Cyprus-Forum.com

[BC Numismatics]

One Greek Cypriot President and a Turkish Cypriot Vice President.

DT.,
What about the creation of a Prime Minister's post? The Prime Minister could be elected from any members of the Cypriot Parliament,irrespective of what community they come from.

Aidan.

[DT.]

One Greek Cypriot President and a Turkish Cypriot Vice President.

DT.,
What about the creation of a Prime Minister's post? The Prime Minister could be elected from any members of the Cypriot Parliament,irrespective of what community they come from.

Aidan.

That depends AIdan, if we're going to have a parliamentary republic or a presidential one. If we have a PM then that will make the president a ceremonious title.

[BC Numismatics]

DT.,
Sri Lanka has both an executive President & an executive Prime Minister.In Cyprus' case,a bicameral (2 Houses) parliamentary system would be better,as a unicameral system causes a lot of problems like it does over here in New Zealand.

The Prime Minister of Cyprus would have to come from the House of Assembly,whereas,the Vice-President of Cyprus would be the chairman of the Cypriot Senate in the same way that the Vice-President of America is the chairman of the Senate in America.

Aidan.

[CopperLine]

Aidan,
The important point about the US Senate Chair is :

According to Article 1, section 3 of the U.S. Constitution, "The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided." Other than being prepared to succeed to the presidency if needed, the vice president's only constitutional role in government is to preside over the Senate. Although vice presidents regularly presided in the Senate during the 19th century and through much of the early 20th century, today vice presidents preside only on ceremonial occasions and when their vote is needed to break a tie .

[BC Numismatics]

CopperLine,
The Cypriot Vice-President could play a similar role.Restricting the Presidency to a Greek-speaking Cypriot is very dangerous,as is restricting the Vice-Presidency to a Turkish-speaking Cypriot.

Aidan.

[utu]

I had mentioned in another post of having a senmate and a council of state made up of members of all four communities on Cyprus, rather than just one president and vice president. I think that it is important to remember that the Armenian Cypriots and Maronite Cypriots deserve representation as well.

[Kifeas]

One Greek Cypriot President and a Turkish Cypriot Vice President.

DT, would you have a problem if the president and the vice (deputy) president would rotate roles on a 4:1 basis in a 5 year term, provided they are both elected directly by the people as a duo (like the US case,) with a separate minimum percentage approval (say 40% or 45%) by each of the two community electorates.

[humanist]

utu

I had mentioned in another post of having a senmate and a council of state made up of members of all four communities on Cyprus, rather than just one president and vice president. I think that it is important to remember that the Armenian Cypriots and Maronite Cypriots deserve representation as well.

Not according to the TC's, aparently no one else counts. When have you heard of a TC on this forum concerned about other minority groups on the Island, one of which the British are fast becoming a minority population on the Island.

Birkibrisli and Kikapu are fcourse an exception to the rule as they also consider themselves Cypriot without diferentiation.

[halil]

The Secretary-General `s Message on the Launch of Negotiations on Cyprus Delivered by Mr. Alexander Downer

I warmly welcome the formal launch today by the Greek Cypriot leader, Mr. Demetris Christofias, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr. Mehmet Ali Talat, of fully fledged negotiations aimed at reaching a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem.

I commend the leaders for their seriousness of purpose, sense of compromise and commitment to seeing the peace process through to a successful conclusion.

The United Nations supports and encourages both parties as they take this historic step together, so as to reach a negotiated settlement to reunify the island for the benefit of all the people of Cyprus.

I assure the parties that as requested, the UN will provide unwavering support through the efforts of his Special Adviser, and his Special Representative, and all the United Nations` team.

UNFICYP



Opening Statement by President Talat at the 3 September Meeting

Today, the process enters into a new phase as we resume full-fledged negotiations which will take place on equal footing under the good offices mission of the UN Secretary-General. It has not been easy to reach to this point. After more than four years of stalemate we had to work hard and be persistent to reach where we are today and I would like to thank both the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot members of the working groups and technical committees as well as the UN facilitators for all their commendable efforts during the preparatory process. We will have to maintain this determination and dedicated work in order to reach our common goal, which is a comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus problem.

I am aware that during our effort to establish a new partnership the two sides will have different views on certain aspects of the problem. However, I also believe that these differences are not insurmountable and with goodwill and compromise from both sides they can be bridged.

Despite the fact that four decades of UN-led negotiations could not deliver a solution, these nevertheless shaped the main parameters of a settlement and a huge body of work came into existence. Moreover, we as the two leaders have managed to pen down the 23 May and 1 July Agreements defining the basic structure which will have a Turkish Cypriot State and a Greek Cypriot State as Constituent States with equal status. We will also have at our disposal the material produced by the six working groups established pursuant to our 21 March Agreement. All this means that we are not starting from scratch and it should not take long to reach a settlement. I already expressed my sincere belief that with our strong determination it is possible to find a comprehensive settlement plan by the end of this year.

Beyond what has been agreed on 23 May and 1 July there are of course elements that we attach great importance to, such as: the continuation of the 1960 Treaties of Guarantee and of Alliance as an essential part of a settlement; safeguards to ensure that neither side can claim jurisdiction over the other; and maintaining the internal balance between the two sides in Cyprus as well as the external balance between Greece and Turkey over Cyprus.

I am hopeful that we will find ways to reach common ground on all these as well as the rest of the issues and be able to agree on a settlement plan that respects fully the political equality of the Turkish Cypriot people and Greek Cypriot people.

By doing so we will have a good chance of gaining the approval of the Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots who will manifest their free democratic wills in their separate simultaneous referenda.

The ramifications of a settlement in Cyprus will be far reaching. There will be sustainable peace and prosperity in the Eastern Mediterranean region and both Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots will be able to enjoy equally the benefits of the European Union membership.

In our new effort we will be assisted by the UN and I welcome the appointment of Alexander Downer as Special Adviser of the Secretary-General and look forward to

working closely with him in our joint effort to solve the Cyprus problem. We see this appointment as a further sign that the UN is committed to be actively involved in the process.

Time is not on the side of a settlement. We, as the two leaders, have a historic responsibility to find an early settlement to this protracted problem. Our island has been identified with problems and conflicts for far too long. We should negotiate constructively and positively in order to live up to the expectations and turn our island into one of peaceful coexistence.

[Medman]

Thank goodness Hannay isn't involved in negotiations anymore. Never liked him and his points of view. Yesterdays man and lets move on. Shame that the Environment is the last thing on the agenda, as mother nature is taking a huge chunk out of Cyprus's ass at the mo.