AFTER the experience of the Annan plan, which involved a deadline for the completion of negotiations followed by UN arbitration, the Greek Cypriot political establishment developed a paranoid fear of time-frames. Since then, whenever a new bout of negotiations is about to commence everyone unites in demanding ‘no suffocating time-frames’.
This became the catch-phrase of Demetris Christofias during his presidency, as he exhibited a distinct lack of urgency, even when Mehmet Ali Talat, who was committed to a settlement, was Turkish Cypriot leader.
The fear of pushing the peace process towards a settlement existed before the Annan plan with thousands of newspaper articles warning over the years of foreign plans for the ‘speedy closing of the Cyprus problem’. In the last few months, the vocabulary has been changed a little with journalists and politicians warning that an ‘express solution’ was on the cards. It is laughable that after 50 years of efforts to solve the problem there are people who believe a deal would be premature. It is a bit like children wanting to have more time to play with their favourite toy than their parents allow.
Of all the presidents we had, only George Vassiliou had a real sense of urgency, insisting that he wanted a ‘solution yesterday’, but he had the misfortune of having to deal with Rauf Denktash who was more than happy not to have the Cyprus problem closed. Vassiliou was often mocked for this approach, dismissed by the press as an inexperienced and naive politician who was not aware of the complexities and intricacies of a problem which could not be rushed. Twenty-two years after the end of his presidency the attitude remains the same, even though all the politicians agree that the passing of time makes a deal much more difficult to achieve.
Before the resumption of the latest bout of talks, we heard yet again of plans for an ‘express solution’ with the government insisting there were no time-frames, while the Turkish government has been talking about a deal before the end of the year. We think it is essential for the Anastasiades government, without announcing it, to set a similar deadline and not view the process as open-ended. The election of Mustafa Akinci and the rapport he seems to have with Anastasiades have created a sense of optimism and a real opportunity never seen before, not even when comrades Talat and Christofias were representing the two sides.
Opponents of the settlement, aware that conditions appear favourable, have been doing their best to cultivate distrust and suspicion and impose their negativity on public opinion by disparaging every sign of progress. The walk in Ledra Street was a meaningless exercise, confidence-building measures were more helpful to the Turkish Cypriots, Ankara was intransigent, a bi-communal bi-zonal federation is undemocratic and racist were just some of the things we have heard from the hard-liners. Last week they seized on a comment made by the US ambassador in the hope of stirring fear and paranoia.
This is what Anastasiades will have to contend with for as long as the talks go on. And the longer it takes to agree a deal, the easier it will be for the hardliners to chip away at the procedure, poison the climate and turn people against a possible solutionl. Without a time-frame they will have longer to win this war of attrition and there is also the possibility that the momentum would eventually disappear. Hardliners would also destroy any optimism by attributing delays to Turkey’s intransigence and Akinci’s powerlessness to agree on a deal, while demonising what had been agreed and undermining Anastasiades.
It is vital for the two leaders to proceed at breakneck speed because this would not only deprive the hardliners of arguments against a deal but it would also boost optimism and create a pro-settlement dynamic. Given the upbeat mood created by last weekend’s Ledra Street stroll, the positive approach of the two leaders at the talks and the announcement of real confidence-building measures nobody can deny the existence of momentum. To maintain it, there must be a constant sense of urgency and a determination of the leaders to keep moving forward. Slow pace and delays are the biggest threats to the process as they will be exploited by those who want it to fail.
We need suffocating time frames and a fast procedure if we are to arrive at an express solution after 50 years of fruitless efforts.
