Μακαριος Δρουσιώτης

If there’s anything Denktash should be given credit for is his sincerity. “I am 80 years old, don’t expect me to change,” he said during a speech he delivered last Wednesday in Ankara. Twenty-four hours earlier, he was straightforward about not believing in the Annan plan, stating that if he didn’t manage to change it so that it would comply with his “vision” for Cyprus, he would start a campaign for a “no” vote in the referendum.

 

Denktash confirmed the appreciation that he cannot possibly sign a solution that would deviate from his “vision.” He accepted the New York agreement that is leading the Annan plan to referenda, not because he believed in the prospect for solution, but so as to be in the game and sabotage it from within. On a daily basis, under the pretext of wishing to “inform his people,” he is conducting a psychological war, mainly on the Greek-Cypriots. He aims to discredit the procedure, to shake the faith of Cypriots in the solution and to arouse such fears that the people would be induced to reject the plan. A double “no” from both sides would be the greatest vindication for Denktash. A “no” from Greek-Cypriots alone would be even better.

 

There are some advocates of Denktash policy in the Greek-Cypriot side as well. The statement by Paphos Bishop Chrysostomos, that we should pray to God for Denktash, is fully reflecting the advocates of rejectionism. It should come as no surprise that the supporters of non-solution, on both sides of the dividing line, are using almost the same argumentation.

 

Papadopoulos’ contribution

 

The same as Rauf Denktash, Tassos Papadopoulos is also opposed to the philosophy of the Annan plan. Nevertheless, it is unfair to blame him at the time being for the stagnation of the talks. Contrary to Denktash, Papadopoulos positions during the talks were within the framework of the plan. Foreign mediators are giving credit to the President for his good intentions and willingness to cooperate. But it takes two to tango! Denktash come to the dancing-floor but he dug in his heels and is refusing to cooperate. A solution cannot be reached while he is around, and even if it is reached, he cannot be trusted to implement it.

 

Therefore, before appealing to the Greek-Cypriots for a “yes” vote, the international community should take into consideration the core issues regarding the functionality of the plan and make some revisions regarding his economic aspect. One way or another, putting Denktash aside should be a prerequisite for the functionality of the plan. The average Cypriot citizen cannot trust the implementation of the solution in the hands of a man who is inciting the Gray Wolves to shout that Cyprus is and will remain Turkish.

 

Tassos’ agenda

 

Despite his initial positive approach, Papadopoulos seems to have a hidden agenda with the aim to sabotaging the Annan plan. Papadopoulos is hoping that, at some point, Denktash will spoil everything and make a mess of things, thwarting the efforts Alvaro De Soto has been making in his four-year term of office. But apparently the Turks mean it when they said that they won’t be the ones to walk out of the talks. This is why Papadopoulos is also trying his luck. At least, this is to be implied from the highly interesting interview granted, on Friday night, to the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation by the Head of the President’s Diplomatic Office Tasos Tzionis. Besides the other negative points he stressed in the plan, the closest associate of President Papadopoulos referred to the immediate risk of dissolution of the Republic of Cyprus and of immediate partition. Tzionis didn’t rule out the possibility of breaking the New York agreement so that the plan wouldn’t be referred to a referendum. At this point, a series of very important questions are being raised. If the plan is indeed a curse, why did Papadopoulos accept the New York agreement in the first place? If all the risks described by Tzionis are so terrifying, why didn’t they submit proposals for amendments, but mere changes on secondary issues, such as the First Instance Court and the number of members of the Presidential Council?

 

Papadopoulos accepted a binding procedure, which he is now trying to break. According to information from the circles of Paphos Bishop Chrysostomos, during the recent meeting he had with President Papadopoulos, the Bishop asked him what he would do if he didn’t manage to bring drastic changes to the plan. The President allegedly told him that “Then it will be the Church’s turn to act.” Cyprus is doomed if left in the hands of Mantovanis, Koutsou and Pittakopitis.

 

Papadopoulos is contributing to Denktash’s psychological war, by reproducing his negativism. On the other hand, he is applying his own plan of psychological blackmail of the public opinion, through economic and other dilemmas. All this demonization of the Cyprus solution created an already strong current in favor of partition. The President’s party in its whole appears to be in complete agreement with New Horizons. The Minister of Finance declared in an interchannel statement that “Cypruswill fall apart!” Timis Efthimiou warned that the solution would bring diseases and the agricultural and cattle breeding sectors would be destroyed. Lillikas stated that the tourists would go to the others. The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (RIK) appears as a Greek-Cypriot version of Bayrak (some call it Bay-RIK) and has turned into an expressive organ of rejectionism. Koutsou’s party is receiving large publicity, disproportionate to its 1.8% percentage in the recent elections. As for the media, the situation is even worse.

 

AKEL discontentment

 

All the political leaders have agreed with the handlings of President Papadopoulos. However, the political speech of Dimitris Christofias has nothing to do with that of Papadopoulos. Christofias insists on the structural changes of the plan, but keeps being oriented towards a solution. The same applies to AKEL ministers in the government, Andreas Christou and Kikis Kazamias, who had to make a coordinated intervention, and tried to reverse the climate of demonization created after the statements on the economic cost. President Papadopoulos was allegedly annoyed by the statements of AKEL ministers, while he made no effort at all to restrain the ominous positions on the part of Markos Kyprianou and George Lillikas. The latter is pursuing an autonomous policy and is differentiated from AKEL’s line, not only on the Cyprus issue, but also on other core issues the party of the Left is concerned about (casinos, private universities etc.).

 

After the public conflict among government ministers regarding the estimates of the solution cost, an effort was made to adopt lower tones and to express a unanimous government position. According to information, AKEL’s General Secretary is not particularly pleased with the way the President is handling the Cyprus issue. On two occasions, in respective TV debates, Mr. Christofias even dropped hinted about the handlings in New York, when the Greek-Cypriot side, totally unprepared, was trying to catch up with the developments. Still, he is determined to protect the unity of the government, so as not to undermine the negotiating capacity of the President, in this truly critical phase of the developments.

Makarios Drousiotis - Politis

08/03/2004