Cyprus-Forum.com

[YFred]

This one is for those on the forum that think that now that they are in EU, they have power over Turkey or anybody else.

Responsible politicians know the truth and tell it as it is
By Loucas Charalambous

ALL THE island’s demagogues rushed to grab President Christofias by the throat after he said that Cyprus would not exercise its veto right in the case of Turkey’s EU progress report at December’s European summit.

The issue of the veto has become a joke and the fact that it is still running after all the crazy events of the last few years is a good indication of our politicians’ inability to learn anything.

The first thing that always comes to my mind when I hear this joke is the embarrassment suffered by former president, the late Tassos Papadopoulos three years ago.

Papadopoulos, together with the usual demagogues – Garoyian, Omirou, Perdikis, Koutsou and Syllouris – along with the Turk-baiting journalists, had created something akin to war conditions. For a whole year, they did little else than debate the veto threat that would have put Turkey into a corner and forced Ankara to open its ports and airports to Cyprus ships and planes. All of Cyprus was anticipating the crushing of Turkey, which would be humiliated by Tassos’ veto.

Expectations were building up for almost a year, until the moment of truth arrived. And then events took a tragicomic turn. As the summit was reaching its end, some officials informed the then President of France, Jacques Chirac that there was a problem regarding Turkey, because Papadopoulos from Cyprus had voiced certain objections. His response was, “Papa.. qui?” He called in our president and told him in no uncertain terms that “things here do not work as you think”. And that was it.

Our bravely, defiant leader ate his humble pie and proceeded to the hall for the official dinner. The other veto-warriors, back in Cyprus went completely silent. President Christofias, no doubt, still remembers this embarrassing experience and, come December, would not like to find himself in the same position as Papadopoulos.

He therefore did the right thing in clearing the matter from now, in the presence of the Greek Prime Minister, who fully endorsed the president’s announcement. But the subsequent claim, by him and the government spokesman, that he had had been misunderstood, was laughable.

Nobody could have been surprised by the idiotic reactions to the statement by his coalition partners, Perdikis and the brave warriors of EUROKO. What was not expected was the line taken by DISY and in particular by MEP and former presidential candidate Ioannis Kasoulides, who issued an announcement expressing “great surprise” at Christofias’ statement. Surely Kasoulides needs to remember that political consistency and responsibility should be above personal ambitions and petty-political considerations.

Glafcos Clerides, the founder of the party to which Kasoulides belongs, had been publicly disparaged and vilified by the demagogues for one thing, and for this one thing he was equally loved and loyally supported by a third of the population – his courage to speak the truth about the Cyprus problem. What Christofias did 10 days ago, was what Clerides would have done. He told people the truth.

And people like Kasoulides, who belong to the party established by Clerides. do not have the right to criticise for that.
Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2009

[Get Real!]

Is Glafcos Clerides meant to be that "responsible politician"?

[YFred]

Is Glafcos Clerides meant to be that "responsible politician"?

At least he admitted that he could have solved the Cyprus problem and did not. How much more honesty do you need old chap?

[Get Real!]

Is Glafcos Clerides meant to be that "responsible politician"?

At least he admitted that he could have solved the Cyprus problem and did not. How much more honesty do you need old chap?

He’d first have to get his head out of royal British arse but that hasn’t proven possible thus far…

[DT.]

Its one thing not planning to veto and another declaring to the world that you are not planning to veto.

He acted like an amateur if you ask me and in the end will probably never have to use the veto because Turkey's memberhsip will never reach that far thanks to expected turkish volatile politics rather than anyone else's.