Cyprus-Forum.com

[-mikkie2-]

"People do not vote based on what the president says. People vote based on what they believe and based on their own interests. "

I don't think this is necessarily true. If you sell something well to the general population then they will support it.

Regarding the new initiative, Christofias 'sold' himself on the fact he would make his top priority the solution of our national problem and that he would inject fresh thinking in order to break the current deadlock.

In contrast, Papadopoulos 'sold' himself on the fact that he has dug his heels in the ground and wouldn't budge one iota from his positions and to make life difficult for the main players in the Cyprus problem (UN, US, UK, EU).

His 'stubborn donkey' approach has failed. Christofias won and in one fell swoop has changed the climate in Cyprus, even though the fundamenatls haven't changed on the ground. What he did do was to engage positively the international community, he wrong footed Turkey which thought that a Papadopoulos win was a done deal, and has moved the process forward very quickly since his election.

Obvioulsy he now has to deliver the goods, and I think with the positive climate he has created, I would hope that we can gain the support needed to have a plan that will be supported by the majority of people on both sides.