Papadopoulos’ flirt with old strategies baptized as “new”, along with Anastasiades’ experimentations and expediencies are a dead-end policy
Statement by Aristos Damianou, AKEL Political Bureau member
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 26th November 2017
As Turkey is proceeding to create new unacceptably fait accompli that are consolidating the occupation and perpetuating partition, Mr. Nicolas Papadopoulos continues to refuse to clarify whether he is in favour of or against the agreed framework of a bicommunal, bizonal federal solution. At the same time, the outgoing President of the Republic, a confusion of contradictions, embraces the cloak of nationality to rally voters.
Unfortunately, the unproductive passage of time and the prolongation of the deadlock have a negative effect on the prospect, but also with regards the quality of the solution. Given the Turkish stand, liberation and reunification are hampered by the expediencies and experimentations of the main rival candidates of Stavros Malas. Nicos Anastasiades tried to solve the Cyprus problem or to expose the Turkish side and failed. He gave what he had to offer. Nicolas Papadopoulos, adopting unsuccessful policies pursued in the 1980’s, will fail again by trying to breach the commitments that were undertaken by seven Presidents of the Republic of Cyprus towards the international community and the Turkish Cypriot community, a development that will inevitably lead us to new adventures.
Mr. Papadopoulos’ flirt with old strategies which have been baptized as “new”, along with Mr. Anastasiades’ experimentations and expediencies, are a dead-end policy. At this time, consistency to the goal of the solution, the creation of the preconditions for a return to the talks after the presidential elections and assertion based on principles is needed. Stavos Malas can offer this promising perspective.