Leaked papers a ‘conspiracy’ to force arbitration
By George Psyllides
THE FURORE over the leaked United Nations documents continued yesterday with a chorus of rejection of what was interpreted to be an effort on behalf of the international community of disguised arbitration in the Cyprus negotiations.
Daily Phileleftheros on Thursday published the documents which, among other things, said that UN special envoy Alexander Downer should “enrich the procedure with ideas,” which was interpreted as an intention of “disguised arbitration” – an anathema for the Greek Cypriot side.
The government said the ongoing discussions were between the two communities and there was no room for anything else.
“Arbitration, as we experienced it in 2004, means accepting a procedure where outsiders, either the UN or others and not the two communities, shape the solution,” Government Spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said. “And that is exactly the reason we asked and succeeded in having a procedure which is really Cypriot.”
Government partners DIKO rejected any effort of disguised arbitration and called on “those with such ideas in Cyprus and outside” to abandon their thoughts and tactics.
EDEK said it was well known that the Greek Cypriot side would not accept arbitration and any efforts by the UN should focus on Turkey.
Opposition DISY followed suit to say it too did not accept arbitration.
“We have not discussed the issue of arbitration with anyone and we haven’t understood the issue of arbitration being raised by anyone,” spokesman Haris Georgiades said.
DISY stressed the need for an international intervention on Turkey to force it to take a more positive stance.
This intervention could take the form of submitting ideas that are in line with the European acquis communitaire, Georgiades said.
“The interpretation of this position as accepting direct or indirect arbitration is either due to deliberate distortion or shows awkwardness and insecurity,” he added.
Earlier yesterday, DISY chief Nikos Anastassiades reiterated that such ideas could serve as “food for thought.”
Anastassiades himself had been mentioned in Phileleftheros’ reports, whose writer cites the minutes of a July 16 meeting between the opposition leader and Downer.
According to the daily, Anastassiades is happy because the results of the presidential elections were a powerful message to the rejectionists whom he attacks later on and advises Downer on how to handle them.
DISY said no minutes are kept in such meetings and if they had been they would have to be checked and approved by both sides.
“The basic question is who and for what reasons did the leak the documents, who is the target essentially, and which secret services have the power to intercept (messages),” a written statement said.
Anastassiades said some circles were distorting things to convince people that someone was conspiring against Greek Cypriots.
“We are not children,” he said. “I am concerned that some people seem to worry that a solution will be found.”
Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2009
Any one else see the double talk here?
