CYPRUS: In an address televised last night in Cyprus and Greece, the Cypriot President, Mr Tassos Papadopoulos, called upon Greek Cypriots to reject the UN plan for the reunification of Cyprus in a Swiss-style federation.
He said that the plan, put forward by the UN Secretary General Mr Kofi Annan, "does not provide for reunification but the permanent separation of the two communities ... It does not solve the problem of partition but it makes it legal."
He argued that the "Annan plan does not give the Greek Cypriots the minimum of their demands".
The Greek Cypriots will not secure their "human rights or security" from the plan. Mr Papadopoulos asserted three times that the Turkish Cypriots received their demands "24 hours after the plan comes into effect but Greek Cypriot demands [to be implemented in stages over several years] were for the future."
Finally he made the point that the republic of Cyprus is slated to be "dissolved" under the plan but said that there was no guarantee that the new United Cyprus Republic would succeed. "If the federal state does not work, we cannot return" to the republic, he stated.
Following last week's intensive negotiations in Switzerland, Mr Papadopoulos has been under great pressure from the UN, European Union and the US to endorse the plan. The island's largest political party, the left-wing Akel, which regularly receives 35 per cent of the vote, is expected to announce its support for the Annan plan on April 14th. Akel has several ministers in the coalition government. The right-wing opposition Democratic Rally, with 30 per cent of the vote, is set to declare its verdict on the 15th. The rally's chairman, Mr Nicos Anastassiates, has indicated that the party would adopt a positive position.
Latest polls indicate that 84 per cent of Greek Cypriots would vote against the plan while 51 per cent of Turkish Cypriots would vote Yes and 48 per cent No. The veteran Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr Rauf Denktash, reiterated his rejection of the plan yesterday but Ankara's firm support for it is expected to be decisive amongst Turkish Cypriot voters.
On his return to the island on Tuesday, the UN mediator, Mr Alvaro de Soto, urged Greek and Turkish Cypriots to make a "calm assessment" of the plan.
He also warned that "the plan provides for one referendum" on April 24th. "It does not provide for a second bite of the cherry sometime later on. The plan will be null and void if not approved."