UN Security Council still undecided over Unficyp mandate  

The UN Security Council had not reached a conclusion on the final draft of the Unficyp’s mandate by Wednesday evening, potentially delaying the vote.

Security Council members had not reached a final decision over the final draft to extend the UN peacekeeping force’s mandate which was set to go to vote.

According to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), it is looking increasingly unlikely the vote would get underway on Thursday morning as was initially planned.

During discussions on Monday and Tuesday, some amendments had been filed in line with the direction of US authorities. However members of the Security Council have yet to receive the green light for what is termed the tacit acceptance procedure whereby a resolution is accepted within an agreed time if no member objects.

CNA reported that Britain’s stance remains uncertain. They could either continue discussions meaning the vote may be moved to Friday or Monday, or put it to a 24 hour tacit acceptance procedure, expecting that no other member state will break it.

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.