Cyprus-Forum.com

[Nikitas]

Journalist Makarios Droushiotis, darling of many TC posters, today came out in favor of the cross voting system proposed by President Christofias.

In his article in Politis paper, titled "How we will vote in a Federal Cyprus" Droushiotis offers the clearest explanation of the system I have seen so far. As he describes it, all citizens will vote for the president and vice president. But as the TCs only make up the 25 per cent of the vote, then in the vote for the TC VP, the GC vote will only count for 25 per cent of the total votes. This ensure the political equality of the two communities while promoting parties which have cross communal appeal. It also encourages political cooperation across communal lines since practicalities (ie language) make joint ticket campaigning more or less mandatory.

The system also has the efffect, planned or accidental Droushiotis does not say, of marginalising parties that are fanatically divisive. No wonder Eroglu is against it.

The article stands as an indicator of another sort. It is the first time in any negotiation process that the practicalities of the solution are publicly discussed and evaluated from a practical point of view. Maybe this is an indication that things are moving further than before. Stress on the "maybe".

Concluding his article Droushiotis acknolwedges that the system is not full implementation of the "one man one vote" principle and goes on to say that one man one vote would only apply in half the country, in other words partition.

[insan]

Journalist Makarios Droushiotis, darling of many TC posters, today came out in favor of the cross voting system proposed by President Christofias.

In his article in Politis paper, titled "How we will vote in a Federal Cyprus" Droushiotis offers the clearest explanation of the system I have seen so far. As he describes it, all citizens will vote for the president and vice president. But as the TCs only make up the 25 per cent of the vote, then in the vote for the TC VP, the GC vote will only count for 25 per cent of the total votes. This ensure the political equality of the two communities while promoting parties which have cross communal appeal. It also encourages political cooperation across communal lines since practicalities (ie language) make joint ticket campaigning more or less mandatory.

The system also has the efffect, planned or accidental Droushiotis does not say, of marginalising parties that are fanatically divisive. No wonder Eroglu is against it.

The article stands as an indicator of another sort. It is the first time in any negotiation process that the practicalities of the solution are publicly discussed and evaluated from a practical point of view. Maybe this is an indication that things are moving further than before. Stress on the "maybe".

Concluding his article Droushiotis acknolwedges that the system is not full implementation of the "one man one vote" principle and goes on to say that one man one vote would only apply in half the country, in other words partition.

So, 25% of GC will vote TC President or VP but 100% of TCs will vote for GC President or VP? If it is so, I support this idea and it is fully in frame of "political equality of 2 communities" principle.

[Nikitas]

It sounds complicated when described. But it goes like this: 100% of TC voters vote for the GC president, there is no weighting of their vote.

100% of GCs vote for the TC Vice President, but their vote is negatively weighted to bring it to the level of 25 per cent of the total vote. Thus the TCs always have the upper hand when voting for the TC Vice President. Presumably the GC vote then gets divvied up according to vote percentage to the candidates.

In each case the vote of the "other" community does not exceed 25 per cent of the total votes, ie equality and cross communal political participation. It also makes the rotating presidency palatable to the majority.

[insan]

It sounds complicated when described. But it goes like this: 100% of TC voters vote for the GC president, there is no weighting of their vote.

100% of GCs vote for the TC Vice President, but their vote is negatively weighted to bring it to the level of 25 per cent of the total vote. Thus the TCs always have the upper hand when voting for the TC Vice President. Presumably the GC vote then gets divvied up according to vote percentage to the candidates.

It seems that it does not give any side an upper hand but equal footing.

[insan]

Let's talk abt on some possible outcomes...

TCs have 3 candidates for Presidency. They r A, B and C.


A recieved 70% of TC votes, B recieved 20% of TC votes, C recieved 10% of TC votes.

A recieved 5% of GC votes, B recieved 90% of GC votes, C recieved 5% of GC votes.

Who wins, Nikitas?

[Nikitas]

Yes, it is not a system of majority dominance as in the Zurich agreements. The proposal tabled by Christofias has not been accepted or rejected by Talat. On the GC side there are some vociferous reactions but not agains the substance, more against the fact that it was proposed by Christofias without prior approval by the national council.

Personally I think that the politicians of both sides are now facing the major challenge of having to appeal to the "other" community inorder to get elected. It is a major factor that puts all of them out of their comfort zone psychologically (imagine a GC politician arriving at a TC village to seek votes, or vice versa!!!) and also politically since they have to take into account the effect and appeal of their policie on the other side and hence the total of Cyprus.

There is another angle which Droushiotis does not mention, the legitimacy of the President and Vice President in the minds of the public in the two "motherlands". It will give both of the the two leaders a whole different prestige when dealing with the "motherlands" because these will not be leaders selected by some mechanical process but chosen by all the citizens of the republic. This is especially important in view of the rotating presidency.

[Nikitas]

Insan, to analyse your example.

The total TC vote would be figured at 75 per cent of the total. The GC vote, no matter how many votes it is, will be 25 per cent of the total. So the GC vote would be weighted down and credited to each candidate to make up his total. You would have to use number of votes, not percentages to figure it out.

And here is where it gets tricky- the system is such that it effectively banishes from politics all those who are unacceptable to the "other" community. And to put it in concrete terms, all the EOKA and TMT remnants as well as the non Cypriotised settlers who might enter politics. I do not know if this was the result Christofias was deliberately aiming for, or an accidental by product of his proposal. In the case of the first we must then accept that the guy is a very astute politician. If it is the second, then he is a lucky one.

[YFred]

If it keeps Eoka and TMT out of Government, it’s a good idea but how does that work with our democratic principles that we should create a system deliberately disadvantaging one group or another, will that not give them the excuse to start a military opposition on the grounds that the system is not fully democratic. Would they not be right in doing so?

Don't get me wrong, I agree with what is being said but the question is where would it lead to?

I see no problem with each side voting for their man. You will find that people will do the strangest things. For instance the GC extreme may vote for TMT and TMT may vote for EOKA just to put the spanner into the works. Has anybody calculated what can be achieved by either side trying to cause havoc with the system so that it fails?

[Get Real!]

Journalist Makarios Droushiotis, darling of many TC posters, today came out in favor of the cross voting system proposed by President Christofias.

Not surprised, MD is one of the people that Downer and Co have approached and greased to support the Turkish thesis on Cyprus.

[insan]

Journalist Makarios Droushiotis, darling of many TC posters, today came out in favor of the cross voting system proposed by President Christofias.

Not surprised, MD is one of the people that Downer and Co have approached and greased to support the Turkish thesis on Cyprus.

As they did to Şener Levent, perhaps. In stereotyping minds of almost all GCs there always has been many "traitors" supporting/conspiring the thesis of "enemy".