Cyprus-Forum.com

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AA NEWS REPORT: DIFFERENCES OUTWEIGH CONVERGENCES IN NEGOTIATED ISSUES

As the Cyprus negotiations process progresses, the Turkish Cypriot press received yesterday for the first time detailed information regarding the process and the positions of the two sides.

According to a news report by the Anatolian News Agency, there are more issues where disagreement remains outweighs the number of issues where agreement and convergence have been reached.

According to the news report, there is a convergence on which authorities and competencies should reside with the federal government.

However disagreement remains over the implementation and exercising of the authorities concerned.

There is also stated to be a divergence between the two sides on the issue of federal executive.

While the Turkish Cypriot Side is stressing that all powers, for the exception of those under the federal state, should remain with the founding state, the Greek Cypriot Side is claiming that these remaining authorities can only be discussed once full agreement is reached on federal authorities.

An area where there is convergence in the positions of the two sides is the solution model.

While the Turkish Cypriot Side proposes a rotational presidential council based on the Swiss model, the Greek Cypriot Side also wants a similar model.

On the issue of deadlock solving mechanisms, the Turkish Cypriot Side proposes for the creation of a committee which will be formed by two ministers, one appointed by the President and Vice President from each community.

However the proposal states that the committee’s powers will be limited only to an advisory role.

Again, according to the Turkish Cypriot Side’s proposals, the Presidential Council should be elected for a 5 year term by the executive. There will be 7 members on the council, 4 of them Greek Cypriots and 3 of them Turkish Cypriot.

The Greek Cypriot Side on the other hand envisages the formation of a federal executive made up a President and Vice President and council of Ministers that will serve a 6 year term and will be elected by popular vote.

According to the Greek Cypriot proposal the Council of Ministers will be appointed by the President and Vice President.

While there is convergence between the two sides on electing a President and Vice President from different communities, there is disagreement over competencies of the office the President and Vice President.

The Turkish Cypriot Side supports a single competent office for the Presidency while the Greek Cypriot Side insists that there should be two separate offices, one for the President and another for the Vice President.

There is also a divergence between the two sides on the issue of rotational presidency.

In addition the Greek Cypriot Side is insisting on the formation of a deadlock solving mechanism for each state organ.

The Turkish Cypriot Side proposes that the Attorney General, auditor general, ombudsman and the head of the central bank, all of which will be of independent competencies, should not be from the same community.

The Greek Cypriot Side opposes this, proposing instead that two of the three posts should be occupied by a Greek Cypriot and the third by a Turkish Cypriot.

While the Turkish Cypriot Side proposes the formula of foreign judges for a solution to deadlocks which may emerge in the judiciary, the Greek Cypriot Side insists on solving such deadlocks on the basis of prima-facie evidence.

According to this principle, presumptive evidence or the existing law will be applied in cases when there is a deadlock in court.

One issue where there is full convergence between the two sides is the federal legislature. Both Sides have agreed on the formation of a upper and lower house of parliament.

The Turkish Cypriot Side’s proposal on the upper house is the creation of a bi-communal senate made up of an equal number of Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot senators that will represent the political and numerical equality of the two peoples.

According to the Greek Cypriot Side, the senate represents the political equality of the two communities.

The lower house of parliament according to the Turkish Cypriot Side will be formed by deputies coming from each of the two constituent states.

The Greek Cypriot proposal on this issue is that the number of deputies to represent each constituent state will be determined according to the number of people who have permanent reside in that constituent state.

However this figure will not be less that one fourth of the number of deputies.

The Turkish Cypriot Side also wants the executive to have the final say on any deadlocks that may arise in parliament, while the Greek Cypriots want this authority to be given to the house speaker and deputy speakers, attorney general and/or his deputies.