Cyprus-Forum.com

[Piratis]

And as I said before, if we are going to talk about 2 separate countries, then I would rather have the 82%-18% partition, and then you can join the EU separetly and we would again be "grouped" in more or less the same way as you suggest.

[erolz]

It depends what you mean "TC affairs" and "GC affairs". Before you said that TCs should have autonomy, which in essence means that almost everything is either a "TC affair" or "GC affair" and almost nothing a "Cypriot affair". How is that different from partition?

I said TC should have autonomy in the TC component state.

Some issues / areas are clearly 'local / component state' affairs and some are clearly 'central state' affairs and some are less clear which they fall under. I guess a guide would be along the lines of the USA where some things are consider to be 'state' affairs and some come under 'federal' juristiction.

Tell me what are the "TC/GC affairs" and what are the "Cypriot affairs". I mean if the "Cypriot affairs" are nothing more than what "EU affairs" are for EU members, then it is obvious that we are not talking about one country, but about two separate countries that are grouped together. (like EU countries are grouped together).

I have been assuming that the question asked (what does political equality mean) was asked in the context of a bi zonal bi communal federation. Personaly I do not have to have bi zonality. In that sense the 'need' for me of TC being in control of affairs in a TC component state is not a requirment for me. I could be happy without this. However it seems to me that we are to agree a seperate TC (and GC) component state, then at this level it should these component states should be under control of the respective communites. If not then why bother having them at all? The requirment for any central level legisaltion that affects TC differently to GC however is an 'essential' for me however.

[pantelis]

Everything translates to money and power. (power is money and money is power )
How the "money pie" is collected and distributed back to the people, determines how much power the local people have, how much autonomy they have.

In the US you pay Federal income taxes, State income taxes, County property taxes, local school district taxes (based on the local property you own), sales taxes (shared by State and County - New State has about 58 counties), plus Social security and Medicare "taxes", plus government service fees/taxes, like driver license, passport, building permits, etc, going to different issuing entities.

Then there is policing and "defense".
The is the federal armies, the State national guards, the federal police, the State police, the County Sheriff with his deputies, and the cities police.

The court system is also complicated, but I will not get into that, except to say that there elected and appointed judges, at all levels.

The law makers: City or town council, County legislators, State representatives and State senators at the state level, and District representatives and two Senators from each state, at the federal level.

Try to sort out what and who gives and takes what, to have a "equality" of the communities in Cyprus.

The US is 250+ million people. Cyprus' population amounts to the one of a medium size US city, or to a couple of Counties.

What can we do to make everybody happy?

First decide what each citizen is responsible to give to the country, at each level, and then what to expect back, at each level.

Your comments?

[Bananiot]

We do not need De Soto to tell us the obvious. Papadopoulos will never accept political equality of the two communities. He has said it many times. Therefore, he prefers partition as the next best solution and this is derived not simply by reading between the lines of what he utters but by his explicit references. In fact, if we do not accept political equality of the two communities pretty soon partition will be cemented for ever. If you can convince yourself that partition is not that bad then you go for it. But, you can only mobilise public support for this sick option only if you daemonise equality and the Anan Plan that had political equality at its core. Things are very clear now and it beats me people cannot see the obvious.

[insan]

What can we do to make everybody happy?

Pantelis, the issue is not making everybody happy. The issue is making happy at least simple majorities of each community and besides,exerting effort to make 3/4 majority of each community happy. why not making everybody happy if it is possible? This is the whole issue.

[MicAtCyp]

I'm too, believing that the main problem for GC leadership is digesting "political equality" of %18 with %82.

If the loosing of 2/3rds of the GC properties, is not a main problem for you, IT-IS for us.
If the paying of compensations is not a main problem for you because you will pay only 18% of that, IT-IS a problem for us compensating ourselves, for you to get everything.
If 110,000 settlers with full political rights is not a problem for you IT-IS for us.
If donation of sea shell rights to the British is not a problem for you, IT-IS for us.
If the danger of Turkey having another "peace operation" anytime she likes is not a problem for you, IT-IS for us
If the handling of 29% of the land and 60% of the sea, is not a problem for the 18% group, IT-IS a problem for the 82% group.
If your definition of political equality means 2 equal & separate states with a Central state that has no superior hierachy of laws, is no problem for you, IT-IS for us.

Furthermore if you think we are dragged by our GC leadership, then no problem for us, you can beleive whatever you like.

[Bananiot]

She sells sea shells at the sea shore.
Here goes the continental shelf fairy tail again.

[cannedmoose]

I'm sure millions of British school children will be delighted by the prospect of sea shell rights...

[brother]

I am sort of confused here, if all of cyprus becomes an E.U state after solution and the current E.U constitution gets the go ahead what difference does it make who does what in the goverment when it will be Brussels telling us what the laws are and what we can do and can not do

[insan]

I am sort of confused here, if all of cyprus becomes an E.U state after solution and the current E.U constitution gets the go ahead what difference does it make who does what in the goverment when it will be Brussels telling us what the laws are and what we can do and can not do

Hi brother,

Either in boundaries of EU or out of its boundaries; having an effective participation on decision making is very important. Otherwise most of us may rot our lives at the doors of ECHR by waiting the justice to prevail. Why shouldn't we have the right to stop injustices in Senate or in Supreme Court? Is there any specific reason?