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Cyprus Polls by Alexandros Lordos

Searching for a mutually acceptable Comprehensive Settlement in Cyprus

Diplomatic efforts to resolve the Cyprus Problem have tended in the past to be closed affairs, wherein the elected representatives of the two sides would conduct negotiations "behind closed doors", with the public only being brought into the process at the final stage, when through referendums they are asked if they approve or reject the offered proposal. If, however, the Cypriot people are the final arbitrators of any proposal, would it not make sense to find a way to closely involve them in the negotiation process, from the first stages? This post presents the findings of various surveys that have been conducted since the referendum of April 2004, wherein Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots were asked to evaluate various options for improving a Comprehensive Peace Plan in the case of a recommencement of negotiations. The surveys covered in detail various aspects of a comprehensive settlement, such as Security, Governance, Property Rights, Settlers, the Economy, Education, Legal Status and Implementation Guarantees. Through the results, areas are suggested wherein mutually acceptable improvements can easily be found, but also areas wherein the demands of the two sides are in sharp opposition, thus highlighting the necessity for creative and balanced solutions. Overall, the findings of the surveys point the way towards a sensible re-drafting of the UN Peace Plan, such that will have a strong possibility of being accepted by both communities in a future referendum.

Download Instructions: To just view a report in your Internet Browser, left-click on the relevant link. To download it onto your own computer, right-click on the relevant link, then left-click on "Save Target As:" and select a directory on your computer in which to save the file.


November 2004 - "Can the Cyprus Problem be Solved? Understanding the Greek Cypriot response to the UN Peace Plan for Cyprus"

This report is based on a survey conducted in September 2004, with a sample of 1,000 Greek Cypriots who were interviewed over the telephone. The study seeks to explain the Greek Cypriot response to the referendum of April 2004, including an analysis both of political influence in the period before and after the referendum, and of areas of Greek Cypriot concern concerning the provisions of the UN Plan itself.

The full November 2004 report in English
The full November 2004 report in Greek


February 2005 - "Civil Society Diplomacy: A new approach for Cyprus?"

This report is a comparative study, wherein the responses of 1,000 Greek Cypriots (collected in September 2004, over the telephone) regarding areas of concern toward the UN Plan, are compared with the responses of 700 Turkish Cypriots (collected in January 2005, through face-to-face interviews), to see which of the Greek Cypriot concerns the Turkish Cypriots would be willing to satisfy, and which concerns they would oppose with counter-demands of their own.

The full February 2005 report (only available in English)
PowerPoint presentation based on this report, made at the Wilton Park conference on 17th February 2005


June 2005 - "Options for Peace: Mapping the possibilities for a Comprehensive Settlement in Cyprus"

This report is based on a large bicommunal survey, conducted in May 2005 with a sample of 1,000 Greek Cypriots and 1,000 Turkish Cypriots who were interviewed face-to-face. In this survey, an attempt is made to discover mutually acceptable compromises on the key issues of the Cyprus Problem, such that will point the way for a mutually acceptable re-drafting of the UN Plan.

The full June 2005 report (only available in English)


note: Many thanks to Alexandros Lordos for allowing the Cyprus-Forum to redistribute his polls.

[Sotos]

Interesting! I like polls. Do the politicians take these seriously? I think they should!

[Piratis]

Alexandros, could you maybe in your next poll ask Turkish Cypriots if they would accept their own state in a future federal Cyprus to be 18%-20% of the land which is proportionate to their population?

I believe this is very important, especially if in Cyprus we are going to have a system that exists nowhere else in the world, which will therefore have a great chance of collapsing.

Personally I think that no complicated system that is invented just for Cyprus will have the chance to survive for long. In the end it will either be a unitary/federal country like all other countries, or 2 separate countries. We have to make sure that this "solution" will be one that will give the new "united" Cyprus a lot of chances of becoming a normal unitary/federal state, or if it fails to become that, that the partition will be at least fair on the ground.

[bg_turk]

Personally I think that no complicated system that is invented just for Cyprus will have the chance to survive for long. In the end it will either be a unitary/federal country like all other countries, or 2 separate countries.

Finally we agree on something!

[Simon]

Personally I think that no complicated system that is invented just for Cyprus will have the chance to survive for long. In the end it will either be a unitary/federal country like all other countries, or 2 separate countries.

I also agree, AS LONG AS ANY SOLUTION IS BASED ON PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION!

[bg_turk]

I also agree, AS LONG AS ANY SOLUTION IS BASED ON PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION!

Dont get me wrong, I did not say I agree that there should be partition. I simply agreed with the princple of what Piratis stated, than any solution will eventually evolve to one extreme or the other, i.e. either complete partition or a unitary state.

[jojomojo]

can we ever have a solution which is based on mutual understanding of relationships between people without having
to follow down the same old roads that are laid for us

[Lala_Mustafa_Pasha]

Yeah we had one a few months ago and a REFERANDUM,

guess what, Gc's didnt want it.

So mutual understandings, relationships , (nonsense) is all over and its a little too late, I remember how cocky and arrogant Gc's were during this time, its only after they realised the catostrophic mistake of voting NO that now they come as if NOTHING HAPPENED and tell US about mutual understanding and relationships dont make me laugh

[Tony-4497]

its only after they realised the catostrophic mistake of voting NO

I think you will find that the NO support has actually increased since the referendum

This is because most of those few people who voted Yes did so not because they agreed with the plan but because they believed the blackmail made by the Anglo-Americans and their local representatives (i.e. a national distaster, recognition of "TRNC" etc)..

Now that all such threats have been proven empty and just a big bluff, the No percentage would probably reach 95%.

What you will soon start realising (i.e. within 2006 - when Turkey will be forced to open its ports ect to avoid a Cyprus veto, despite its current rhetoric to the contrary) is that the only reason Turkey accepted the Annan plan was that it NEEDS a solution in Cyprus.

This solution will need to be fair and hence based on the concept of proportionality in order to be accepted by GCs, so you can kiss the Annan plan goodbye.

[Agios Amvrosios]

I agree that "NO" support has grown since the referendum since I know of people from Kyrenia who voted yes thinking they were going to be allowed to go home. (My girlfirend's grandfather).

He flew into Cyprus from Australia and voted the same day he arrived thinking he was going hom to Lapithos wthin a couple of days.

When he find out what he was voting for He goes" gamoto toouton en' prodosia'. (this is treason)"