IN THE absence of any local news worth reporting, the media made a big issue out of DIKO deputy leader, Giorgos Colocassides’ March 25th speech, against the bi-zonal, bi-communal settlement currently being negotiated. The speech became a news item because AKEL decided to respond to Colocassides’ assertion that a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation was a “summary of Turkish demands”. The current negotiations dealt with “dangerous constitutional experimentation” that was doomed to failure, he concluded.
AKEL leader Andros Kyprianou said approaches like these, “cause great damage to the efforts we are making for a settlement and contain huge dangers for Cyprus and the Cypriot people”. So now we are back to discussing, after two-and-a-half years of negotiations, whether we actually want a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation. The two sides may have agreed on this system of government 30 years ago, but Colocassides does not want it because it is a “summary of Turkish demands”.
Rejecting everything being discussed, without proposing an alternative course of action, is the ultimate cop-out. Colocassides and DIKO consider that by saying they want a “federation with the right content” (a meaningless slogan used by the Papadopoulos camp in the last elections) they have given the people a viable alternative. But we are still waiting for them to tell us how they would ensure the “right content” in any agreement. In short, they are rejecting what is achievable, while offering people false hope.
How ironic that EUROKO, which is also opposed to a federal settlement, censured DIKO’s sterile approach. General secretary Rikkos Erotokritou said “we believe that opposition to bi-zonal, bi-communal federation could not only be expressed through its rejection, but should include the positive proposal for a European solution”. Erotokritou and his EUROKO comrades, have been advocating a “European solution” to the Cyprus problem since the referendum, but Cyprus has been an EU member for almost seven years without the “European solution” appearing on the horizon. Another false hope, served to the public?
Is it so difficult for Colocassides, Erotokritou and other opponents of the current peace process to come clean and tell people the status quo is preferable to the bi-zonal, bi-communal federation? This would be the politically honest thing to do instead of making big promises they know they cannot keep, for the simple reason the Turkish side would never agree to the type of solution they dream of. Arguing we should stay as we are because the solution being negotiated would never work is a legitimate position to take, but claiming a better negotiated deal could be secured is blatant demagoguery.
