Cyprus-Forum.com

[antonis]

The negotiations are under way, worst-case scenario (and given the past this might well come true) is that nothing will be agreed on by the 22nd of March. In the 4-party negotiations from the 22nd-29th March there may be an agreement on some issues with regards to security. Then the gaps will be filled by the UN and we will have to vote for that plan.

What I think will happen at the end, although I would like to be proven wrong, is that the GC community will say a big NO to the plan. Listening to discussions on the radio in which people voice out their complains about the UN plan, this is the impression I get. I don't want to discuss why this is so, it's probably related to what GCs think a solution would be like. So what will happen next? Is there a hope for a "better solution"? The affirmative answer will be a tool for convincing GCs to vote "NO" with a hope of a better solution when in the EU.

Both sides will pay the price of a NO - and the price will be bigger than a YES.

[metecyp]

Both sides will pay the price of a NO - and the price will be bigger than a YES.

I completely agree. This is the first time in the past 40 years where a solution in Cyprus is good for everyone involved with the Cyprus problem. Theoratically there might be a better solution but in reality nobody knows how and when it will arrive.

40 years have already been wasted, people who were 10 years old when the troubles began are 50 years old now. A whole generation is wasted in this conflict, and I don't think they we have the right to make our children go through our mistakes and not enjoy a multicultural, peaceful life in their home country.

[Greek Cypriot]

Between April 1st and April 21st, we are going to hear a lot from both sides mainly against the proposed solution

I don't know about the other side, but here the two main parties(about 70%) seem to support the plan, the other two parties seem to semi-support it, and just one party with about 2% (last elections) doesn't support the plan.

So I think we will hear a lot from our leaders in support of the plan because they are trying to show to the Americans etc that we accept their solution. The reason they do this is because they believe that Turkey is bluffing and they will not aproove the plan at the end.

[antonis]

Theoratically there might be a better solution but in reality nobody knows how and when it will arrive.

If we agree that these negotiations are a "zero-sum" game, then is the Annan plan a "ground state"?

The solution can only become better if the negotiations are made into a "win-win" game.

Until this time comes, who knows, another 20 years might pass...

[Greek Cypriot]

The solution can only become better if the negotiations are made into a "win-win" game.

This is already a win-win game. The british, the americans, the greeks, the turks, all win. So what are you talking about??

[antonis]

I don't know about the other side, but here the two main parties(about 70%) seem to support the plan, the other two parties seem to semi-support it, and just one party with about 2% (last elections) doesn't support the plan.

I don't think that people are going to vote what their party leader says. Honestly, right now, after 30 years, what's easier? To maintain the status quo, or change it? And whose rhetoric will sound better? One's that is for the change, or one's that is against? One rotten apple spoils the whole barrel...

The reason they do this is because they believe that Turkey is bluffing and they will not aproove the plan at the end.

Turkey is not bluffing. The earlier the GC side understands it, the better.

[antonis]

This is already a win-win game. The british, the americans, the greeks, the turks, all win. So what are you talking about??

Sorry, I thought you were Cypriot.

[Greek Cypriot]

Sorry, I thought you were Cypriot.

You haven't realized yet that our interests are the last to be considered?

[metecyp]

You haven't realized yet that our interests are the last to be considered?

You cannot isolate Cyprus from world politics, geopraphy, economics (i.e power structure of the world) and try to apply "full democracy and human rights"as you call it to Cyprus problem.

Cyprus is not an island in the Pacific where nobody cares. Like it or not, other countries will always shape the events in Cyprus. I don't know why you complain about other countries' influence when you seem so eager to be part of a foreign structure like EU?