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[zan]

Bitter new row between Tassos and Christofias

President ‘should have set out

red lines’ on Annan Plan

By Andreas Hadjipapas

A BITTER new row has broken out between President Papadopoulos and House speaker Demetris Christofias over the Annan Plan referendum of 2004.

The Akel leader suggested that the President should have taken the responsibility of rejecting the UN proposal, instead of passing the buck to the people.

He also criticised Papadopoulos for not setting out the "red line" positions of the Greek Cypriot side at the Burgenstock talks, with the result that UN mediators inserted in the Annan Plan all the Turkish demands.

The government expressed surprise at Christofias’ "new" stand and noted that he had not expressed such views during the four-and-a-half years that Akel was part of the Papadopoulos government.

Postponed

Why the "transformation" now, they asked

The Akel stand at the time was that the April referendum should be delayed or postponed, so that a number of amendments could be inserted into the UN blueprint and a yes vote secured.

Disy-backed presidential candidate Ioannis Kasoulides said Christofias had merely confirmed the position he had been stating all along - that the President should not send the Plan to a referendum since it was not an "agreed" settlement.

The government and parties supporting Papadopoulos’ candidacy argued that the referendum was part of the UN package and of previous commitments and could not be averted.

They also claimed that left-wing Akel was now adopting the positions of right-wing Disy and of former President Glafcos Clerides, who was in favour of the Plan.

Papadopoulos’ campaign manager, former Akel MP and Foreign Minister Giorgos Lillikas, said Papadopoulos had the "courage" to say a firm No to the plan, whereas "others wavered", a clear hint at Akel’s lukewarm stand.

Overwhelming

The pro-government parties claim that Disy and Akel are collaborating in order to "oust" Papadopoulos from office and facilitate a possible revival of the UN document, which was rejected by an overwhelming 76% majority by Greek Cypriots but approved by Turkish Cypriots.

The references to the past are part of the election campaign for February’s presidential elections now in full swing.

They are aimed at showing which of the candidates had "the best political judgment" or acumen, so that people could trust them again.

The dispute was thrown into further confusion following the disclosure this week that in 2003, soon after assuming the presidency, Papadopoulos posed as a defender of the UN blueprint.

This emerged from two letters he sent at the time - to Rauf Denktash, the extremist Turkish Cypriot leader, and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

In both these documents, Papadopoulos urged acceptance of the UN Plan as a basis for settlement talks and gave a commitment that he would seek a solution "within the parameters of the Annan Plan".

Contradictory

In the referendum, Papadopoulos took the lead in calling on the people to give a "resounding No" to the UN proposal, which, in his view, aimed at the "dissolution" of the Cyprus Republic and at satisfying all the Turkish demands.

This prompted a Disy spokesman to declare that the Papadopoulos government had followed a contradictory policy, "saying different things at different times to different people."

This kind of behaviour reflected on the credibility of the government.

Kasoulides argued that Christofias should share part of the blame. If he had told Papadopoulos not to proceed with the referendum, and Tassos did not listen, why did he stay as "co-pilot" in the government for four-and-a-half years; for the sake of sharing power?

Christofias said that he had undergone "self-criticism" and accepted part of the blame for his consent to the idea of allowing arbitration by UN mediators.

But he stressed that President Papadopoulos had the "final word" in approving the proposal.

Explaining his criticism of the President, the Akel chief said he was responding to Papadopoulos’ argument that the other two candidates lacked in political acumen while he was the only one with "sound judgment, courage and capable of resisting unacceptable proposals."

An insult

"I consider this as an insult to my person," Christofias declared.

He further disclosed that for three years he had been asking the President to set out the "red lines," the final stand, of Greek Cypriot concessions.

"At the Burgenstock meetings, I was begging the President to do this in order to avert a collapse of the talks."

Tassos insisted he had done this through a 44-page document he had presented to UN negotiators. "Unfortunately he did not do so, Things would have been different for us. The friends of Turkey claimed we did not wish to give our positions, whereas Turkey did so. In the end we had arbitration, as a result of which, the Turkish demands were all met.

"This kind of arbitration in fact contravened the deal between the President and the S-G that the leaders of the two communities would first agree on key issues, and there would be UN arbitration only on outstanding secondary matters.

"Why did the President not react to this?"

Christofias said he did not wish to disclose details of his private talk with Tassos.

Unjust plan

He believed he correctly defended the President when attacked after the referendums.

"I am proud of this support to the President, it was a patriotic stand."

He said he had told the President and foreign mediators that "since we did not have an agreed settlement after arbitration, it was an unjust plan and would not be approved by the people."

Akel, as a serious political party, had made a study and realised the grave "negative consequences from a No vote with which we live today," he added.

He explained that Akel had asked for a postponement "so that we could discuss changes (to the Plan) with the Turkish Cypriots but also among us."

Referring to the present situation, the Akel chief referred to a series of "adverse developments" which he said were designed to upgrade the breakaway Turkish Cypriot regime and give it the status of "acknowledgement" inspired by Lord Hannay, the British envoy.

"This is very dangerous, because the spectre of partition is looming large and close. Partition is not a solution; it is a disaster."

Christofias also indirectly accused Tassos of not making the right moves at the right time.

"It is not enough to say No to unacceptable proposals for a settlement. We should follow an aggressive policy, taking the initiative at the right time, moving ahead of events and pushing our own proposals in a convincing manner. We should always be a step ahead of Turkey, and do everything possible to break the present deadlocks".

Encounters

Government Spokesman Vassilis Palmas pointed out that Akel leaders had launched this "harsh attack" on the President while they had "kept their mouth shut" for four-and-a-half years.

He also disclosed that when President Papadopoulos had two "secret" dinner meetings at his Strakka residence with Serdar Denktash, Christofias was also present.

The purpose of the encounters was to persuade the Turkish Cypriot side that we should not proceed with the referendums."

In disclosing Papadopoulos’ letters to Denktash and Kofi Annan, Kasoulides said Papadopoulos in 2003 had called on the Turkish side to accept the Annan Plan as a basis for a solution, while in April 2004 he called it a proposal for the dissolution of the state. As a result, Cyprus’ standing and credibility abroad had suffered while the status of the T/C breakaway state was being upgraded.

According to reports, Papadopoulos was replying to a Denktash letter, suggesting the return of Varosha (Famagusta) to the Greek Cypriots, and other confidence building measures, provided Tassos agreed to drop the Annan Plan.

President Papadopoulos said the National Council discussed the Denktash letter "and the reply was given following the National Council’s decision".

[zan]

Not only did Tpap fuck up on the Annan Plan but now we are asked to believe this farce that will see Tpap out and a more "Annan liking" president in his place....Will the games ever stop........ The GC people are suffering all the while.

[MR-from-NG]

Not only did Tpap fuck up on the Annan Plan but now we are asked to believe this farce that will see Tpap out and a more "Annan liking" president in his place....Will the games ever stop........ The GC people are suffering all the while.

Zan, they have totally lost the plot, they don't know if they're coming or going. Give them enough rope they'll hang themselves.

[zan]

Not only did Tpap fuck up on the Annan Plan but now we are asked to believe this farce that will see Tpap out and a more "Annan liking" president in his place....Will the games ever stop........ The GC people are suffering all the while.

Zan, they have totally lost the plot, they don't know if they're coming or going. Give them enough rope they'll hang themselves.

If they continue to see the world as idiots then they have only themselves to blame...

[Get Real!]

In the true spirit of Communism...

The Akel leader suggested that the President should have taken the responsibility of rejecting the UN proposal, instead of passing the buck to the people.

Vote for Christofias in February because he won't be passing the buck onto you people... he'll be making all democratic decisions for you!

[Piratis]

Zan, why are you so against Papadopoulos then? If he is "fucking up" then obviously that suits you, right? Shouldn't you then support him?

Come on mate, we all know that the only ones that Papadopoulos fucked are you, and thats why you hate him and everybody else that stops you from legalizing the partition of our island.

Whom you support are some Bananiots because they serve your interests, while you hate everybody that serves the interests of the great majority of Cypriots.

[MR-from-NG]

Zan, why are you so against Papadopoulos then? If he is "fucking up" then obviously that suits you, right? Shouldn't you then support him?

Come on mate, we all know that the only ones that Papadopoulos fucked are you, and thats why you hate him and everybody else that stops you from legalizing the partition of our island.

Whom you support are some Bananiots because they serve your interests, while you hate everybody that serves the interests of the great majority of Cypriots.

Wrong, the reason we hate him is because he has no desire for a solution in Cyprus, so we are left in a limbo and isolation because of this incompetent idiot.

As for being fucked, yes we are fucked because of him but you are fucked worse than us. He is ramming into you deep and without lubrication and the funny thing is you are screaming for more.

[zan]

In the true spirit of Communism...

The Akel leader suggested that the President should have taken the responsibility of rejecting the UN proposal, instead of passing the buck to the people.

Vote for Christofias in February because he won't be passing the buck onto you people... he'll be making all democratic decisions for you!

Piratis wrote:

Zan, why are you so against Papadopoulos then? If he is "fucking up" then obviously that suits you, right? Shouldn't you then support him?

Come on mate, we all know that the only ones that Papadopoulos fucked are you, and thats why you hate him and everybody else that stops you from legalizing the partition of our island.

Whom you support are some Bananiots because they serve your interests, while you hate everybody that serves the interests of the great majority of Cypriots.

These have got to be the two stupidest posts you two have made and there have been some corkers in the past.

One is asking people to vote for a president and then make your own decisions and where Communism comes into that I have no idea...........................And the other asks why I hate a man that has fucked me up Killed my people Kept them under siege for 40 years Has done nothing for Cyprus as a whole and fucked over the refugees

[Piratis]

Zan, Papadopoulos didn't kill anybody, unlike the Turks who have killed 10s of thousands of Cypriots. He is just stopping you from legalizing the partition plan that you had since the 50s, thats why you hate him.

Just expect your hate against him to grow even more. In fact the hate that partitionists show against people is a good indication of how good for Cyprus those people are. The more the partitionists hate somebody, the best it means he is.

[Get Real!]

As for being fucked, yes we are fucked because of him but you are fucked worse than us. He is ramming into you deep and without lubrication and the funny thing is you are screaming for more.

This thread is getting kinky...