Greek Press

ALITHIA: “Papandreou’s historic decision”. Greek party PASOK announced it was in favour of UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan’s plan for a settlement, before any Greek Cypriot party had even voiced their position, the paper reports. The decision was announced on Wednesday by PASOK leader and former Foreign Minister George Papandreou, after a conference chaired by former Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis.

HARAVGHI: “I won’t change my mind”. President Tassos Papadopoulos said shortly after his emotional TV speech to the Greek Cypriot community that he would not change his mind on his decision to reject the Annan plan. “I want you to trust me,” he said. “I won’t change my mind. Whatever I have said tonight came from my heart and my mind,” Papadopoulos added.

SIMERINI: “President says no”. President Tassos Papadopoulos has urged voters to reject a UN plan to reunify Cyprus before the island joins the EU next month. Tassos Papadopoulos condemned the UN plan, which will be put to twin referendums on April 24. “I call on you to reject the (UN) Annan plan. I call on you to say a strong ‘no’ to defend your rights and your history and your moral values,” a tearful Papadopoulos said in his speech.

MACHI: “DIKO to announce yes or no today”. Democratic party DIKO, headed by President Tassos Papadopoulos, was yesterday expected to announce whether it would accept or reject UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan’s final plan for a settlement. The party’s executive committee was expected to convene yesterday afternoon, and the central committee would make their decision after the meeting. Deputy chairman Nicos Pittokopitis has said that the party’s decision would revolve around the President’s comments on national television on Wednesday night.

POLITIS: “Glafcos said yes”. Former President Glafcos Clerides said on Wednesday he would vote yes on the referendum. “We have the Annan plan on the one hand but on the other hand we have a cliff and we don’t know how deep it is,” he said. Clerides said he had predicted before last year’s elections that there would be 16 hot months on the Cyprus problem, but no one believed him. Clerides’ speech was a catalyst on the positions of DISY’s political bureau.

PHILELEFTHEROS: “‘NO’ without derogations”. President Tassos Papadopoulos yesterday called on Greek Cypriots to voice a resounding no to UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan’s final plan for a settlement, when they vote on April 24. In an emotionally charged television speech, Papadopoulos called on the Greek Cypriots to defend their history, their dignity, and to defend the Republic of Cyprus by saying no to its demise.

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.