Cyprus-Forum.com

by **Piratis** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 3:12 pm

So you want a President that will be led by the people, not a President that will lead the people.

Personally I don't want anybody to lead me anywhere. I am not a sheep. What they can do is make proposals to me and ask for my approval, but not forcefully "lead" me somewhere, especially when that somewhere is against my human and democratic rights which nobody has the right to touch.

by **phoenix** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 3:14 pm

cymart wrote:The major flaw in Cyprus is the presidential system itself because it gives far too much power to one person and in a society which is still as we seem to agree,not yet very politically developed,this can be very dangerous.This kind of system will lead to cronyism and corruption and circles of vested interests develop who resist any attempts to change things,just as has occurred in Cyprus since 1960... and especially since 2003...
As one newspaper columnist wrote today,the most influential Papad. supporters are the church and the developers who are all doing very nicely under the status quo!

Developers have been doing well everywhere over the last 10 years, and if especially so in Cyprus, then it is because of the healthy economy and great location. So it has nothing to do with ignoring change and merely maintaining the status quo.

As for the church, are you suggesting they are happy to have lost their churches in the north and to see the wealth of the church plundered by the Turks?

by **Piratis** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 3:26 pm

cymart wrote:The major flaw in Cyprus is the presidential system itself because it gives far too much power to one person and in a society which is still as we seem to agree,not yet very politically developed,this can be very dangerous.This kind of system will lead to cronyism and corruption and circles of vested interests develop who resist any attempts to change things,just as has occurred in Cyprus since 1960... and especially since 2003...
As one newspaper columnist wrote today,the most influential Papad. supporters are the church and the developers who are all doing very nicely under the status quo!

The Cypriot people are more politically mature than most other places, and one reasons for this is because we have a good democratic system.
The president is elected directly by the majority of people, while for the parliament we have a fair system where if you get 1/56th of the votes you get 1 of the 56 seats.

In other countries, e.g. Turkey, they have 100s of seats, and still a party can not get even one if it receives less that 10% of the votes (last time I checked). And then the leader of the country is elected by this parliament where significant parts of the population are not even represented. (and in Greece is not much better)

Furthermore, in some other countries (e.g. UK/USA) the system is such that the people are basically forced to choose only between 2 very similar parties, which are both sponsored by the big corporations serving almost the exact same interests (or with minor differences: E.g. Coca Cola instead of Pepsi). As a result in those countries less and less people care to vote and most of them have totally given up.

Cymart, why don't you go discuss about ghosts and paranormal phenomena and leave the normal and logical to those that have the capacity?

by **zan** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 4:43 pm

phoenix wrote:
cymart wrote:The major flaw in Cyprus is the presidential system itself because it gives far too much power to one person and in a society which is still as we seem to agree,not yet very politically developed,this can be very dangerous.This kind of system will lead to cronyism and corruption and circles of vested interests develop who resist any attempts to change things,just as has occurred in Cyprus since 1960... and especially since 2003...
As one newspaper columnist wrote today,the most influential Papad. supporters are the church and the developers who are all doing very nicely under the status quo!

Developers have been doing well everywhere over the last 10 years, and if especially so in Cyprus, then it is because of the healthy economy and great location. So it has nothing to do with ignoring change and merely maintaining the status quo.

As for the church, are you suggesting they are happy to have lost their churches in the north and to see the wealth of the church plundered by the Turks?

Would it hurt you to say thank you to the Brits just once....Vud It!!!!!! :roll:

by **Bananiot** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 6:49 pm

Papadopoulos led the people in 2004. He led them to a merry dance, taking advantage of the fears which he skilfully instilled into the people (policemen will lose their jobs, we would bear the economic brunt of the rebuilding etc). However, it seems that now he enjoys only about 30% of the popular vote, which is not even the total sum of the percentages of the parties that support him. In all 16 or so polls conducted so far (even his own) there is a steady tendency that shows him losing points. Still we have 51 days left and one wonders when this downward spiral will stop.

What I wrote about the president before applies to all presidents elected with the present system, which implicitly includes a vice president with veto rights. As things stand now our president is almighty and there is no president in a democratic society with so much power.

by **cymart** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 10:59 pm

The church in Cyprus has become a kind of mafia organisation,run by a corrupt hierarchy which presides over businesses such as hotels,rather than providing spiritual guidance!You only have to look at the last 'elections' when the Bishop of Paphos got himself elected Archbishop,despite having only 6% in the initial round of voting,by playing off the hatred and mistrust between the other two candidates to his advantage!He is a dangerous nationalist who has tried to interfere in politics when his mind should be on other matters!
The estimated wealth of the church here is around 8 BILLION and if even a portion of this was used to provide things that are non-profit making but essential such as welfare centres and childrens homes etc instead of business enterprises I might have some respect for it.There have been reports of corruption and financial irregularities on a regular basis and it is well-known that they don't pay tax either.......But just like other 'dirty laundry' such as the scandal about cabaret 'artistes',such matters are not openly encouraged in public discussion and few journalists will risk touching them......So much for our 'democratic open society!'Not that I have much time for the Catholic Church either as they are another bunch of manipulating crooks who prey on simple,ignorant people living in dire poverty in third-world countries!
If you want change then get rid of the establishment and that means most politicians here, the church leaders and all their hangers-on!
As for the developers,I challenge anyone to prove to me that they have not made billions since 2004 as a result of a shortage of land due to a non-solution.Find any of them here in Paphos especially that wants the status quo to change!!!

by **phoenix** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 12:41 am

Why go for change just for the sake of change?

Already we have the USA and Russia trying to score Brownie points as to which one we should use to remove the Turks for us.

Papadopoulos has set the scene and as he has promised when the time is right and the deal is the right one, Cyprus will be free and whole again.

by **MR-from-NG** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 1:14 am

phoenix wrote:Why go for change just for the sake of change?

Already we have the USA and Russia trying to score Brownie points as to which one we should use to remove the Turks for us.

Papadopoulos has set the scene and as he has promised when the time is right and the deal is the right one, Cyprus will be free and whole again.

Well I'll be damned, Papad made this promise? Then I'd say us poor TCs are well and truly screwed then. I mean when this guy says he'll do it he bloody well will do it. His track-record speaks volumes :lol: