Front Page Headlines
Goalpoast shift over vaccines
Mass jabs still touted as way to herd immunity despite rising infections among fully vaccinated
- Tougher checks on Greek Cypriots at crossings
Sanctions on the basis of the Transnistria model
The President’s proposal on Zurich, the contradiction of a federation and the Spanish formula.
- Since 1956: The Turks want all of Cyprus
- Passports revocation: Between giving in and unconditional concession
- Islamism: Its relentless advance in Afghanistan and the occupied areas
- Analysis: Democracy in Cyprus is a salad without olive oil and without mercy
- Savvas Iacovides (opinion): Strategic handling of Turkey after the revocation of passports
- Petros Th. Pantelides (opinion): Do you accept a BBF solution with political equality?
- Lazaros A. Mavros (opinion): TC leadership and useful (…perhaps???) reminders
- Andreas S. Angelides (opinion): Passports and the new Interstate Appeal
You don’t respect anyone, not even the Cabinet
‘P’ reveals M. Hadjipantelas’ strict letter to OKYPY
- Cyprus problem: Single state and other rubbish
- Occupied areas: One with land the other with privileges
Overwhelming ‘yes’ from citizens
Poll by Pulse/’Phileleftheros’: 71% had a positive response to the revocation of passports. 64% of those in favour where DISY supporters and 58% were AKEL supporters. But there is concern over the consequences of efforts to find a Cyprus problem solution.
- They’re pulling the breaks on the processes due to the Afghanistan issue: ‘Sovereign equality’ key for the next steps
- Turkey attempting to enter PESCO via Kabul
New York tripartite in the air
Relations between the two sides are on a tight rope, with Lute not finding a reason to come.
- Bob Menendez: If GCs and TCs spoke they would agree
Conclusive evidence of our course towards definitive partition
AKEL wants Anastasiades-DISY to claim their responsibility for the dangerous downward slides.
- Reportage: The revocation of passports from TC ‘officials’ of a doubtful result
- Cyprus problem: Legal experts warn of great risk with the 5th Interstate Appeal. They stress that nothing can be taken for granted.
Chasing charlatans
Coronavirus: The authorities are trying to find ways of terminating the actions and the dangerous nostrums of coronavirus-denying doctors. New complaint of ‘treatment’ with vitamins, zinc, ginger, or olive leaves. Eleven dead from coronavirus and 10 children orphaned within two days. Vartholomeos: Irrational and unfair that some are afraid of the vaccine.
- Political analysis: The impasse of political equality can be overcome
- American analyst: The US should deter Turkish aggression
- CCSS report: For every national guardsman there are 3.5 soldiers
- Christos Panayiotides: The opening of fenced-off Famagusta and its aim
Main News
Proposal for return to 1960 finds no support from papers
Alithia, Haravgi, Kathimerini, Phileleftheros, Politis
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
President Nicos Anastasiades’ recent proposal to reinstate the regime provided for by the 1960 Constitution was seen by papers on Sunday as an unfortunate hit-and-miss.
Politis reports that on the one hand, the paper writes that the statements issued by TC leader Ersin Tatar than prompted Anastasiades to offer the proposal in response, that is, that the Republic of Cyprus (RoC) is a common democracy made up of two peoples and that passports are a natural right stemming from the Treaties of Establishment of the RoC, shows that Tatar recognises that the regime in the north draws its legality from the 1959 Treaties that established the RoC, thereby legitimating them while delegitimising the ‘TRNC’. On the other hand, the paper writes that while Anastasiades’ proposal may be seen as supporting the RoC, his reference to reinstating constitutional order indirectly signals that he accepts that constitutionally, he is not a legal president of the RoC as it was established in 1960.
Overall, Politis views both the decision to revoke passports and the proposal for a return to the 1960 regime as another example of Anastasiades’ unscrupulous tactics for internal consumption, in order to send the message that there is only one recognised state which is also in the position to impose sanction on secessionists – for sanctions to be lifted, secessionists must return to the legal state. The paper writes that given the collapse of the 1960 constitution in 1964, mainly due to actions by GCs, Anastasiades’ proposal makes no sense, and only serves to increase his lack of credibility in negotiating a Cyprob solution.
Politis reports that Anastasiades’ proposal also puts the GC side on the same level of seriousness as Tatar’s two-state solution that has seen international rejection, since a return to the 1960 regime in order to secure a BBF solution would leave guarantees and TC veto power in place, which were aspects that Anastasiades has claimed to be working to dismantle through his proposal for a decentralised federation. The paper writes that what is needed is political will, which neither of the two sides have, and which will ultimately lead to a two-state solution, which is being sought by both leaders.
Phileleftheros publishes that a poll it carried out to assess public opinion on the government’s move to revoke passports from TCs saw 71% of responders state that the move was positive, but a majority of 46% said it may negatively affect the Cyprus problem, and just one in three stated that the move would have positive results for the GC side. Moreover, 62% responded that the move does not violate the rights of those who saw their RoC passport revoked. The paper said the poll sampled 600 people on Augusta 25-26.
Even so, Phileleftheros views Anastasiades’ proposal for a reinstation of the constitutional regime, as one that was not thought over, came from nowhere, and ultimately fell through.
Phileleftheros also reports that developments in Afghanistan on the one hand and domestic developments on the other are evidence that the coming period will not bring any important developments in the Cyprus problem. With main players (UN, UK, USA, Russia) focused on Afghanistan, the paper writes that certain Cyprob-related moves are being frozen though planned meetings in New York in September remain in place. Phileleftheros writes that while the UN Secretary General’s (UNSG) Special Envoy Jane Holl Lute is postponing her trip to Cyprus, UNSG Antonio Guterres will in September call for a tripartite meeting and perhaps if necessary, an informal five-party summit.
Meanwhile, Phileleftheros reports that the British Bases may be used to evacuate British citizens from Afghanistan, though a definitive decision has not been taken yet.
Kathimerini reports that the Cabinet, which quickly approved the decision to revoke passports and then moved on to feast at the Troodos Presidential residences, gravely undermined the consequences of the move. Similarly, the paper writes that Anastasiades’ proposal wasn’t well received by the Foreign Ministry or DISY. The paper writes that Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides strongly opposed Anastasiades’ move, and insisted that all moves towards this end are stopped before bigger problems are created.
Kathimerini reports that Anastasiades’ spontaneous proposal now leaves Nicosia and technocrats with the responsibility to explain its contents and whether Nicosia remains committed to resuming negotiations to secure a BBF solution. The paper writes that the situation also once again raises the issue of the government’s handlings and Anastasiades’ communication strategies, with DISY circles insisting that an expert is needed to filter and advise Anastasiades on his moves.
Regarding Lute’s postponed visit, Kathimerini reports that she wasn’t planning on following through with her trip even before the fiasco with passports and the return to 1960, since Turkey’s insistence on a two-state solution meant the two sides were already too far apart for her to even try to find common ground. The paper writes that what remains to be seen is how the UNSG will navigate the situation, and reports that Lute recently relayed to involved parties Guterres’ concerns with whether a meeting should even be held in New York. Kathimerini adds that the current situation also distances the possibility of a meeting between the two leaders and the UNSG, though one-on-one meetings are still likely.
Alithia report that Anastasiades’ proposal came a shock, especially since the main obstacle between the two sides is political equality and nor territorial issues. The paper writes that a return to the 1960 regime and a federal solution are incompatible, since the former involves a single state and the latter a delineation of areas which each community will be responsible for administering.
Haravgi reports that AKEL’s political bureau, which met on Saturday to discuss the government’s recent moves, concluded that Anastasiades is proving to be unable to deal with the repercussions of his failed policies regarding Cyprob, which are leading the island towards definitive partition. The paper reports that the body agreed that Anastasiades must stop engaging in moves that seek to satisfy certain parties, and stop experimenting and doubting the agreed-upon solution framework, and instead take persuasive initiatives that will restore the GC side’s credibility.
KEY ACTORS
AKEL political bureau
>> Anastasiades is proving to be unable to deal with the repercussions of his failed policies regarding Cyprob, which are leading the island towards definitive partition
>> Anastasiades must stop engaging in moves that seek to satisfy certain parties, and stop experimenting and doubting the agreed-upon solution framework, and instead take persuasive initiatives that will restore the GC side’s credibility