There have actually been two encouraging developments…
In Pyla, the leaders stood side by side, gathered round a table, and smiled together at a bi-communal ‘peace festival’.
It had been a long time since there had been a ‘partnership’ with ‘peace’ in its name…
We made up for lost time.
What lovely scenes they were; hands were joined, shared melodies and dances were recalled, and steps were taken.
***
Another positive development was the statement made by Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman to the Greek Cypriot press.
This was a valuable step, one we hadn’t seen for a long time…
Tufan Erhürman had always harboured such hesitation…
In our face-to-face meetings, we were always in agreement that this would be meaningful.
But for some reason, it never materialised…
Nikos Christodoulides, on the other hand, was far more at ease and far more generous when it came to meeting with Turkish Cypriot journalists…
***
The Greek Cypriot press can always act as an ‘agenda-setter’ in the peace process.
We often read about certain developments there first.
Moreover, these do not always involve manipulation, or misinformation.
For the most part, we also learn about certain initiatives, documents, responses and preparations from there.
There is still quite a lot we do not know…
For example, there is the talk of ‘7 proposals’.
What exactly are these, one by one?
What we do know is that the Turkish Cypriot leadership has accepted six of them.
As for the proposal regarding the opening of check-points, they requested that it be discussed in greater detail.
It appears that the Greek Cypriot leadership has taken a negative stance towards the proposals.
On the other hand, he says, “I have accepted the one concerning the check-points”.
All right, but…
Who is rejecting what, and why?
If only the United Nations would explain these matters to the public…
So that we might understand where things stand at certain stages of the talks.
***
Although the scenes in Pyla were encouraging…
There was still a ‘hidden’ tension.
As Nikos Christodoulides put it: “It is undoubtedly political will that can pave the way for the process and enable us to achieve a positive outcome. Everything depends on this.”
He has, in his own way, gained an ‘advantage’…
He is using this at every opportunity.
And that is…
Turkey’s stance!
Because, despite the very clear, obvious and unequivocal electoral preference of the Turkish Cypriots, Turkey is pursuing a ‘secessionist’ policy outside the framework of the United Nations.
This is narrowing Tufan Erhürman’s room for manoeuvre.
In my view, this sense of being cornered also underlies his avoidance of the term ‘federal solution’…
Despite the persistent questions from Andreas Paraschos of Politis…
Of course, “substance is more important than labels”, but…
If he were to say ‘federal solution’ just once…
Because in what other solution model does ‘political equality’ exist?
Or, ‘rotating presidency.’
Since these are not present in the two-state formula…
The more you try to evade it, the more this ‘federal solution’ rhetoric comes after you.
Breath is being wasted in vain…
Moreover, this situation also serves as a shield for Nikos Christodoulides’ ‘lack of intent’…
This is what my anger is all about…
We really ought to be discussing Tufan Erhürman’s assessment much more: “I accepted almost all of the Secretary-General’s proposals and stated that I was prepared to discuss the check-points at a more advanced level.”
***
The United Nations Representative for Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguín, also penned a letter last week…
Nobody really seems to care because of the ‘election’ atmosphere here…
The corrupt partnership that has dragged the Treasury into a debt quagmire is flying planes, building housing estates, and pursuing a politics of promises and fear reminiscent of the 1990s.
Anyway…
Angela Holguín asks:
“If, over the past two years, the parties have been unable to agree on a crossing point to facilitate communication, demining, or a joint effort to eliminate plastic pollution across the island, and many other areas of potential cooperation, how can they agree on a political, economic and social model capable of overcoming decades of division and growing distance between the two communities, especially bearing in mind that such divisions are becoming more pronounced by the day”
All right, but…
If the United Nations is also going to ask the questions we are wondering about…
Who will provide the answers?
Who will explain to the communities what each side has proposed, what they have accepted, what they have rejected, and why they have rejected it?
Diplomacy, of course, requires confidentiality.
But confidentiality cannot be used as an excuse to obscure accountability.
Because if there is no outcome, it is the right of the people living on this island to know why.
Otherwise, everyone will continue to tell their own version of the story to their own public.
Everyone will consider themselves in the right, and everyone will portray the other side as the culprit.
If this continues, peace will remain nothing more than a pretty photograph taken in Pyla.
