Cyprus-Forum.com

[YFred]

Christofias is still lacking vital skills a year on

IN A FEW weeks, President Christofias will have completed a year in office and yet he still acts as if he were completely new to the job, displaying inexplicably erratic and nervous behaviour.

A year on, he does not seem to have learnt much from his early mistakes, still seeking universal approval for his decisions and reacting angrily when this is not forthcoming. He has also shown an unwillingness to limit the frequency of his public statements, despite the problems these often cause him.

Last Wednesday he surprised everyone by personally calling Astra radio station to put the record straight regarding what the show had reported he had discussed with Mehmet Ali Talat during that day’s meeting. He had taken great exception to a report from the north, claiming that the issue dominating the meeting was the integration of the Turkish Cypriot football federation into the Cyprus Football Federation (KOP).

After telling the station on air that it was misinforming its audience, he lost his temper and accused the presenter of denying him the right to speak; he then hung up.

His personal intervention on the show was unnecessary and the station’s report could have been corrected by the government spokesman. It was another example of Christofias’ failure to control his temper. This inability to maintain a cool head and to exercise some restraint has caused several embarrassing moments for the president who must be finding it difficult to cope with the pressure of the job.

A day before his radio intervention, he attacked CyBC journalists for “distorting statements by Talat.” He had been asked whether Talat “is still talking about confederation.” He said no, adding: “This is a big mistake made by the people of the CyBC... the expert journalists of the CyBC, who understand Turkish or think they understand Turkish, should be very careful.”

While he may have had a point, it was a bit rich of him to criticise the corporation’s journalists, considering in the past he had repeatedly accused Talat of pursuing a confederation. Was the president also distorting Talat’s statements?

A few weeks ago, while carrying out a review of the negotiations, he spoke about a lack of real progress and painted a very gloomy picture of the prospects of a deal. A couple of days later, speaking to journalists, he completely changed his tune telling people not to take a negative view of the talks because there were positive signs as well.

He conveyed a negative view of the talks, which was welcomed by all the hardliners who want the process to fail, and then he urged the public not to take a negative view of the talks. Which Christofias are we supposed to believe?

The president does not seem to recognise that his credibility and trustworthiness are dependent on consistency. He cannot say one thing one day, the exact opposite the next and expect nobody to ask questions when he is contradicting his own comments. Nor can he censure politicians for taking similar stands to his own as he did in the case of EDEK chief Yiannakis Omirou, who had forecast that Talat would take the customary Turkish stance on the property issue talks. This was what Christofias himself had forecast, yet he had the audacity to reprimand Omirou for his “a priori statements”.

It is very difficult to understand what Christofias is playing at. Is this a properly thought out policy tactic aimed at keeping his critics quiet, or are his contradictory declarations determined by his moods and impulses rather than rationality? Whatever the case, it is causing his standing and credibility much more harm than good. It is as if he is going out of his way not to be taken seriously. Inconsistency has become his trademark, creating the impression that he does not know what he wants.

This is not the kind of leadership that will inspire confidence either among the public or the foreign politicians he has dealings with. Christofias must suppress his craving for universal approval, which seems to be behind his conflicting declarations, and accept that as president he cannot be all things to all people.

Leadership is not about winning short-term popularity, but about taking tough decisions that will be opposed by certain groups but still sticking to them because they are in the national interest. A president, who genuinely thinks he can get away with pursuing a settlement while at the same time keeping the opponents of a settlement happy is not in touch with reality.

After almost a year in office, Christofias needs to get real and recognise that what the country desperately needs is a president who provides strong leadership – a president it can trust and not one who changes his tune every other day because he is obsessed with his approval ratings.



Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2009

[Piratis]

There is no such thing as "universal approval" since all people are different and there is no way that all people can always agree on everything.

With democracy, a president is elected by the majority based on certain promises that he gave, and when elected he is obligated to follow those promises that got him elected, even if that means that a minority of people will not approve them.

[Bananiot]

Christofias saw the EOKA Association board (most of them were EOKA B later) the other day. After the meeting, Thasou, their leader, came out gleaming with delight. This is worrying, very worrying indeed. I think the Cyprus Mail's article has a point. Priratis, as always, missed it.

[YFred]

Christofias saw the EOKA Association board (most of them were EOKA B later) the other day. After the meeting, Thasou, their leader, came out gleaming with delight. This is worrying, very worrying indeed. I think the Cyprus Mail's article has a point. Priratis, as always, missed it.

Isn't that typical of the hellenic quartet to peddle everything that suits them and ignore everything else no matter how important or relevant.

The real question though is how much power do these people have today and where?.

[zan]

Christofias saw the EOKA Association board (most of them were EOKA B later) the other day. After the meeting, Thasou, their leader, came out gleaming with delight. This is worrying, very worrying indeed. I think the Cyprus Mail's article has a point. Priratis, as always, missed it.

Isn't that typical of the hellenic quartet to peddle everything that suits them and ignore everything else no matter how important or relevant.

The real question though is how much power do these people have today and where?.

We can see how much power they have...What the hell is Christofias doing talking to them in the first place???

[YFred]

Christofias saw the EOKA Association board (most of them were EOKA B later) the other day. After the meeting, Thasou, their leader, came out gleaming with delight. This is worrying, very worrying indeed. I think the Cyprus Mail's article has a point. Priratis, as always, missed it.

Isn't that typical of the hellenic quartet to peddle everything that suits them and ignore everything else no matter how important or relevant.

The real question though is how much power do these people have today and where?.

We can see how much power they have...What the hell is Christofias doing talking to them in the first place???

It would be useful to list the members and what they do today. To see what positions they occupy particularly in the media as this will be the next battle ground if it ever comes to the vote. If anyone has any information please tell.

[Bananiot]

The rejectionists held a meeting in Nicosia yesterday where they listened to speaches against bizonal, bicommunal federation. Of course, the archbishop was there too, along with Koutsou and Andreas Simou Aggelides.

I think Christofias is trying to appease every body. Do not forget that his partners in government include Omirou of EDEK and Karoyian of DIKO. He is trying to keep them contented as long as possible but the buggers, will not leave the cushy life, as long as Christofias throws them some patriotic crumbs. I do not think this is the right way about it. He should be bold enough to pursue his vision.

[Oracle]

Christofias saw the EOKA Association board (most of them were EOKA B later) the other day. After the meeting, Thasou, their leader, came out gleaming with delight. This is worrying, very worrying indeed. I think the Cyprus Mail's article has a point. Priratis, as always, missed it.

Isn't that typical of the hellenic quartet to peddle everything that suits them and ignore everything else no matter how important or relevant.

The real question though is how much power do these people have today and where?.

We can see how much power they have...What the hell is Christofias doing talking to them in the first place???

Preferable to talking with Talat I'm sure ...

[Oracle]

The rejectionists held a meeting in Nicosia yesterday where they listened to speaches against bizonal, bicommunal federation. Of course, the archbishop was there too, along with Koutsou and Andreas Simou Aggelides.

I think Christofias is trying to appease every body. Do not forget that his partners in government include Omirou of EDEK and Karoyian of DIKO. He is trying to keep them contented as long as possible but the buggers, will not leave the cushy life, as long as Christofias throws them some patriotic crumbs. I do not think this is the right way about it. He should be bold enough to pursue his vision.

Bananiot ... I really think we should make you President .... just to see if you will then start to criticise yourself, and your pro-Turkish views.

Seems to me, you just want to criticise whomsoever is heading the GCs ....

[DT.]

Christofias saw the EOKA Association board (most of them were EOKA B later) the other day. After the meeting, Thasou, their leader, came out gleaming with delight. This is worrying, very worrying indeed. I think the Cyprus Mail's article has a point. Priratis, as always, missed it.

Isn't that typical of the hellenic quartet to peddle everything that suits them and ignore everything else no matter how important or relevant.

The real question though is how much power do these people have today and where?.

We can see how much power they have...What the hell is Christofias doing talking to them in the first place???

What a pile of rubbish! A bunch of old men who represent EOKA (who amongst them was involved in EOKA B Banana? Please tell me.) went to see Christofias regarding the re-writing of the history books. These old men hold no power other than the power that EOKA has for the people of Cyprus. A group of fighters that the GC populace in its majority (key word) admires and honours for their fight and self-sacrifice against the English.