Cyprus-Forum.com

[halil]

Christofias in Papadopoulos’ footsteps
20.03.2009

Ozcan Ozcanhan

Greek Cypriot President Demitris Christofias was not at his best at his recent press conference at the end of his first year in office. He went to great lengths to explain his policies on the country’s economy, the budget, defence, education, the proposed changes in Greek Cypriot history books, and the unrealistic progress at the Cyprus talks. He was angered by a question about history lessons and text books. He dismissed allegations by DIKO leader Garoyan, EDEK leader Omirou and Ecological party leader Perdikis that his government was involved in removing from history books the EOKA martyrs, sacrifices and patriotism for Cyprus. Mind you, not a single Turkish Cypriot journalist was invited to the news conference and Christofias addressed only media representatives of his own community. Mr. Christofias stressed the mistakes of his predecessors, the former governments and claimed that his administration had made no mistakes, but was engaged largely in correcting the faults of others.

Christofias praises EOKA

His disclosures about the Cyprus issue and the Cyprus talks were no less fanatic and uncompromising than those of the late Papadopoulos. He would not accept two founding states, separate identities, guarantees etc. He pressed for the return of all displaced Greek Cypriots to their previous properties in the North and would like more European pressure on the Turkish side and Turkey for concessions though he was not prepared to say yes to mediation, arbitration and time limits to complete the Cyprus negotiations with President Talat. Referring to expected changes in history books, Christofias declared emphatically: “We will not exclude our heroes, their struggle for independence against the British. We will not leave out the EOKA martyrs, the Turkish invasion and the occupation, but we will not tell fairy tales - Paramithia and concocted stories.”
He called on the Turkish side to work for eradicating hatred and enmity between the two communities but at the same time praised Tassos Papadopoulos for his firm stance against the Annan Plan. The very plan he and AKEL initially supported and later on joined forces with Papadopoulos for its rejection by the Greek Cypriot people in the referendum.

Suffocating sterile rhetoric

Lukas Charalambous wrote in the Cyprus Mail, “He (Christofias) is chasing phantoms. He is trying to make progress at the talks while also resorting to the same sterile rhetoric used by Papadopoulos against ‘suffocating time-frames, arbitration’ ... in the belief that this will keep the hard-liners happy ... He now declares that the Annan Plan, which he was praising in 2004 and urging the Security Council to guarantee its implementation - so he could support it - was the worst ever settlement plan. In short, he has become a hostage to his brinkmanship and cannot persuade anyone about his intentions.” About the leakages on the decisions of the Greek Cypriot National Council and details about Cyprus talks, Christofias said he was surprised how the information reached the media. Why should he be surprised, when Omirou, Garoyan, Silluris and Koutsou got possession of the records within minutes? He must have been pretending when he said he was astonished. Did he not realise that these are the names of those who prefer wild goose chases to a pragmatic, fair and mutually acceptable Cyprus settlement? Does Christofias not know that Omirou, Koutsu, Skylluris and Perdikes sailed on the same boat with Tassos Papadopoulos? Have they not been singing in the same chorus? Is Christofias the realistic man he is thought to be or is he a tool in the hands of Omirou, Garoyan, the Orthodox Church and the extreme fanatics who dream of a Hellenic Cyprus, with a Turkish minority in it?



Political tight rope

We know that Christofias has picked up the choice of Papadopoulos walking on a tight rope and may experience a lethal fall. President Talat may not be there to prevent his critical crash. Courage and determination is what Christofias needs in order to speak out his true intentions and his surrender to the hardliners referred to by Loukas. Does he not want a settlement in the near future? Is he sincere in his statements for a re-unified Cyprus, governed jointly by the Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots, in a bizonal, bicommunal federation based on political equality?
He has to decide and to convince his people for the better tomorrow for Cyprus and all its population. Following in the footsteps of Papadopoulos with Omirou-Garoyan for guidance will, undoubtedly, end in disaster.