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[brother]

AG moves to give Turkish Cypriots voting rights
By Staff Reporter


ATTORNEY-general Petros Clerides said he is expecting a law to be approved in parliament allowing Turkish Cypriots to be able to take part and vote in all elections – except being able to run for President.

Clerides added that it was vital that the law be approved so as not to have legal action taken against the government in the future particular after Ibrahim Aziz, a Turkish Cypriot who has always lived in the south of the island, took the Cyprus government to the European Court of Human Rights for not allowing him to vote in certain elections and won.

Asked by reporters over the possibility of Turkish Cypriots wanting the positions they once held before the 1974 invasion, back, Clerides said that he found that idea “highly unlikely”.

[brother]

Asked by reporters over the possibility of Turkish Cypriots wanting the positions they once held before the 1974 invasion, back, Clerides said that he found that idea “highly unlikely”.

Never say never.

[suetoniuspaulinus]

Hasn't Mehmetali Talat already said the he is the Vice President of RoC???

[erolz]

What I am saying is that if the A5 plan is put to us again it merely shows tha the decision of the people was not respected.

I would just point out that this kind of 'run the referendum again without changes' has precedent in the EU. Ireland originaly vetoed, via a referendum, the expansion of the union that included the RoC's own entry. The referendum was held again, unchanged and the 'right' result was secured. If the will of the Irish people had been determined once and only once and then held immutable on the issue Cyprus may well have not gained entry into the EU.

[suetoniuspaulinus]

Would TC's vote YES again to an unchanged Annan5 erolz?

[Kifeas]

I would just point out that this kind of 'run the referendum again without changes' has precedent in the EU. Ireland originaly vetoed, via a referendum, the expansion of the union that included the RoC's own entry. The referendum was held again, unchanged and the 'right' result was secured. If the will of the Irish people had been determined once and only once and then held immutable on the issue Cyprus may well have not gained entry into the EU.

Erol, If I remember correctly, the re-running of referendum in Ireland was not in relation to the last expansion of the E.U. If I am not mistaken it had to do with the adoption of Euro.

As for placing the A-plan5 to a new referendum again, the question is, who would decide upon such a thing? The only one having such a right, is only the RoC itself.

[erolz]

Erol, If I remember correctly, the re-running of referendum in Ireland was not in relation to the last expansion of the E.U. If I am not mistaken it had to do with the adoption of Euro.

No it related to the latest round of expansion. Basically the Irish people orginaly voted against giving their consent to this based on the fact they would no longer get such large subsidies from the EU after such an expansion. The referendum was then presented to the people again but this time with much more 'education' from Irish political leaders about the need for expansion in the EU the benefits of such and the xonsequences of a second no vote. The vote was yes the second time round. Will try and dig out some sources more credible than my memory for you if you want me too.

As for placing the A-plan5 to a new referendum again, the question is, who would decide upon such a thing? The only one having such a right, is only the RoC itself.

Er well for the referendum to be re run would require the political consent of the RoC and the TRNC authorites and certainly if the RoC government did not support the plan this time rounf there would be no point in presenting it again.

Would TC's vote YES again to an unchanged Annan5 erolz?

Yes I believe so myself. People often talk about 'underhand' and 'undemocratic' means that were used to promote a yes vote in the south (which failed). Very few people talk about the massive external pressure on TC to vote yes to the plan - most especially from Turkey. If Turkey supported a yes vote from TC in any such hypothetical re run election as it did the first I am sure a yes vote would be secured. Not with as large a margin as last time perhaps but still a yes would be my guess. There is also much talk about the TC yes reflecting an annan plan that gave everything to TC at the expenese of GC offered nothing (of value) in return to GC and thus obviously TC said yes and GC said no. My personal belief is that the relative yes and no were more a consequence of the relative 'cost' for each side in saying no. TC just could not afford to say no (to a GC yes) - in terms of isolation, withdrawl of Turkish support and international condemnation. GC could afford to say no (though the cost or beneift of this remains to be seen imo). I beleive we (TC) said yes more for fear of the consequences of saying no than we did for positive enthusiasm for the plan itself.

[suetoniuspaulinus]

Yes you may well be right. For some inexplicable reason I forgot about the influence the mainland has but I believe it might also be a close thing now that some people better understand the implications of a yes vote.

[MicAtCyp]

Turkcyp,

In the past you accused me of having too much imagination but it seems you don't fall much behind. Your prediction is a respectable thesis, for me at least, so I will have it in mind.

About the Asiz case there is no way to enforce it other than altering the Constitution.That's why they are so much in confusion in the RoC parliament and they practically don't know what to do.I heard some legal sophistries they thought about granting the TCs who live in RoC "individual" rights in voting, not communal rights, but I think everything is just sophistries....

[turkcyp]

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