Cyprus-Forum.com

[halil]

Frame Agree
27.02.2009

Ozcan Ozcanhan

Is frame agreement on the way
According to Greek Cypriot press reports the two sides in Cyprus are heading for a “Frame Agreement” on principles to resolve the Cyprus problem, this autumn.
They claim that an agreement will be initialled before the end of 2009 and that a 50-page text has already been drafted.
Official quarters in the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus (TRNC) have neither confirmed nor denied the reports.
I have tried to contact authorities in the South through e-mail and I have conveyed questions for Presidential Spokesman Stephanou and President Christofias. PIO officials, Constantia Soteriou, Kyriakos Vrahimiz and Iacovou Tsangaris have sent me greetings and their regards and said that my request for interviews and/or written answers have been sent to the mentioned addresses. So far, I have had no positive response for my request and no written answers for my questions.
Official circles in the South have, also, neither confirmed nor denied reports about a preliminary agreement before the end of the year.
Greek Cypriot press claims have not been substantiated by any reliable information but it is a common expectation that President Talat and President Christofias with patience and reasoning have to solve the problem. It is true that there is no agreed deadline or arbitration. However, the formation of a team of ‘technocrats and experts’ to prepare recommendations, ideas and formulas to be submitted by Alexander Downer to the two leaders give rise to hopes of important developments in the months ahead, possibly before and after the European Parliamentary elections.
The right people to give the good news to the citizens of Cyprus, foremost, are Talat and Christofias.
Maybe they are waiting for the right, ripe moment to do so. Nonetheless, they can break the news by implication rather than direct commitment. i.e. whispering a few encouraging sentences to their close and reliable journalist friends.
The next person, certainly, is the UN Special Adviser to Cyprus Alexander Downer, who, as he put it, has “Dealt with many thorny international disputes” when he had the portfolio of Foreign Minister of Australia. He too has declined my request for an exclusive interview to reveal some behind the curtain activity.
Assuming that a frame agreement has been initialled by the two leaders and received international support, it still remains up to the two peoples of the island to endorse it.
This means that the initialled agreement will have to be put to separate referendums. What will happen? Can any one guess; if either of the two sides rejects the solution plan and the frame agreement? We have a glaring example of the Annan Plan before us. Turkish Cypriots voted ‘Yes’, the Greek Cypriots said ‘Oxi-No’. The Annan Plan was shelved among other UN plans, not to be revived.
Agreement on Principles or a frame agreement - the name is of no significance - will mean nothing unless finalised and fully accepted by Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Turkey, Greece and Britain (The three guarantor powers). And, if any of the three guarantors objects, the agreement cannot be implemented.
There must be full backing from the motherlands, Greece and Turkey, who came to the brink of declared war in the past over Cyprus and their communities on the island.
In any eventuality, the European Union will also have a say, because Cyprus is now one of the EU’s full member states and [all of] its territory is considered part of the European Union.
If press claims about a break-through this autumn get some kind of authenticity and support from authoritative politicians, I will be the first to congratulate President Christofias and President Talat.
Who knows, they may be nominated for the Nobel Peace Award. And, they may be duly rewarded for their contribution to solution and international peace.
Resolving the 50-year-old Cyprus problem, which could explode in the Middle-east with international repercussions, would be a remarkable achievement.
Talat and Christofias will definitely deserve the prize.

[DT.]

The right people to give the good news to the citizens of Cyprus, foremost, are Talat and Christofias.
Maybe they are waiting for the right, ripe moment to do so. Nonetheless, they can break the news by implication rather than direct commitment. i.e. whispering a few encouraging sentences to their close and reliable journalist friends.

this part here is what Perdikis of the Green party here has implied already regarding the current document leak from the national council. Although his credentials as a politician are highly suspicious to say the least he does make a valid point that, Christofias may have leaked the document himself.

This was done for 2 reasons
1) To place all the focus on the action of leaking documents thereby the content of the document would be secondary
2) To get peoples expectations lowered on what to expect without creating a whole new public debate on the concessions made.

The fact that everyone is pre-occupied with why this document leaked and not by its content proves the point.

[Cem]

So, Frame Agreed ?? Fine, Now what they are missing :

1



and

3

[Nikitas]

If everyone has a say even before the agreement is put to the people in a plebiscite, doesn't that mean that in Cyprus we do not apply the principle of popular sovereignty, which is supposed to be the foundation of modern democracy?