This article appeared in Hurriyet. It makes for interesting reading on the differences between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot proposals:
Hurriyet wrote:Greek Cypriot paper
Sunday, January 17, 2010
YUSUF KANLI
If I am to make a two-sentence summary of the 13-page latest Greek Cypriot “proposals” on “Governance and Power Sharing” chapter of the Cyprus talks, I must say unlike the Turkish Cypriot proposals, it contained nothing new and indeed it is nothing further than a compilation of what has been said so far either behind the closed doors or publicly.
The first stress in the package is on the “single sovereignty” of the united republic to be established which “emanates from the people of Cyprus.” That is right from the start there is an attempt to ignore the existence of the two self-administering democracies of two peoples, two different ethnicities, cultures and religions, though in the sentence that follows there is an acknowledgement of the principle of equality of the two communities with an explanation that equality did not mean “equal numerical participation” in all federal government branches.
The paper, dated Jan. 11 but delivered by President Demetris Christofias to his Turkish Cypriot counterpart Mehmet Ali Talat on Jan. 12, on the second day of the intensified talks, unlike the Turkish Cypriot set of proposals that call for a relatively weaker central governance with residual powers resting with the two constituent administrations, suggests creation of a federation with a very strong central government as if the aim is to establish a unitary state with two communities with certain degree of autonomy as regards internal affairs. The fundamental stress of the paper is on “single sovereignty, one state, one citizenship.”
As regards competences of the federal government, the proposal underlines that excluding the right to conclude agreements on cultural and commercial matters the two federated units will have no competence in foreign relations. They will not have defense as a competence either. The central federal government, however, has all the competencies from external relations, EU affairs, defense policy to meteorology, regulatory high boards, finance, natural resources, aviation, navigation, communications, internal security, federal justice, labor rights, intellectual property, antiquities, protection of family and such. Contrary to the Turkish Cypriot proposals that call separate Flight Information Regions under one federal aviation authority, the Greek Cypriot paper underlines that the federal republic should have only one FIR.
As regards external ties, the paper, like the Turkish Cypriot proposals, call for “special ties” with Greece and Turkey in a manner respecting the balance established by the 1960 Foundation Agreement and to accord the two countries the “most favored nation” status “to the extent this is compatible with the obligations” of the Federal Republic of Cyprus “as a member of the European Union.” While the two constituent states may appoint representatives on commercial and cultural matters, such representations must be accredited as part of the diplomatic missions of the federal government. Furthermore, any commercial or cultural deal that the two constituent states might want to conclude should not cause prejudice to the federal state, government or federated units and must be compatible with EU membership of the island. In any case, such foreign contacts of the two federated “units” must be done through the federal external affairs ministry.
The Greek Cypriot paper agrees as well on the new republic having a two-chamber legislature. At the senate the two federated “units” will have “equal representation” while at the lower chamber or the House of Representatives “there will be a minimum representation of 25 percent for each federated unit.” Each chamber will elect a president and a vice-president, one from each federated “unit” and presidents of the two chambers shall never ever come from the same community. No decision can be adopted without at least 25 percent of senators from each of the two federated “units” are present and voting, while qualified quorum [required for amendment of the constitution or laws to be defined in the constitution] will be presence and voting in Parliament of at least two-fifths of senators from each community. Representation on both houses will be on the basis of permanent residence, but if Turkish Cypriots agree that there will be no limitation of the right of settlement, the paper says Greek Cypriots are willing to discuss communal representation as demanded by Turkish Cypriots.
