Christofias: no solution without unity

PRESIDENT Demetris Christofias yesterday made a renewed plea for unity so that the Cyprus issue could be solved in 2011.

Speaking during a visit to a National Guard post at Mammari Christofias said: “As long as we are divided, there is no way we will be able to succeed. We need to unite and to understand how difficult the times are, and that our opponent is not joking around but has all the means to misinform his own (Turkish), and international public opinion”.

“I want to give the message that we must appreciate that Turkish Cypriots are children of the same country and they will take part in the governing of the state,” he added.

Those who were not comfortable with the idea would just have to live with it, he added.

Christofias said the road ahead would be hard and that “persistent effort and sacrifice” would be required. “The bizonal, bicommunal federation brings with it sacrifices,” he said.

“I want to promise that I will do the best that I can, I will not spare any effort, to end this tragedy, so that the people and country can be reunited. We should not give Turkey the chance to exploit foolish acts by anyone of us, and unfortunately this is being done repeatedly. I believe we are not masochists. I want to believe we are people who love our country and really want to be free of the evils of the invasion and occupation,” he concluded.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.