Spreading the word of federation

By Constantinos Psillides

THE INAUGURATION of the Federal Cyprus Movement (FCM) on Sunday was a resounding success, according to one of the founding members Sotos Ktoris, who said that he hopes that the movement will foster a federal solution to the Cyprus problem.

More than 200 people, including former President George Vassiliou, were present at an outdoor site at Ayios Sozomenos village where FCM held its first meeting.

The FCM comprises Greek and Turkish Cypriots who consider the development of a “federal conscience” among all Cypriots a prerequisite to reaching a settlement.

According to Ktoris the movement’s aim is to spread the understanding of a federal state.

“We plan to move the debate away from urban centres. We will take it to the villages – each and every one of them – literally sit in the kafenedes and talk to people about federal issues over coffee.”

Long-term, the FCM plans to create an academy that will organise events and lectures on federal issues, with guests and members as speakers.

Ktoris made perfectly clear that FCM is not a political party and has no political aspirations.

“We are not here to get elected to any post. We are here to spread awareness of the benefits of the federal solution and to contribute in any way we can towards that solution,” explained Ktoris, promising a string of events to follow right after the holidays.

Ktoris told the Cyprus Mail that the public should consider a federal solution as a remedy to the island’s troubled past.

“A federal solution is the only way to patch up the wounds left by our troubled past, be it 1963 or 1974. This is the only way to move forward together,” said Ktoris.

 

 

 

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.