AS RECENTLY as 20 years ago, rational political debate did not really exist in Cyprus. Fanaticism reigned supreme and public discussions about the national problem often degenerated into abusive exchanges. The most common form of abuse directed at those who had the audacity to question government policy or thinking on the Cyprus problem was that that they were unpatriotic.
That is putting it politely. Critics of the government were usually labelled traitors, Turkish agents or representatives of foreign interests. This type of abuse was not directed only at political rivals – former president Clerides had been a target of such attacks in those days – but also at journalists who did not toe the official line.
We had thought we had seen the back of this dark age of political life, but a few days ago we witnessed an attack on a lunch-time television show that was a throwback to the early 1980s, the time when critics of the Kyprianou government were summarily dismissed as foreign agents. The culprit was DIKO deputy Andreas Angelides, who was involved in a debate with former government spokesman Michalis Papapetrou. Seeing he was in a tight corner and unable to counter his rival’s argument, Angelides resorted to the pseudo-patriotic trump card: “With what you are saying, you are acting as Turkey’s advocate.”
Was this an isolated incident or a return to the intellectual fascism of the past? And will we witness more such abhorrent attempts at silencing government critics now that peace talks are set to begin and tension will be high on the domestic front? It all depends on how often Angelides and other self-declared patriots like him run out of rational arguments to defend their position.
Pan-European points: what a good idea
WE’VE got it all fine-tuned: stopped for a speeding offence in the UK, we pull out the Cypriot licence – a fine maybe, but no penalty points; in Cyprus, out comes the British licence and a promise that we will soon trade it in for a local one. Of course, we’ll pay the fine. Again, no points.
If you recognise yourself, your smug little system may be under threat, with talks under way between Britian and France to allow penalty points to apply accross borders. It makes sense. A dangerous driver is a dangerous driver, in whichever country he drives, and you currently have a situation where someone banned in one country can happily drive in another.
So how long before a pan-European points system or a series of bilateral agreements between European partners to crack down on dangerous drivers? The sooner, the better.
