etc. However the main stumbling block is the distrust.
This high degree of distrust, which has been cultivated over decades, according to Ban requires “strong and determined leadership”. It needs much more than that – it needs the two leaders working together, encouraging confidence-building, taking joint initiatives, campaigning for a new Cyprus, but above all showing they trust each other. Unfortunately, the strong and determined leadership is nowhere to be seen, the two leaders being more comfortable in exchanging accusations that working together for a united Cyprus.
