Front Page Headlines
Cyprus in dark on Forex fraud
Cold call ban meant Forex scam was not on regulators’ radar.
- Cyprus: President to chair meeting this week on migration flow
- Business: East Med energy needs to change course
‘We’ve burned’
Tsunami of price rises is hitting the living standard of households.
- Demographic… occupation: Migration via Turkish violence
- British Bases: The non-sovereign areas and the myth of ‘rent’
- ‘Grande’ corruption: Straw men took it to the Annan Plan
- Akkuyu: Permanent nuclear threat in the Mediterranean
- Achilleas C. Emilianides: Study: The secret negotiations of the Bases in ’59-’60
- Nicholas Stambolis: The coordinator of an arming mission for the EOKA Struggle
- Loria Markides (opinion): Neo-Ottoman Turkey is sick
- Nikos Katsourides (opinion): ‘Together’ or ‘side by side’, innocent words or something else
- Savvas Iacovides (opinion): Why is the USA and NATO still putting up with Turkey’s pirate behaviours
- Αndreas M. Vasiliou (opinion): I hope the Republic of Cyprus doesn’t end up dead
Cyprus: The country of youth in despair
Six in ten Cypriot youth are either unemployed, or receive hunger wages.
- Harris Georgiades to ‘P’: Mr. Nikos Christodoulides should clarify his position
- 2023 Presidential elections: AKEL with Pamporides, DIKO with Nicholas?
- Parliament: Clash with corruption
- Stefi Drakou: They remain on boats for as long as necessary
‘Asphyxiation’ in the occupied areas
With orders from Erdogan, the Turkish Vice President took on the role of ‘governor’. The special role of settlers, the supervisory check on the ’embassy’ and money laundering.
- Looting of TC properties
- Formula being sought for the new envoy
- Uzay Bulut: But even so Turkey invaded in ’74
- Nikolaos Raptopoulos: Eastern and despotic Turkey
The proposal for a decentralised federation
We reveal the document. What it foresees regarding the competences of the government and constituent states.
- Letter from Berlin to the EU: It declares Turkey innocent regarding EEZ
- Presidential elections with the right divided: Poll by ‘K’ – Christodoulides by far the favourite
- Turkey: Succession talk for Erdogan
- Greek-Turkish relations: The challenges in Cyprus
- Turkey was provocative: The former USA FM Mike Pompeo talks to ‘K’
AKEL will do everything possible for progressive change in 2023
Stefanos Stefanou: Everything is loudly showing that things have change in our country.
- Green Line: The deal with Israel being checked for handing over sovereign rights
- 2023 Presidential elections: Meeting of N. Christodoulides in Yeroskipou with his potential staff. A candidate regardless of the decision of DISY.
The nomenclature of the Presidential elections
Intense discussion among parties for 2023. Which names are playing for the presidential elections and at which stage are the internal party discussions. Deliberations in DISY, AKEL, DIKO and the rest of the parties.
- Migrant flows hit red: Meeting under President Anastasiades
- Analysis: The USA are choosing stability instead of a clash
- Nikos Dendias: At the moment, with Turkey being culpable, we have a dialogue of ‘deaf people’
Main News
Cyprob picture remains grim as UN envoy issue still pending
Phileleftheros
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
Phileleftheros reports that the current impasse in which the Cyprus problem finds itself appears to be the most severe of the past decades, with both the UN Secretariat and Security Council agreeing that the appointment of a UN envoy could be the only means through which mobility could resume.
The paper writes that the importance of the appointment of an envoy that will be tasked with assessing whether common ground exists for the resumption of negotiations was highlighted by both the UN Secretary General (UNSG) during his short conversation with President Nicos Anastasiades on the sidelines of the COP26 conference, but also by the UN Security Council (UNSC) who have been actively pushing towards this end in the recent period.
Phileleftheros reports that foreign observers believe that the appointment of an envoy is the only means through which to force the two sides to begin discussing efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem, since such a discussion is practically impossible at the moment. This is both due to the fact that neither of the two sides appear to be willing to discuss the Cyprus problem, but also due to other issues that are currently troubling either side.
The paper adds that the UNSG is attempting to find a formula that will allow the appointment of an envoy who will be accepted by both sides, with the latter element making things difficult given the different roles that each side wants the envoy to play. As regards the envoy’s mandate, the paper reports that Nicosia is happy to see third parties clarify that the Cyprus problem cannot move outside the framework of the UNSC.
Kathimerini reveals GC proposal for a decentralised federation
Kathimerini
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
Kathimerini reports that it has gotten hold of the six-page document submitted by the GC side to the UN, the EU, and the UK, and which outlines the proposal for a decentralised federation.
The paper reports that the document, which was drafted in April 2021 ahead of the informal five-party summit in Geneva, includes details of provisions, refers to the joint communique of February 11, 2014, and outlines six guiding proposals for the implementation of a decentralised federation in the form of questions that the GC side is attempting to find answers to.
Kathimerini reports that the proposal claims to be fully supported by UN resolutions and parameters, and on the framework of a bi-zonal, bicommunal federation (BBF), as agreed in the high-level agreements of 1977 and 1979. The proposal also says it is fully in line with the six points on the Guterres framework and completely respects the wishes of TCs for effective participation.
Regarding competences, the paper writes that the proposal did not limit itself to the separation of competences or to the relations between the central government and the federal states, but called for effective participation in decision-making processes and in the resolution of impasses and differences. The aim, according to the proposal, is to ensure the continuation of Cyprus’ obligations as an EU member state and its functionality and constructive participation in the EU. It is in this framework that the 2014 joint communique is mentioned, as is the fact that negotiations so far have agreed that the central government will have 22 or 24 competences.
The proposal notes that the basic philosophy is that the central government will have competences that will ensure one sovereignty, one international legal personality, and one citizenship, and as such will be in charge of foreign policy, defence and security. The central government will also take care of applied competences necessary to facilitate the work of the federal authorities. It will also have competences needed for participation in the EU and in the implementation of international obligations.
The two issue that arise regarding competences are firstly, the need to clarify the definition of a competency, and secondly, that decisions will be taken as close as possible to citizens.
Kathimerini also lists the six guiding questions included in the proposal. The first is whether any of the federal competences could be handed to the constituent states, the second asks which executive competences could be given to the constituent states, proposing competences relating to the protection of antiquities, cultural heritage, excavation licensing, EU funds management, meteorology, and environmental policy. The proposal notes that the central government will still own these competences, but possession will be granted to the constituent states through a mechanism that will be agreed upon, with the central state to be able to regain possession of any of the competences.
The third question asks whether any competences could be erased from the list due to their being self-explanatory, and the fourth asks whether any federal competences could be included in the constitution or in federal laws, such as environmental protection, in which both the federal states and the central government could participate.
The fifth question is whether there are any specific responsibilities that according to the principle of non-infringement between the central government and the constituent states could be defined in such a way so that the implementation of these competences could be complementary between the two levels. Here, the proposal mentions shipping, which though included as a competence of the central government, aspects of this category such as ports or other activities could be handled by constituent states.
The sixth question involves foundations, authorities and bodies, which currently amount to 144. The proposal suggest that a large number of these could be handled by the federal states, and proposes the creation of three-party coordinating bodies with equal participation of representatives from the central government and each constituent state.
The paper reports that the proposal notes that a discussion along these lines also requires a discussion regarding the abolition of guarantees, the removal of troops, the acceptance of the GC side’s position for substantive territorial readjustment and notes that the GC side will re-evaluate the TC side’s request for a positive vote in all federal bodies and institutions.