Cyprus-Forum.com

[MicAtCyp]

Hey, I'm sorry if I busted your balls, I'm just really interested on the issue:)

Jimmy, I understand your interest. Most of your questions and especially the influence of the President’s speach on the decision of the people are already answered in Alexandros Lordos study. Please download it and read it. It is a scientific study and straightens out, many faulty personal opinions.

I am wondering whether you read the Anan Plan, did you?

[Saint Jimmy]

I am wondering whether you read the Anan Plan, did you?

Lol, valid question:)

Yeah I read it when I had to make up my mind for the referendum.
It's been 7 months, though, gotta give me that! In the meantime, the sad fact is that no one in my immediate environment was especially interested in politics, so I had to let myself get all frustrated. Anyway, that's how I came to forget key issues of the plan.
By the way, will read Alexandros's study as soon as I get a chance to.
Exam week...

[brother]

With tassos going on t.v and crying is that not emotional blackmail?

[Saint Jimmy]

With tassos going on t.v and crying is that not emotional blackmail?

Dude, I think that's a misunderstanding: prior to Tassos's speech, there was a real dialogue by all parties, both in favour and against the plan. There were a few blows under the belt, on both parts, but those were mostly intended at each opponent's credibility. People were really free to choose. I just think that Tassos's speech was unmatched by the opposition. Di.Sy. leader Anastasiades tried to appeal to people's hopes and dreams of a golden future, but he was not as emotional, and anyway, appealing to people's fears is much easier.

Would you mind explaining the term 'emotional blackmail'? Just so we can talk about the same thing...

[brother]

Emotional blackmail is playing on peoples fears, empathy(as in why would our leader be crying if he was not concerned) and sympathy(we always feel bad when someone cries, human nature)

He played the public like a dream, why would a leader go on national t.v and humble himself if his arguements for a 'no' was justified, but a man desperate to get his own way will resort to any kind of emotional blackmail like the couple going through a split one will cry and then threaten to kill themselves(emotional blackmail)

The 'no' vote was not a sure thing and tassos resorted to the age old technique of crying which in my opinion was as low as one can get.

[Saint Jimmy]

No, no, no, brother,

I disagree with him as much as you do on some aspects of his approach to the Cyprus problem, but I don't think his crying was a fake. He has been very clear for the last 30+ years that he is not after any kind of solution that resembles the Annan plan, and the fact that he could see the chance of it being accepted frustrated him so badly. I am aware of the possibility that I am just being naive and gullible, but I can't get myself to believe that our future could rest in the hands of evil bigots. I prefer to see these people as just... having a different opinion, which, of course, they have every right to. You can throw me historical facts again, to convince me of the man's evilness, and I have no answer to them, I admit. But acting outside the law as a young rebel and being President (or leader, whatever, not the point) are two separate things. People do change, albeit even only on a small scale.

And yes, he will have a big stick up his ass if he blows this opportunity for a solution, too. And he knows it. That's why he won't. What I'm saying is that when the negotiations are over, there will be a new plan to vote for (yes, it's an assumption, but a quite likely one, I think). And it's got to be better for GCs, even to the minimum degree possible, otherwise it doesn't make any sense to bring it to referenda. GCs will simply vote against it, again! So, Tassos's trick (as he works for the GC community) will have worked (assuming, yes, that we do have new negotiations this year).

[-mikkie2-]

Saint Jimmy,

Very well explained.

I do think that many people underestimate this man. I have said many times that he is not stupid.

I think the mistake he made was to accept the format of the negotiations as laid down in New York in February. Since the referenda he has done a good job to turn things around and to be ready for the next round of what this time will be negotiations.

[brother]

What tassos is after is to make the tc a minority and rule us, but in 1960 we agreed otherwise, and that is all we will ever accept, but his so called negotiations will be based on exactly that to make us minority and rule over us, there is nothing else he will agree too, and as you stated in your own post:

saint jimmy said:

"that he is not after any kind of solution that resembles the Annan plan, and the fact that he could see the chance of it being accepted frustrated him so badly"

he resorted to emotional blackmail with his crying hence he took your democratic choice away from you to get his own way.

[-mikkie2-]

But brother, that is not what made the GC's decide to say no!

As I said, he is not stupid. All he is doing is playing the game to see what he can achieve for the GC community, just in the same way as Turkey is doing for the TC's. This will hopefully lead to a middle ground that we can all accept.

[Saint Jimmy]

I think the mistake he made was to accept the format of the negotiations as laid down in New York in February.

Mikkie, I tend to think so too. However, someone posted some GC's (whose name escapes me right now, and I am just too lazy to look it up) testimonial before a Committee, post-referenda, where he expressed the opinion, along these lines, that 'open-ended negotiations cannot work. The only way to ensure a result is by pressurizing both sides, in terms of time constraints'.

I think the man is right.

However, it was a mistake for Tassos to accept the terms in New York, because, as it turns out, he did not intend to negotiate... He intended to kill the plan, anyway, till we entered the EU, so, I suppose he could have done it in New York (much as I disagree with the whole thing)! But, I suppose, he was betting on Turkey or Denktash to bail him out...?