Front Page Headlines
Lockdown and… every vaccine for the best!
New tough measures to avoid the heart attack at hospitals.
- GC mission: ‘Luggage’ ready for Geneva
- Parliament dissolves: They closed the curtain completely satisfied
- A candidate for… rape: Instead of a place in Parliament he’s heading for the stand in court
- European Union: ‘Throwing out’ AstraZeneca
Return to the vicious circle
The Council of Ministers caught everyone by surprise with its decision for a new lockdown. An intervention by DISY at the Presidential Palace last night brought alteration to rules governing churchgoers.
- Toward Geneva the ‘noes’ and ‘wants’ of our side: The analysis of facts at the National (Council)
- Last stretch before ballot boxes open
- Saving the History and memory of Karpasia
- (Attorney) General will make report (on naturalisations)… anonymous
They failed… and they’re leading us to a new gruelling lockdown
Instead of relaxations… tougher measures from Holy Monday until May 9.
- Cyprus problem: Political leadership getting briefed with documents on possible scenarios ahead of the five-party
- Bi-communal mobilisation against partition today at 5:30pm at Eleftheria Square
Forget about a normal Easter
Government takes drastic measures, tough two-week lockdown comes in force Monday.
- Cyprus moves to assure tourism partners abroad
Everything overturned and we’re going for a third total lockdown from Monday
In an attempt to curb the spread of coronavirus. Small exceptions on Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday.
- Five-party: Arrangements by Guterres for extension if needed
- Parliament: Populism on red!
Main News
National Council briefed on Geneva tactics
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
The National Council was on Friday briefed by President Nicos Anastasiades on the GC side’s strategy for the informal summit to be held in Geneva next week, the dailies report.
The GC mission to Geneva will be departing for Switzerland on Monday equipped with legal arguments and documents and with the aim of securing a positive outcome at the informal five-party summit, Politis reports. Alithia reports that the UN Secretary General (UNSG) Antonio Guterres has made arrangements so that the summit could be extended if fruitful ground emerges.
Politis reports that during the briefing of the National Council, Anastasiades referred to the documents prepared by the legal team that seek to fortify the GC side with arguments in the face of Turkey’s claims. Politis reports that documents were however not distributed among party leaders, despite their requests for clarification on how the GC side plans to deal with Turkey’s pursuits and how it will tackle the issue of a decentralised federation. Phileleftheros writes that Anastasiades promised party leaders that they will be handed the legal documents prepared upon their arrival in Geneva.
Phileleftheros reports that that the GC side will follow a two-pronged strategy: it will be prepared to both respond to arguments to be tabled by Turkey and Britain, and to present its own positions. The paper reports that the documents prepared involve specific approaches to dealing with matters such as sovereign equality, a loose federation, and political equality, while a study was also conducted on the bridging proposal tabled by the British. Haravgi reports that the legal documents also include a strategy Anastasiades can follow in order to reach agreement on the competences to remain with the central government. The paper adds that the most problematic aspect of Anastasiades’ positions is his hesitation as regards the TC positive vote.
Anastasiades clarified that the GC side’s strategy will be based on UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, the Anastasiades-Eroglu Joint Declaration (February 11, 2014), the agreement reached during the informal Berlin meeting of November 25, 2019, as well as the EU acquis and principles. Phileleftheros notes that the GC side is seeking to abolish the framework for guarantees and rights of intervention, and to ensure that the concerns of the GC side are taken into account. The paper writes that Anastasiades clarified that he will not be accepting a two-state solution and will be seeking a functional and viable state. Phileleftheros reports that in Geneva, Anastasiades will also be discussing confidence-building measures (CBMs). He also said he would insist on EU presence at formal negotiations.
According to Phileleftheros, Anastasiades told the National Council that the EU’s inability to participate in the Geneva summit was not solely due to objections raised by Turkey and the TC side but by Britain too. Alithia reports that this was also by Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides on Friday in public statements to CyBC. The paper writes that Christodoulides said Britain posed obstacles to EU participation in Geneva due to soured relations between London and Brussels after Brexit.
Politis reports that the majority of the political leadership adopted the government’s view that none of the sides are at this stage willing to shoulder the blame for any negative developments. The paper writes that this is particularly the case for Turkey, for which the stakes are high as regards its relations with the EU which will be discussed anew in June. Politis adds that the TC side and Turkey are expected to attempt to lay the groundwork for their claim for sovereign equality, but not so much for a two-state solution, which will be picked up at a later stage.
The dailies report that the political leadership did not issue statements after the National Council session, barring EDEK leader Marinos Sizopoulos and Solidarity leader Eleni Theocharous, both of whom reiterated their parties’ concerns over the risks that lurk at the informal summit.
Phileleftheros reports that the GC side’s analysis of statements issued by the TC side and Turkey has led to the expectation that the pair will request that both communities on the island are recognised, and may also request the recognition of their sovereign equality, before they accept returning to the negotiating table. The Turkish side is also expected to state that a federal solution is unfeasible, by pointing to the rejection of the Annan Plan and the collapse of talks in Crans-Montana. The paper writes that the pair will also pursue an equal international status, for which UNSG will be called to brief the UNSC. Finally, Turkey and the TC side will want to discuss their ‘new ideas’ and will maintain that negotiations cannot pick up from where they left off, Phileleftheros writes.
Even so, Politis and Alithia report that TC leader Ersin Tatar stressed that the Turkish side will not be backing down on its claim for sovereign equality and a two-state solution, reiterating that a federal solution is unfeasible. Tatar also called on the EU and member states to stand by their promises in relation to TCs and to stop supporting the Greek-Greek Cypriot pair. Politis reports that overall, the TC side is attempting to get the message across that TCs will exist and will function regardless of the outcome in Geneva.
Politis also reports on the TC opposition’s unyielding call for a federal solution, citing statements made by CTP leader Tufan Erhurman who said Tatar is not offering a new approach through his claim for two states and sovereign equality, but is rather reiterating the same story that has been on repeat for the past 50 years, that a non-solution is a solution.
KEY ACTORS
Christodoulides
>> Along with TC side and Turkey, Britain too posed obstacles to EU participation in Geneva due to soured relations with Brussels after Brexit
Tatar
>> Federal solution unfeasible, will pursue two-state solution and sovereign equality
>> EU & member states must stand by promises in relation to TCs and stop supporting the Greek-GC pair
Erhurman (CTP)
>> Tatar’s claim for two states and sovereign equality not new, but part of long-standing mentality that a non-solution is the solution
>> Calls for federal solution
Two-week total lockdown comes into effect on Monday
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Internal Security
OVERVIEW
The government on Friday imposed a fresh lockdown for two weeks between April 26 and May 9 in a bid to stem the rapid spread of Covid infections, which are threatening to overrun the island’s health system, the dailies report.
The lockdown will be lifted on May 10 but visiting crowded venues will require negative Covid tests or being vaccinated or having gone through the illness inside the past three months. Venues include catering, places where people gather, gyms, retail outlets, theatres.
The Republic’s third total lockdown since the outbreak of the pandemic will see the 9pm-5am curfew remain as is, and permitted outings per day via text message reduced to one from the current two. No text will be required for those going to a vaccination centre.
The operation of hospitality venues, including those in shopping centres, will be suspended with the exception of delivery and take away. Shops, apart from those selling food and drink or other essential items will also close. With the new lockdown coinciding with the Holy Week, certain exceptions were made for churchgoers.
Politis reports that epidemiological data covering the past two weeks show that Cyprus is currently traversing its worst epidemiological situation. Medical staff recently also made dramatic appeals, warning that they were being forced to treat people in hallways and ambulances because of bed shortages.