PRESIDENT Demetris Christofias said yesterday he was fed up with the attacks launched against him by the parties, reiterating that he would not step down before the end of his term.
All parties, apart from ruling AKEL, are demanding Christofias’ resignation following the findings of an inquiry that found him personally responsible for the July 11 naval base that killed 13 men and incapacitated the island’s main power station.
Former coalition partners DIKO and EDEK also want Christofias to postpone a tripartite meeting – between himself, Turkish Cypriot leader Dervish Eroglu and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon — on the Cyprus problem in New York at the end of the month, because of a lack of consultation between them and the president and because the two sides will engage in give-and-take.
Main opposition DISY appeared cautious.
Pressed by reporters to comment on the parties’ reactions, Christofias said he has had enough with the parties.
“They are asking for my resignation, what else do they want?” he said after talks with Eroglu. “I will not comment on the parties. Enough; I am fed up with the parties’ attacks.”
He urged everyone to rise to the occasion: “They will say why don’t you rise to the occasion? I am exercising the duties stemming from the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus and the mandate given to me by the people. And no one has the right to dispute this mandate before the end of any president’s term.”
On yesterday’s talks, Christofias said they focused on EU affairs, domestic security and the economy and there was no give-and-take.
He said the two sides were closer on these matters but “there are of course issues that are very serious on which the differences remain.”
The UN said the talks had entered a “new phase.”
Asked if the give-and-take process had started, UN Special Representative Lisa Buttenheim said: “We have entered this new phase now so they had a discussion on a number of issues. To say that they have, I mean, you know, we have entered into this new phase but, how, I don’t want to characterise it other than to say that they did discuss extensively different issues.”
