Cyprus-Forum.com

[halil]

The Turkish Cypriots side offered new proposals on the issue of federal executive, during the first meeting of the second round of Cyprus negotiations, which was held last Thursday.

Proposals envisage the election of the President and Vice-President of the new partnership state by the senate, where candidates will be listed under a single ballot paper.

TRNC President Mehmet Ali Talat’s Special Representative Ozdil Nami has brought clarification over the ‘single list’ to the BRT newsroom, in response to today’s media reports.

Mr Nami said a single ballot paper will be presented to the senators of the new Cyprus state to be envisaged with the solution of the Cyprus problem.

Nami noted that the majority vote of the Senate will determine who will hold the position of the President and the Vice-President where a rotatory presidency is envisaged for 2 Turkish Cypriots and 2 Greek Cypriots.

The President’s Special Representative emphasized that this system is based on full equality.

“The Senate will dissolve itself and go for early elections if an equal balance is not reached” Nami said.

In such a case, Nami said that the proposal envisages the early election to take place with the biggest Cyprus Turkish and Greek Cypriot political parties, forming an election government.

UBP SAYS IT WON’T ACCEPT THE PROPOSALS ON PRESIDENCY

The ruling National Unity Party (UBP) said it has serious concerns over the Turkish Cypriot proposals offered to the Greek Cypriot Side, on Presidential elections for the partnership state, if the proposals are in the same format with those leaked into the Greek Cypriot press.

Speaking to the BRT newsroom, UBP Secretary-General Irsen Kucuk said his party will no way accept those proposals and will not remain as onlookers, too.

“Negotiators might have their own personal views but they should make proposals at the negotiation table within the framework of an agreement to be reached with the government after a broad consultation” Mr Kucuk said.

Irsen Kucuk also questioned the way of leaking those proposals into the Greek Cypriot media.

Reiterating the UBP’s desire for a settlement in Cyprus, he said however that the public will reflected during the early general elections in the TRNC last April, should be taken into serious consideration while maintaining the solution process.

“Rights of Turkish Cypriots must not be taken backwards” Kucuk added.

He also called on President Mehmet Ali Talat to act carefully against the Greek Cypriot tricks.

DP REJECTS PROPOSALS ON ELECTION PROCEDURE OF PRESIDENCY

The Democrat Party strongly rejects the Turkish Cypriots proposals offered to the Greek Cypriot Side on the election procedure of Presidency for the partnership state envisaged with resolution.

In a written statement, the DP Leader Serdar Denktas said his party doesn’t support proposals that the Turkish Cypriot side presented during the first meeting of the second round of talks, which were welcomed by the Greek Cypriot Side.

DP Leader noted that the proposal envisages the election of the President by the Senate to be formed, from a single list that is going to include both Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot candidates.

According to DP, this actually removes the principle of ‘two separate democracies’ which existed within the 1960 Cyprus Republic.

“When our democratic right is removed, we will become a minority community where we will only have our individual rights protected” DP said.

DP argued that if Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot political parties are united under one roof, then this will lead to a decrease in the Turkish Cypriot existence on the island.

The issue of single list was included in the Annan Plan, too, the DP noted.

It said however that the current conjuncture is not the same with the one during the Annan Plan period.

DP claimed that if the Turkish Cypriot side is pleased with the Greek Cypriot Side’s satisfaction over a Turkish Cypriot proposal which takes the Greek Cypriot offer as its ground, then this is a proof to diplomatic incompetence.

A solution-favoured mentality in the TRNC should satisfy the needs and concerns of all circles of the TRNC as well as of the Greek Cypriot side.

[Sotos]

The constitution of Republic of Cyprus says that ONLY a Greek Cypriot can be a president of Cyprus. Are you giving up any of your constitutional rights to demand from us to give up ours?

[Viewpoint]

The constitution of Republic of Cyprus says that ONLY a Greek Cypriot can be a president of Cyprus. Are you giving up any of your constitutional rights to demand from us to give up ours?

Hello a new constituiton is being negotiated, where have you been for the last year?

[Get Real!]

According to DP, this actually removes the principle of ‘two separate democracies’ which existed within the 1960 Cyprus Republic.

VP, don’t you ever feel the slightest bit embarrassed with all the rubbish that’s being manufactured by your “politicians”?
Come on…

[Sotos]

The constitution of Republic of Cyprus says that ONLY a Greek Cypriot can be a president of Cyprus. Are you giving up any of your constitutional rights to demand from us to give up ours?

Hello a new constituiton is being negotiated, where have you been for the last year?

For the negotiations to have a result when you demand from us to give up our constitutional rights you should also do the same. If you only want to take and not give then negotiations will fail and it will be your fault.

[Sotos]

According to DP, this actually removes the principle of ‘two separate democracies’ which existed within the 1960 Cyprus Republic.

VP, don’t you ever feel the slightest bit embarrassed with all the rubbish that’s being manufactured by your “politicians”?
Come on…

Probably what they mean by "separate" in this case is that GCs alone elect the president, while TCs can only elect the vice president. We are fine with this principle and we don't want to change it. If the TCs want to maintain it also then we agree!

[Nikitas]

Yes, but if it is going to be a "rotating" presidency then you need legitimisation of the "rotating" VP becoming president by some voting input from BOTH communities.

The separation that Serdar Denktash wants can only be achieved if there is no rotation and not much connection between the central government and the two constituent states. Which again sounds OK until you reach the questions of finance and it is evident that the larger and richer community will be the main source of money for projects over the whole island, so you do need some minimum level of connectedness.

Overall it looks like the TC side is not clear about what it wants. May be it is better to let them decie and then go on with the talks.

I must say, my preference is for the people to vote for their leaders directly. These intermediate systems do not inspire me.

[Viewpoint]

Yes, but if it is going to be a "rotating" presidency then you need legitimisation of the "rotating" VP becoming president by some voting input from BOTH communities.

The separation that Serdar Denktash wants can only be achieved if there is no rotation and not much connection between the central government and the two constituent states. Which again sounds OK until you reach the questions of finance and it is evident that the larger and richer community will be the main source of money for projects over the whole island, so you do need some minimum level of connectedness.

Overall it looks like the TC side is not clear about what it wants. May be it is better to let them decie and then go on with the talks.

I must say, my preference is for the people to vote for their leaders directly. These intermediate systems do not inspire me.

How will a TC ever be elected when the balance if firmly in favor of the biased and racists GC popoulation.

[Nikitas]

VP, your point is taken, but in this case it is a little out of place.

Both sides agree on some kind of rotatiing presidency. The open issue is the how of the election. At the senate obviously there will be a 50-50 ratio of the electors (the senators) but the vote will be between two joint tickets, each one having a GC and TC candidate. The other proposal is for the joint tickets to be submited to popular vote.

I think that Cypriots as a whole are wiser than the politicians they elect. I would go for the popular vote in every case.

The other choice which seems to be the one proposed by Serdar Denktash is for each community to vote for its president separately, and then these elected leaders become president and vice president respectively. This one leaves open the question of the legitimacy of the rotating leadership when the vice president becomes president over the majority who had no say in his election. This would be OK if there was no rotating presidency and we stay at the 1960s.

The separation of the vote was OK in 1960, in a partnership state where communal equality is touted as the new slogan it is no longer valid. At some point a joint process is inevitable.

[paliometoxo]

so basically the turks want two states and say over what happens overy the WHOLE island... hahahah