National Council meeting part 2

The members of the National Council, who continued their meeting yesterday afternoon, announced their support for President Christofias and his efforts to start direct negotiations on the Cyprus problem.

Despite reservations expressed by DIKO, EDEK, EVROKO and the Green Party, all members agreed to a joint statement read by Government Spokesman Stefanos Stefanou after the three-hour meeting. The statement said: “The members of the National Council, after expressing their opinions on the developments, as well as some reservations, gave their support to the President of the Republic to continue his efforts to pave the way for direct negotiations, based on the greatest possible progress”. Stefanou added: “ It will be up to the discretion of the President and joint consultations with the parties before a final decision is made.”He said the President would have a clear view on whether to move ahead to direct negotiations or not.before his meeting on 25 July with Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat.

Politis says it's clear there are two camps on the Cyprus problem - Akel and Disy supporting President Christofias in going for direct talks, and the smaller parties believing that the prerequisites have not yet been satisfied.

The paper says that during yesterday's meeting, both Akel and Disy said that the basis for talks as set out at the last meeting of the two leaders, and whatever progress was achieved at the technical committees and working groups were sufficient grounds for direct talks. This was also Christofias' position who spoke of 1 September as a possible starting date for such talks. Akel's parliamentary spokesman Nikos Katsourides said that we have to decide if we want a solution after negotiations or negotiations for a solution. He spoke of two years of stalemate.

The Cyprus Mail reports that DIKO, EDEK, EVROKO and the Green Party weren’t impressed with the progress the technical committees and working groups had achieved . They also maintained that the basis of the solution had not yet been made clear. DIKO President Marios Garoyian said his party’s aim was to help Christofias in his efforts. He added that Christofias had assured the National Council that he would be requesting an intensification of the working groups and technical committees’ operations. “The aim of the Democratic Party is not to gnaw at the President but to reinforce his negotiating abilities and position, and therefore we will continue with all our powers, in efforts to realise our side’s aims. It needs patience, persistence, calmness and correct dealings,” said Garoyian. EDEK president Yiannakis Omirou said his party believes that there needs to be satisfactory progress, a negotiated basis so that the talks can become productive, fruitful and operational , while EVROKO leader Demetris Syllouris said direct talks without further progress would “lead to a dead end or to a bad solution”.

Politis also reports that former President Tasos Papadopoulos who could not attend the meeting sent a 14 page written document outlining his views. He said he did not believe that agreement had been reached on the issues of a single sovereignty and nationality but that these issues had just been postponed to the direct talks. Nor did he believe any progress had been achieved in the working groups, insisted on the 8 July agreement and did not think that there are sufficient grounds meriting the start of direct talks. "If we go to talks and don't reach a solution we will end up like Kosovo", he said.

All political leaders expressed their concern over the political crisis in Turkey and how this may affect the developments of the Cyprus problem.

President Christofias left the meeting without making statements, as did DISY leader Nicos Anastassiades and Vice-president Averoff Neophytou.

The Cyprus Mail adds that mediators see the planned July 25 meeting between Christofias and Talat as the last hurdle before full-fledged negotiations. “As long as we can get them to the 25th without them falling out…,” said one mediation source yesterday. The paper says that since they met on Tuesday both leaders have faced criticism over the latest joint statement they made. The statement, committing in principle to a “single sovereignty and citizenship” as part of a solution, was aimed at easing Greek Cypriot concerns, which emerged from the previous leaders’ meeting on May 23.

The two major political parties, ruling AKEL and opposition DISY hailed the move but the smaller parties disparaged the effort.

In the north, criticism against Talat was even stronger, particularly after his comment on Thursday that there was no state in the world with two sovereignties or two citizenships. “If we desire a solution in Cyprus, and if there shall be a united Cyprus than surely there shall be single sovereignty and single citizenship,” he said.

The other issue that drew criticism in the north was the fact that Talat did not leave the meeting with a date for new talks. Some factions of the Turkish Cypriot press called on Talat to resign, while political parties were also critical. The National Unity Party (UBP) also called on him to resign. Serdar Denktash said a single sovereignty would mean Turkish Cypriots becoming a minority. He said it would never be accepted. He said the process began by Talat and Christofias was without hope. “We are heading to submission,” Denktash said.

Meanwhile, according to reports in the Greek Cypriot press yesterday, Christofias is getting ready to prepare the people for new negotiations and would be addressing the public after the July 25 meeting with Talat. The public address to the nation is to inform the public about the realistic expectations, framework and timeframe for the talks that will begin in September.