UN Secretary-General Mr Kofi Annan said today that a deal on ground rules for upcoming talks on reunifying Cyprus before May 1st authorises him to resolve differences in the final plan in case the parties deadlock.
"As a final resort, in the event of a continuing and persistent deadlock, the parties have invited me to use my discretion to finalize the text to be submitted to the referenda on the basis of my plan," he told a news conference.
The ethnic Turkish north and the ethnic Greek south are due to hold separate referendums on the plan on April 21.
He spoke to reporters after Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders earlier on Friday accepted his conditions for coming negotiations on the details of a reunification deal that are set to begin Feb. 19 in the Cyprus capital Nicosia.
In case of a deadlock in those negotiations, Turkey and Greece would be brought in for a week of intensive negotiations, and if that failed, "I have the right to complete the plan," with a goal of a final text by March 29, he said.