By George Psyllides
Main opposition AKEL leader Andros Kyprianou on Thursday accused the president of dragging his feet on the Cyprus problem, suggesting that his policy was leading things to the fulfilment of the vision of former Turkish Cypriot Rauf Denktash of a two-state solution.
Kyprianou kept piling the pressure on Nicos Anastasiades who recently mooted the term ‘loose’ federation as a model of reunification supposedly as food for thought.
The issue was tabled following his return from New York where he attended the UN General Assembly and admitted to having a meeting Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.
The president has since failed to furnish political parties with the details they have demanded on the matter. The government said devolution could resolve many potential problems post-solution.
Speaking at a news conference, Kyprianou said the president’s delaying tactics will lead to the failure of the ongoing process.
“If this happens, some people will say the only remaining option is the confederation or two-state solution,” Kyprianou said. “They will present the legitimisation of the occupation’s fait accompli as the solution of the Cyprus problem. Rauf Denktash’s vision for a confederation with the prospect of a two-state solution. Is this what Anastasiades is seeking?”
Kyprianou asked why Anastasiades had put the matter to Cavusoglu and asked for the parties views afterwards and how did this help with the handling of the Cyprus problem.
“The government spokesman attempts to convince us that the president wants the parties’ views before forming his own,” Kyprianou said. “Did he put a proposal to Turkey without knowing its contents and without evaluating potential side-effects? Doesn’t this constitute irresponsibility and sloppiness in handling our top national issue?”
Meanwhile, the former president of the European parliament and former leader of the German Social Democratic Party, Martin Schultz, said Anastasiades had denied speaking of ‘loose federation.’
“I asked him what is a loose federation and he answered I never spoke about a loose federation,” the German politician said during a speech on Tuesday evening at an AKEL-hosted event.
Responding to Kyprianou, the government spokesman denied that the president had ever proposed a ‘loose federation’ to Turkey and wondered who told the AKEL leader to justify him claiming it with such confidence.
Prodromos Prodromou said discussing devolution did not in any way negate the fact the Anastasiades was only seeking a federal solution, something that Kyprianou heard from the president himself.
“But since he chooses not to believe him and prefers other sources of information he could refer to the UN Secretary General’s report who refutes Mr Kyprianou’s claims, clearly recording the president’s position.
