GCC Press Review 13 Apr 2019

Front Page Headlines

Politis

Two-day ‘haggling’ with the (energy) companies on Aphrodite (gas field)

Contacts on the new contract are at the final stage. New draft contract in the hands of the consortium for their final positions. The agreement with Egypt on the pipeline has been agreed with AKEL’s abstention. Criticism by DIKO and the Citizens’ Alliance on delays in the management of the gas deposit.

  • Jane Holl Lute: She is changing the procedure
  • AKEL and DIKO did not bite the bait – Averof insists on the self-dissolution of the Parliament. Resolution by Parliament for the resignation or dismissal of the finance minister.
  • Embargo: In line with Russia on the bill
  • Threat to Politis: “They will have an exemplary death” (Letter sent to Politis with threats against the life of journalist Costas Constantinou and Energy Minister Yiorgos Lakkotrypis)

Phileleftheros

Initiative by Lute at the eleventh hour

She is looking for a way out of the dead end with new ideas. Efforts underway for the picture to clear during the weekend. Internal quarrelling heightened.

  • Parliament resolution and toothless wrangling: (Exercise of) Soft opposition
  • Kurdish (Cerkez) Yilmaz, forcibly deemed as a terrorist
  • Message of hope by Aradippou pupils

Haravgi

The President is divisive and insulting

A barrage of unacceptable statements by the President. Nicos Anastasiades ought to blame himself. He hit rock bottom with his references to “borrowed votes”.

  • Unanimity (in Parliament) except from DISY-ELAM
  • Surprises and emotion during the ‘A song for love’ competition
  • TCs can’t take (price) rises anymore. A strike yesterday and a large protest rally

Cyprus Mail

‘Either resign or be removed’

House passes resolution to get rid of finance minister over Co-op debacle

Alithia

We are running to make it

An orgy of activity behind the scenes in view of the report Guterres will submit on Monday to the UN Security Council. The government appears optimistic on the ongoing initiative by Lute for a ‘procedural’ formula that could even create conditions for the resumption of talks. The Greece-Turkey talks on security and guarantees have begun.

  • Occupied areas: They put a padlock on the ‘civil service’ and took to the streets
  • Ombudswoman: “Refugee students studying abroad are also entitled to rent allowance.”
  • AKEL-President: Bickering without limits on “borrowed votes”
  • A resolution to rebuff their own responsibilities – AKEL, DIKO and EDEK passed their resolution by attributing responsibilities for the (demise) of the Co-op only to the government and Harris (Georgiades). Surprise by (DISY leader) Averof (Neophytou), who called on the opposition, if it really meant everything it said as regards responsibilities, to submit a proposal for the dissolution of Parliament and go to early elections.

Main News

New initiative by Lute on the cards

Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Negotiations Process

OVERVIEW

A new initiative by UN envoy Jane Holl Lute that could give a push out of the current deadlock is on the cards, the papers report.

Phileleftheros, citing sources, reports that Lute has launched a last-minute initiative, before the UN Secretary-General submits his report to the Security Council on Monday, to introduce some ideas concerning procedure to probe whether there is the possibility of substantive consultations on the Terms of Reference (ToR). Lute is currently in consultation with all stakeholders while the picture may become clear over the weekend, the daily reported, adding that the UN envoy would like to see some result that could be included in the report.

Lute’s contacts will deal with procedural matters and not with the essence of the dialogue, Phileleftheros said. It added that all sides have agreed not to reveal anything other than that a series of contacts will take place.

Government Spokesman Prodromos Prodromou said on Friday it was important that the UN and the Secretary-General support the procedure on the Cyprus problem, the paper reported.

Anastasiades, he said, is aware of Lute’s idea which could assist in achieving the goal of drafting the ToR and the resumption of talks.

On statements by AKEL leader Andros Kyprianou that Anastasiades has not informed the opposition on his suggestions on the Cyprus problem, Prodromou said the National Council was the first to hear about the president’s idea on the decentralised federation. Anastasiades also briefs political leaders after each meeting with Lute, he said.

Prodromou said the polemic against Anastasiades by AKEL is not helpful in tackling Turkish expediencies.

Kyprianou said on Friday he did not think the UN would call it a day regarding the Cyprus problem process, but a prolonged standstill brings the two sides a step closer to final partition, as people gradually make peace with the idea of a two-state solution.

Politis reports that Lute is changing the procedure, adding that Nicosia is not negative to the initiative and has already gave its response to the UN envoy who is waiting to see the reaction of the TC side to decide on the next steps.

Meanwhile, Alithia reports that Nicosia seems to invest a lot in the consultations that began on Friday in Athens between the Greek and Turkish foreign ministries on the international aspect of the Cyprus problem as per the agreement of the foreign ministers of the two countries at their meeting in Turkey last March. Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides said on Friday that both the Cypriot and Greek governments see these discussions as particularly important and indicative of the subsequent course.

KEY ACTORS
Christodoulides:
>>
Cyprus and Greece view consultations on the international aspect of the Cyprob as indicative of the course to be followed.

Kyprianou (AKEL)
>> The prolonged standstill brings the two sides a step closer to final partition. People gradually make peace with the idea of a two-state solution.


Anastasiades-AKEL spat ongoing

Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Negotiations Process

OVERVIEW

The spat between Anastasiades and main opposition AKEL on the Cyprus problem heightens ahead of next month’s Euro-elections, according to the dailies.

According to the dailies, in response to AKEL’s tweet that it would not take lessons from the president, Anastasiades said he wonders whether it was Kyprianou who achieved to put on the table for the first time the issue of the abolition of guarantees, intervention rights and the presence of the Turkish troops at Crans-Montana.

Anastasiades called on AKEL to show some respect for the fact that the GC side has achieved the adoption by the UN Secretary-General of six points it has submitted in cooperation with Greece. AKEL, he said, claims that their creator is now trying to abolish them.

He also urged AKEL to criticise the TC leader the same way it criticises him, adding that it is the opposition party that is trying to sabotage the whole procedure.

Kyprianou said in response that Anastasiades has hit rock bottom and that he is unable to understand AKEL’s political role. His party, he said, wants to shape those conditions so that GCs and TCs will be able to cooperate based on their political positions and qualitative criteria and not based on ethnic background.

He said Anastasiades unilaterally violates decisions of the National Council and promotes his own ideas without first discussing them with the body.

AKEL accepts the Framework just as the UNSG had submitted in Crans-Montana, he said.

Kyprianou added that Anastasiades had tried to amend the Christofias-Talat agreement on the Greek and Turkish citizens, allowing Turkey to put forth its unreasonable demands.

Anastasiades chose during the last elections to put his personal ambitions above the country, he said.

The Cyprus Mail reports that the Presidential Palace and AKEL traded barbs as Anastasiades accused the opposition of siding with the Turkish side.

KEY ACTORS
Anastasiades:
>>
It was he who succeeded in Crans-Montana in putting on the table for the first time the issue of abolition of guarantees, intervention rights & presence of Turkish troops.
>> GC side achieved adoption by UNSG of six points submitted in cooperation with Greece. AKEL claiming the creator of these six points is now trying to abolish them.
>> AKEL ought to criticise TC leader the same way it criticises Anastasiades.

Kyprianou (AKEL)
>>
AKEL wants to pave the way so that GCs and TCs will be able to cooperate based on their political positions and qualitative criteria and not based on ethnic background.
>> AKEL accepts the UNSG Framework just as it was submitted at Crans Montana.
>> Anastasiades’ attempt to amend the Christofias-Talat agreement on the Greek and Turkish citizens allowed Turkey to put forth its unreasonable demands.


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