All Cypriots are duty-bound to work towards a solution of the Cyprus problem if they wish to ensure a safe and secure future, President Nicos Anastasiades told parliament on Thursday.
“Whatever our ideological differences or disagreements, what surely unites us is a common vision for freedom and for the reunification of our country,” the President said during a lengthy briefing of parliament on the course of the UN-backed peace talks.
“It is a vision which is a historic responsibility and obligation of all of us, which will not be met unless we succeed in giving future generations certainty for a safe future.
“This, if you like, is what society, which is watching us, demands.”
The President stressed that it would take some time – he did not specify – before a comprehensive agreement could be put to refererenda.
In his briefing, Anastasiades ran through the major convergences and differences between the two communities in the negotiations so far, warning that failure to reach a settlement would not be without consequences.
“It should be understood by all, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, that the aimed-for solution will be the outcome of an honourable compromise, creating conditions of mutual respect, which will not allow the minority to impose itself on the majority, or vice versa.
“It will be an agreement without any winners or losers.”
Addressing the Greek Cypriot audience in particular, the President gave his assurance that although there are risks from a non-solution, “it should be understood that I do not have any intention of accepting a plan that will not correspond to the expectations or concerns of the Cypriot people.”
According to Anastasiades, the foundation for a settlement remains the 1977 High-Level Agreement concluded by President Makarios for a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation.
“I refuse to accept, as it is being said, that this basis leads to a racist regime, that it leads to the dissolution of the Republic, that it legitimises the fait accompli of the invasion, that it supposedly downgrades the Republic and upgrades an illegal regime, recognised only by Turkey, that it is supposedly a confederation solution not in line with the EU acquis, and does not safeguard human rights.”
Under the solution being envisaged, said Anastasiades, the Republic of Cyprus would evolve into a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation.”
The President referred to the joint communiqué of the leaders of February 11, 2014, which safeguards the three fundamental rights that distinguish a state, namely, a single international personality, a single sovereignty and a single nationality.
“Mr Akinci’s election to the Turkish Cypriot leadership led, in May 2015, to the recommencement of a new round of talks. Talks, which I must confess, are taking place in a clearly different environment, despite the differences that have been noted.”
On governance and power-sharing, Anastasiades said there is a common understanding with the Turkish Cypriots that the new structure of the state will consist of the government of the federal republic and the local governments of the two constituent states.
The Greek Cypriot side, said Anastasiades rejects the proposal for a rotating presidency which the Turkish Cypriots insist on, and from this also stem disagreements on the composition of the cabinet in a reunited state.
A list of 27 categories of federal jurisdictions has been compiled. On 19 of those powers, there is common ground, on five minor differences exist, and on three there are major disagreements as these have to do with other aspects of the talks.
Legislative powers will be vested into two bodies: the Upper House or Senate, and the House of Representatives. The former will comprise 40 members, with an equal number from each community. Elections will be local to ensure political equality.
The House of Representatives will comprise 48 members, 75 per cent of which from the Greek Cypriot constituent state, 25 per cent from the Turkish Cypriot constituent state.
Consensus has also been reached on the judiciary, whereby two levels of courts will exist: courts of first instance and appellate courts. The Supreme Constitutional Court will, for as long as necessary, act as an appellate court for property cases. The benches of the courts will consist of an equal number of judges from each community.
The two sides have discussed the issue of Turkish settlers, and have reached common ground that, on the first day on which the agreement comes into force, the make-up of the population will reflect the demographic composition of the Republic as it was in 1960.
The population ratio has been agreed at 4:1, and this ratio will apply in the future, taking into account the future acquisition by Turkish and Greek nationals of the nationality of the federal republic.
On the thorny issue of properties, Anastasiades said the two communities agree on a number of points.
These include the individual right to property; and during the first year, the owner will have a priority right to take recourse to a Property Commission.
Five ways of redress are offered to property owners: resettlement, partial restitution, alternative restitution, exchange of properties, and compensation.
The composition of the Property Commission has also been agreed. The two sides also see eye-to-eye on the establishment of a court handling property cases, hearing appeals made against decisions by the Property Commission.
Appellants will also have the right to take recourse to the European Court of Human Rights once they have exhausted all domestic legal avenues.
In total, 22 categories of properties have been devised, according to their ownership status and use.
“I wish to stress,” Anastasiades told MPs, “that in light of the link between the property and the territory issues, it shall not be possible to reach a conclusion unless it is preceded by a substantive discussion and definitive regulation of the territorial adjustments.”
The federal government will have a single central bank, the national currency from day one will be the euro, and an ‘Internal Stability Pact’ is to be drawn up and implemented ensuring that rules governing the fiscal deficit, public debt, expenditures and revenues are applied at all levels of government, federal and local.
The federal government would levy all indirect taxes, with direct taxes levied by the constituent states.
The two constituent states will have separate social insurance, pension and healthcare schemes, but their structure and operation would converge over time.
According to Anastasiades, although the Turkish Cypriots want to push back discussion of territory to the end-stage of the talks, “to ensure against leaks,” the two sides have agreed to initiate discussions on the criteria governing the territorial adjustments.
On security and guarantees, the President reiterated that it is unacceptable that an EU member state should be under the guarantee of any other state.
Addressing both Greek and Turkish Cypriots, Anastasiades urged islanders to “calmly and sensibly ponder what their future holds in a divided country or how they stand to benefit from an end to the present situation.”
