Filenews 1 September 2021
In an intense atmosphere, the meeting of the National Council was held, focusing on the Cyprus issue and the reference of President Anastasiades to the restoration to the Constitution of 1960, with the leaders of the political parties expressing at the end of the Council their positions on this matter.
According to our information, the discussion turned into a personal conflict between Nicos Anastasiades and Stefanos Stefanou, with the leader of AKEL questioning the actions taken by the President of the Republic of Cyprus from 2013 onwards.
The SG of AKEL claimed, among other things, that President Anastasiades "does not know what he wants on the Cyprus issue", since he sometimes supports a decentralized federation and sometimes a parliamentary system or constitution of the '60s.
DISY
The aim is to continue the efforts to resume negotiations for a solution of the Cyprus problem, within the framework set by the Resolutions of the United Nations and the agreed basis for a solution, says the President of DISY, Averoff Neophytou.
In a written statement after the meeting of the National Council, Mr. Neophytou notes that "the aim is to continue our efforts to find a way to resume negotiations for the solution of the Cyprus problem, within the framework set by the Resolutions of the United Nations and the agreed basis for a solution".
AKEL
The final partition is a very likely danger, argued Stefanos Stefanou, who referred to Turkey's provocative actions, stressing that the issue, however, is how we govern ourselves to face the challenges.
AKEL expressed disagreements with the government's manipulations, the Secretary General of AKEL said, claiming that the President confirmed that there is a proposal to return to the Constitution of 60 if Tatar insists on his claims.
We believe that with this proposal to restore the constitution of the 60's constitution, the President diverts us from the Resolutions of the Security Council and gives Turkey the opportunity to divert from what was agreed, noted Mr. Stefanou.
He pointed out that AKEL believes that the Greek Cypriot side should continue its efforts to resume talks in the Guterres framework, while it should be investigated that Natural Gas will be a factor for building a solution and a catalyst for the resumption of negotiations, by taking specific initiatives.
DIKO
Escalation of the measures taken by the Government in response to the efforts to colonize the enclosed city of Famagusta, so that there will be a real cost to Turkey and the pseudo-state, asked the President of DIKO, Nikolas Papadopoulos, in statements after today's meeting of the National Council, at the Presidential. Mr. Papadopoulos also said that the President's statement on the reinstatement of the 1960 Constitution was made in order to highlight the absurd positions of Ersin Tatar and, therefore, no follow-up will be given on the basis of this proposal.
"After today's clarifications given by the President of the Republic, we consider that the notorious statement on the reinstatement of the Constitution of the '60s was an attempt by the President of the Republic to highlight absurd positions of Mr. Tatar and therefore since there will be no follow-up on the basis of this proposal, neither do we intend to give any follow-up", Mr Papadopoulos said.
However, he urged the President of the Republic to avoid "such ambiguous and controversial positions because they tend to divert attention from the important issues and issues before us and give the opportunity to those who want to change the basis of the negotiations to invoke statements by the President of the Republic".
As far as the substance is concerned, Said Mr. Papadopoulos, it is clear that Turkey's provocative behavior, the attempt to upgrade the pseudo-state and the attempt to change the basis of negotiations in the two-state confederation continue.
Therefore, he continued, "since the decision has been taken to proceed with reactionary measures, especially in view of the ongoing and illegal attempt to colonize the enclosed area of Famagusta and in view of the fact that various measures have been decided, reactions that are in the right direction, such as the revocation of passports, such as the appeal to the Security Council for a Presidential declaration against Turkey's actions, as the Democratic Party, we believe that there should be an escalation of these measures in order to promote measures that will really cause costs to Turkey and to the pseudo-state.
"We must convince that we are ready to react effectively to these provocative and illegal actions of Turkey because otherwise Turkey will continue and we will be faced with new faits accomplis", noted the President of DIKO.
EDEK
Today's briefing confirms once again the suspiciously undermining role of Britain against the Republic of Cyprus, through the various interventions both on the part of the Republic of Cyprus and on the part of the United Nations, the President of EDEK said in statements after the end of today's meeting of the National Council, Marinos Sizopoulos.
EDEK, he said, "has repeatedly stressed that there should be a specific plan for how this factor should be addressed in the best possible way".
Referring to the continuing Turkish provocative behaviour in Famagusta, he said that since 2016 EDEK has repeatedly given to the President of the Republic proposals, which the party did not make public, on how the Republic of Cyprus should be able and how it should deal with these challenges and especially by using the diplomatic and political weapons at its disposal to deal with this situation.
He also recalled that since 2017 EDEK has requested an investigation into the granting of passports to "officials" of the occupation regime "something that not only did not happen but we did not have the support and assistance from either side".
He went on to say that "the political forces should formulate through the proposals that will be submitted "a common program, a common policy to deal with Turkish provocations".
If possible, he added, this policy should be common with the government of Greece, "it should be a common national policy of Greece and Cyprus to face Turkish expansionism and Turkish provocations".
In response to a question, he said that "the British factor is gradually attempting to introduce the concept of sovereign equality in a different way mainly" and concluding he said that they are different machinations that can gradually lead to critical developments that will undermine the state entity of the Republic of Cyprus.
ELAM
ELAM welcomed President Anastasiades' proposal to return to the 1960 constitution, the party's President said, stressing that it must nevertheless be placed in a more general context.
He also referred to the ELAM's proposals to close the barricades and to use our position in the EU to impose an embargo on Turkey.
DIPA
We must recognize that the citizens are confused, disappointed and feel that overall we have lost our orientation, said after the end of the National Council on behalf of THE DIPA Marinos Kleanthous.
What we need today, said the Spokesman of DIPA, is a strategy and bold moves that will finally lead to the solution of the Cyprus problem, as soon as possible.
"As DIPA we reiterate our positions: we seek a solution within the framework of the UN, we will be supportive of the process in order to resume negotiations as soon as possible, if possible."
Mr. Kleanthous added that he wanted to make an appeal to the entire political leadership: "not by air consultation of the Cyprus issue. The citizens want solutions, actions and not from the air nice slogans.
Environmentalists
The President's reports about the restoration to the Constitution of the 60's should not have been made, they have brought an upheaval, they have been made without consultation, they have many shortcomings and they have created a very negative atmosphere among the Greek Cypriots and discussions that should not take place, said the President of the Movement of Ecologists, Citizens' Cooperation Charalambos Theopemptou.
Speaking to reporters after the end of the National Council, Mr. Theopemptoy expressed particular concern about the situation that has been created.
"We are at a great impasse, we are at a time when the international community has turned its attention to Afghanistan and there is also as a result a long delay in advancing the problems we face, in terms of starting the talks we have with the Turkish Cypriots," he said.
He also expressed the view that it is important to start an even bigger and more serious effort to secure support from countries that can give it, so as to convince Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side to come to the table of talks and start with a basis agreed by both of them in order to bring about an end to the talks and to solve the Cyprus problem.
As he said, as time goes by things will get more difficult.
