Cyprus-Forum.com

[Get Real!]

What is “Political Equality”?


The Harvard University report titled…“POLITICAL EQUALITY: WHAT IS IT? WHY DO WE WANT IT?” …has the following explanation for the phrase “Political Equality”:

“By political equality we refer to the extent to which citizens have an equal voice over governmental decisions. One of the bedrock principles in a democracy is the equal consideration of the preferences and interests of all citizens. This is expressed in such principles as one-person/one-vote, equality before the law, and equal rights of free speech. Equal consideration of the preferences and needs of all citizens is fostered by equal political activity among citizens; not only equal voting turnout across significant categories of citizens but equality in other forms of activity..”

http://www.russellsage.org/programs/mai ... 16.180549/


Another report by the Fordham University has this to say on “Political Equality”:

“While, a full consideration of the meaning of “political equality” is an enormously complex task, few would dispute that political equality includes the right and ability of every citizen, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, or economic circumstance to freely participate in political affairs through communicating ideas, organizing, and choosing leaders.”

http://www.fordham.edu/politicalsci/pro ... 20Tien.pdf


It is clear from the reports above that “Political Equality” does NOT refer to a specific group of people within a country having special rights over the rest but quite the opposite…

Political Equality refers to ALL citizens having the EXACT SAME RIGHTS via a one-person/one-vote system!

The Turkish Cypriot leadership has long been abusing the democratic phrase “Political Equality” by requesting that a specific group of Cypriot citizens, and namely the “Turkish Cypriots”, be set aside based on their ethnic background and religion to receive favorable political influence in Cyprus at the expense of the remaining Cypriot citizens, and falsely calling this notion “Political Equality”!

The truth is that such a measure would equate to Political INEQUALITY of all Cypriot citizens outside the favored group and in contravention of democracy and their human rights.


Regards, GR.

[Piratis]

I agree 100%.

"Political Equality between communities" is something vague and everybody can understand it any way he wants since such thing doesn't exist anywhere.

But what the Turks want, and what they mean with it, is political inequality. They want a form of Apartheid where people are discriminated and segregated based on their ethnic background.

In a country the unit is the citizen and all citizens should be equal.

There is no country that people are divided based on their race. Even in federations that territory is divided into several sections, the citizens are not divided and are free to move to any section with full political rights. Anything else would be a racist discrimination.

The way Turks understand "Political Equality" is yet another way to their well known partition aim. This is because there is no way that what they demand can be achieved in one country, either unitary or federal. The only way that what they demand can be achieved is with partition, so in Cyprus we would have two separate countries that would be loosely associated with each other. This is of course something we would never accept.

[insan]

I agree 100%.

The way Turks understand "Political Equality" is yet another way to their well known partition aim. This is because there is no way that what they demand can be achieved in one country, either unitary or federal. The only way that what they demand can be achieved is with partition, so in Cyprus we would have two separate countries that would be loosely associated with each other. This is of course something we would never accept.

Don't worry abt partition we can prohibit it with a fundamental law in our common constitution. Even we can put some basic tenets into our constitution such as improving our country's national identity towards a Cypriot nation state.

[Piratis]

I agree 100%.

The way Turks understand "Political Equality" is yet another way to their well known partition aim. This is because there is no way that what they demand can be achieved in one country, either unitary or federal. The only way that what they demand can be achieved is with partition, so in Cyprus we would have two separate countries that would be loosely associated with each other. This is of course something we would never accept.

Don't worry abt partition we can prohibit it with a fundamental law in our common constitution. Even we can put some basic tenets into our constitution such as improving our country's national identity towards a Cypriot nation state.

You mean prohibit calling partition with its name? Because if we accept what you demand the result will be partition, regardless of what label you put on it.

Personally I don't care about labels. I care about the essence. If you care about the labels, how about if we do this:

All Turkish troops leave from Cyprus, all settlers leave from Cyprus, the Republic of Cyprus is allowed to control its whole territory, all Cypriot citizens have one vote each with no racist descriminations, and then we label this arrangement a "partition" or anything else you want. You agree?

[Oracle]

Good analyses of a term currently being sabotaged.

An a priori acceptance of two communities, distinguished according to a perceived difference in heritability (by nature or nurture), necessitating manipulation of "political equality" as defined by GR! and refined by Piratis, is contradictory to any foundations for equal citizenship, and would lead to an a posteriori dissection of the bedrock principle underpinning a sovereign country.

[insan]

Ok. One more time i got a strong conviction that instead of being realistic and evaluate the political equality of 2 communities according to our 400 + years historical background, u prefered to put it on the basis of the theory. I'm sure of that u represent at least 60% - 70% of Hellenic decision power. It is obvious that solving the problem passed through the hands of Uncle Sam. Ok then... Let's wait and see what will happen.

[Piratis]

I don't know what our 400+ years of historical background has to do with it. The Greeks and Kurds in Asia Minor have a longer history, and yet there is no "political equality of communities" for them, or for any other community in any other country for that matter.

What you demand is unfair and unreasonable and can only lead to partition. If you want to solve the Cyprus problem then you should become much more reasonable than that. Why should we accept what you demand? After all for us a de facto illegal partition is much better than a de jure partition the way you want it. So we would rather have the problem unsolved rather than "solve" it your way.

[YFred]

You are so clever. Give the man a Phd on political humanity.
Show me a country that has that as its basis no other laws. After all once you have that, no other laws are needed right. Dipstick.

What you need is a whipping boy, not this time buster.
We have laws to protect the poor from the rich, we have laws to protect the minorities from fascist like you and your kind.

Democracy in its purest from will never apply because of people like you that is only too ready to abuse it legally.

Your idea of democracy leads to jungle rule.

[Get Real!]

You are so clever. Give the man a Phd on political humanity.
Show me a country that has that as its basis no other laws. After all once you have that, no other laws are needed right. Dipstick.

What you need is a whipping boy, not this time buster.
We have laws to protect the poor from the rich, we have laws to protect the minorities from fascist like you and your kind.

Democracy in its purest from will never apply because of people like you that is only too ready to abuse it legally.

Your idea of democracy leads to jungle rule.

Who or what are you actually responding to?

[Viewpoint]

I agree 100%.

"Political Equality between communities" is something vague and everybody can understand it any way he wants since such thing doesn't exist anywhere.

But what the Turks want, and what they mean with it, is political inequality. They want a form of Apartheid where people are discriminated and segregated based on their ethnic background.

In a country the unit is the citizen and all citizens should be equal.

There is no country that people are divided based on their race. Even in federations that territory is divided into several sections, the citizens are not divided and are free to move to any section with full political rights. Anything else would be a racist discrimination.

The way Turks understand "Political Equality" is yet another way to their well known partition aim. This is because there is no way that what they demand can be achieved in one country, either unitary or federal. The only way that what they demand can be achieved is with partition, so in Cyprus we would have two separate countries that would be loosely associated with each other. This is of course something we would never accept.

Would you vote for Kikapus power sharing proposal?