repulsewarrior wrote:I have always said I am open to be persuaded in favor of a BBF with political equality if it is based along the lines of the AP which you GCs continue to reject.
http://www.cyprus-forum.com/cyprus31695.html#p742056
...kindly reply point by point; step by step, as you've said before,
a federal government must exist. OK
-a Turkish Cypriot constituent state must exist. OK
-a Greek Cypriot constituent state must exist. OK
thus the only conclusion i can make is that there is a need for Greeks to constitute a form of representation that completes this Agreement's very basis; a Greek Cypriot constituent state.
here are the rainbow lines i draw:
1. the federal government defines its Citizens as Individuals; by their residence. OK
2. the voting is democratic, all voters voting in the same way, all votes are given the same weight. OK
3. the legislature for the federal government is Bicameral, it is the Upper House that provides leadership, having seats equally divided among Turkish and Greek representatives where a majority of seats must be won by a leader who becomes President. and a Lower House which is elected by Population, as Independants representing sober second thinking, voting by consensus through a Speaker, they would also sit in Government Committees. (slight shades of the Annan plan)
What would happen in situaitons of deadlock eg 50 vs 50? or 1 GC voter was not available, ı think we need minimums from each state
4. as such, a voter will vote thricely (voting once), from three seperate slates, so that the best representatives are elected by and for the voter's riding, they will vote for their Turkish Cypriot Representative and their Greek Cypriot Representative, as well as their Independant. Representative. (shades of the guy or was it the guy before that)
Risk bells sound here, cross voting for a rep from the the other state could result in unwanted candidates being elected.
...do the math (for the Upper and Lower House), then assume larger populations and a different demographic, do the math again...
...then consider how over time a representative's experience and expertise can grow, and consider how this changing population is open to a representation in the future which will sustain Turkish and Greek identities by civic leaders of neither ethnicity.
5. the Turkish constituent state, and the Greek constituent state shall be equal, in that they each represent themselves as Persons in a National Assembly where their electorate is identified by their residence, and in that they obtian their Charter meeting the same criteria determined by the federal government which retains its Sovereignty while assigning territorial Jurisdiction.
Clarification necessary.
6. Bizonal shall define a geographic representation of our commitment to redressing the suffering of all displaced, with their return, for some as communities. thus the island as it is divided has to its political geography many pockets added everywhere, resulting in the obligation of the National Assemblies to provide their service to an electorate that is island-wide.
REJECTED a mish mash of residents and villages is a return to the 1960s didnt work wont work now.
7. settlers who apply for Citizenship, who are accepted, and who will be newly displaced (from the repopulation) shall be provided homes, or at their choosing compensation.
OK after a certain criteria has been applied to allow "settlers" who have lived on the island for over 30 years to remain.
other thoughts...
8. a protocol over the land issue shall be formed so that most disputes are settled by the afffected bodies themselves. the IPC's mandate may be extended to settle the compensation issues of all the displaced, however rulings from the Supreme Court of Cyprus must remain a final court of Judgement for all Property issues.
OK but how will the supreme court be formed?
9. each of the governing bodies will have the right to armed forces toward the enforcement of Law. however only the federal government has a right to an armed force which defends the State. for foreign troops to exist on the island, none are Sovereign in their Bases, recognising the will of the Cypriot People. as such demilitarised, their own armed force could gain great experience in union with willing lease holders toward a common goal which may serve the bigger fight against real enemies (such as disaster, or disease, hunger, or where there are refugees and displaced against their slaughter), or otherwise strictly not allowed.
OK but who will defend state against state conflicts?
...so, three governments (at least); two levels of government: that's Bicommunal.
...so, constituent states made of many components define a National Identity; they serve this majority first, recognising the special needs of others, Nationally an effort toward the State: this is Bizonal.
dear readers, thank-you for your consideration. and to the wordsmiths, please kindly offer your observations point by point to this document's benefits and pitfalls. whether you agree with its proposal as a solution to the Cyprus Problem or not, i'd like to know if at least it is easy to understand.
I have gone over your manifesto but find it very basic, it has to be filled in as to what the checks and balances are, the risks and how they should be addressed.
Do you have any support from your side, can you post a few GC comments because this is very close to the AP and if put to referendum would be rejected by the GCs.
