2008 Cypriot presidential elections

[Tsontos]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cypriot...election,_2008

The latest opinion poll has shown it will go down to the wire. President Papadopoulos polled 32.7%, Socialist Dimitris Christofias 28.7% and Right wing Kasoulides 26.2%. The top two after the first round on 17th Fenruary will go the 'second sunday'.

[Nikephoros]

What political party do Cypriot Cypriots vote for. I am sure we all have interacted with one of these types of idiots. Is it AKEL?

For backgroud:

Originally Posted by Caesar V. Mavratsas

http://www.cyprus-conflict.net/www.c...mavratsas.html
The most methodical formulation of the Cypriotist ideology that developed in the first post-1974 years was provided by the New Cyprus Association, an organization which was founded in March 1975, with the aim of promoting and safeguarding Cypriot independence. The Association's founding was an explicit reaction to the events of 1974, an attempt to create an atmosphere in which the mistakes that led to 1974 could not possibly be repeated. The Neocypriots proclaimed that it was high time to formulate 'the lessons that must be drawn out of the fires of Pentadaktylos', referring to the northern mountain range of Cyprus which was the site of intense fighting during the Turkish invasion (The New Cyprus Association 1975). The prevailing mood of the people who set up the Association becomes deal in their official Declaration:

Now that the tears are dry, now that the anger and despair have gone we must think: We have been happy, we have been honest, tolerant and liberal. We had been leading a serene and carefree existence and we were silent. Now we are paying for our silence. We, the silent majority. must search our mind and our conscience so that we can realize the sudden awakening of the seven days. Our children and the coming generations expect us to act so that they will not find themselves in the same position as ours (The New Cyprus Association, 1975).

Given the division of the island in 1974 - and its undeniable connection to Greek-Cypriot nationalism - it is probably true that in the immediate post-1974 years the New Cyprus Association indeed expressed the prevailing Greek-Cypriot sentiments. The Association's foremost political priority was to ensure that this 'majority' was never again to remain silent, as it had remained when the Republic of Cyprus was being under mined by nationalist extremists and the Greek junta.

The New Cyprus Association (1975) had no intention to 'deny ethnic origins and cultural links' and made it clear that 'we cannot forget our national descent'. It stressed, however, that the inhabitants of Cyprus 'must as a people consider themselves as Cypriots first and foremost and then as Greeks, Turks, or others'. And this, precisely because 'the most significant cause of our present predicament is that the two major communities were living in air-tight separateness without contact and with the wrong conceptions about each other - and that a significant cause for this has been the separate orientations and organization of Cyprus society, and the wrong slogans'. For the Neocypriots,

the danger of the partition of Cyprus or the dissolution of our state ii imminent and the responsibility for preventing this belongs mainly to us the Cypriots and no country outside Cyprus can help effectively either because it has not the power or because its interests are not always identified with ours.

In the Association's view, ethnic separation must be overcome through 'the rapprochement and continuous cultivation of understanding between the two communities so that our common features will be fully realized and emphasized and our differences confined and alleviated' (The New Cyprus Association, 1975).

Despite the small size of the Association, the Neocypriots played a prominent role in pressuring the official Greek-Cypriot leadership to denationalize the Republic of Cyprus and to assume an explicit policy of independence (Peristianis 1995). Its members were mostly intellectuals and professionals from the educated elite of the island, especially those who had studied in Europe or North America. It is interesting to note that people who belong to the Association are eager to confess that the fact that they received their education in countries other than Greece has changed their perspective considerably, enabling them to understand the importance of interethnic communication in a multicultural society. It must, of course, be pointed out that this mostly Anglo-Saxon-educated elite has definite vested interests in Cypriot independence and especially the state apparatus that developed after 1960 out of the British colonial administrative structures.

Whereas the members of the Association were drawn mostly from the broader political left and centre, the organization made a conscious effort to stay above party politics. It presented itself not as a new political party, but, rather, as a pressure group intending to gain support from a broad ideological spectrum, excluding, of course, the radical nationalist elements. The Association was relatively successful in keeping a distance from all political parties, thus managing to attract people who belonged to the traditional right. Given that the Greek-Cypriot disaster of 1974 was also a failure of democracy, the Association stressed the importance of safeguarding the democratic process. The adoption of democratic principles in all aspects of our political life and the strict adherence to them', it is stated in the Association's official declaration (1975), 'is an indispensable prerequisite for the correct evolution of our society'.

[Tsontos]

Yes I beleive Neo-Cypriots generally vote for AKEL.

[Tsontos]

Sadly it seems Tassos Papadopoulos will not serve another term as President.

[Draco]

Christofias is communist, not socialist; his party AKEL (formerly known as the "Communist Party of Cyprus") is Cyprus's KKE and participates in the International Conference of Communist and Workers' Parties. Interestingly his communistness means that he is fluent in Russian language which has come in useful when asking Russians to kick Turkish ass.

[akritas]

Favorite left behind in Cyprus polls

Papadopoulos knocked out

The first round of presidential elections on Cyprus yesterday confounded forecasts as incumbent Tassos Papadopoulos was nudged out of the running by his two challengers who will face each other in a February 24 runoff.

Ioannis Kassoulides, a right-wing moderate, garnered 33.5 percent of votes, emerging just ahead of Communist party leader Dimitris Christofias who amasssed 33.3 percent – a difference of some 980 votes. Papadopoulos, whose slim lead in opinion polls was eroded over the past weeks, got 31.8 percent of votes.

The elections had been presented as a choice between Papadopoulos’s hardline stance on efforts to reunite the island’s Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities and the pledges of his two rivals to revive peace talks. Papadopoulos, 74, led the Greek Cypriots in a 2004 rejection of a United Nations reunification plan.

His challengers Kassoulides, 59, and Christofias, 61, have criticized him as a poor negotiator and diplomat.

All three candidates had presented themselves as the best qualified to head a fresh peace drive as international experts have warned of partition. All three have also refused to recognize an autonomous Kosovo – the province declared its independence yesterday – fearing that this could set a precedent for the Turkish-occupied north of Cyprus.

Christofias is known to have the closest ties with the Turkish Cypriots while Papadopoulos is regarded with most suspicion by residents in the north, chiefly due to his rejection of the UN blueprint for reunifying Cyprus.

Earlier yesterday each candidate made their final appeals to voters. “With the help of the people, we can achieve the solution that we desire and deserve,” Papadopoulos said.

Kassoulides asked voters to embrace a “true struggle” for reunification that would transform the island into “a credible European state.”

Christofias said he hoped to create a situation where “Greek and Turkish Cypriots can build a happy and successful Cyprus within the context of a bizonal, bicommunal federation.”

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w.../02/2008_93448

[Draco]

news in.gr - Ο Δ.Χριστόφιας πρόεδρος της Κυπριακής Δημοκρατίας

[Mygdonia]

It's going from bad to worse for Cyprus.

[Tsontos]

A map of Europe according to the (nominal) party affliations of each country's government. Cyprus is the only communist/ stalinist country:

[Truth Bearer]

Greek Cyprus Elections: Why Did Papadopoulos Lose?

Mehmet Ozcan



While there are various issues to focus on with regard to the elections in the southern part of Cyprus, in this article we will discuss the surprising defeat of President Tassos Papadopoulos in the first round of elections.

Papadopoulos, who took over the leadership from Klerides in the 2003 elections, has lost the chance of being re-elected due to his policies within the last five years that caused great disappointment among the Greek Cyptriots. Then, what are the reasons of such a failure? This important question is tried to be answered via discussed aspects below.

1. The first important mission of Papadopoulos in the post-election era came out within the framework of Annan Plan. The fifth version of Annan Plan, which was the product of long-lasting marathon and finally put into referendum in April 2004, was the first serious exam for Papadopoulos. Papadopoulos with the support of the Church spent great effort to make the plan to be refused by the Greek people. Consequently, he said ‘no’ in the referendum relying on the already guaranteed EU membership to be achieved just one week after the referendum. However, within the last four years, Papadopoulos did not let any attempt to come up with alternative solutions to the Cyprus issue that would be substituted to the Annan Plan. Just like the age-old policy of the Turkish side, Papadopoulos has followed a similar policy of preserving the status quo in the island in order to lock Turkey and TRNC in the EU process. By doing so, he aimed to diffuse the problem to a time period to achieve a solution in favor of him. Yet, in the end, he has attained nothing, but just blocking some negotiation chapters to be opened with Turkey.

2. With the opening up of the doors between North and South, the Greek people have realized by crossing to the northern part that the TRNC is not in so desperate conditions as portrayed. Even if there exists considerable underdevelopment in the North as compared to the South, it has been understood that TRNC is not a mere Third World country as long been told to the Greek people.

3. As opposed to the high expectations fabricated in the Greek society, it has been revealed that the EU process with the full membership is not a magic wand. With the membership, neither has the assumption that the island would be integrated by reducing the Turkish population to a position of minority been realized. Nor have the social, economic and political problems of the Greek people been immediately resolved within the EU. This situation, too, has caused great disappointment for the Greek people.

4. Unlike the Turkish image of being in favor of ‘no solution’ that had emerged before 2004 in the international community, both Turkey and TRNC have gained psychological superiority by saying ‘yes’ to the Annan Plan. The Turkish side, which has been regarded for a long time as the sole responsible side for the deadlock in the island, has clearly demonstrated that Papadopoulos and the Greek side have actually been in favor of the impasse in the problem. With the decisive steps taken by the Turkish side, it has been more apparently seen that the fragmentation in the island has been caused not only by the Turks; but the Greeks as well have considerable responsibility in that situation.

5. In the elections held interestingly in the same period of the Kosovo’s declaration of independence, the fears of the Greek people have been strengthened concerning the total separation of the island into two as a result of the policies of Papadopoulos that have aimed to gain more time for the inclusion of the Turks with the status of minority. In other words, the fear that the policy of impasse of Papadopoulos would cause partition in the island has begun to be felt more seriously among the Greek population. Moreover, the accusation of Russian President V. Putin against the EU on the grounds of double standards has been perceived by the Greek people in such a way that the policies of Papadopoulos are not practically viable in the reel politic.

6. Many EU countries, among which the UK has been the primary one, believe that it is quite difficult to come up with real steps towards the integration of the island due to the policy of impasse followed by Papadopoulos. Therefore, their belief in the need of a new leader who would at least positively approach to a new initiation for the solution has demonstrated that there needs to be a political restructuring in the island.

7. The highly negative performance of Papadopoulos within the EU since May 2004 has caused immense frustration both in the EU and among the Greek people. The Greek side has been left alone within the EU as a disharmonious and fractious member. The sole responsible person has of course been Papadopoulos who has not positively approached any solution as if he looked for better ways for a possible settlement.

8. Lastly, the fact that AKEL is entering into the electoral race with its own candidate for the first time in the 48-year history of the party has significantly diminished the votes that are to be potentially won by Papadopoulos.

For the afterwards;



I would like to concentrate on the consequences of the elections instead of answering the question of who will come out as the winner in the second round that will be held on February 24.

When evaluated with regard to Turkey and TRNC, it is quite obvious that the negotiations in Cyprus will be re-opened irrespective of which candidate will be elected. Nevertheless, even though such an outcome can be regarded positively for Turkey and TRNC, it should not be forgotten that the politicians are not the only ones that determine the policies in the Greek side. The acceptance of no opening out is possible by the Greek leaders without the permission of the Church. Therefore, even if those who are more open to negotiations will become the leaders; a quick resolution initiated under the framework of the UN should not be expected. On the other hand, in order not to lose out the psychological superiority of Turkey and TRNC that has been gained in the international arena since 2004, there needs to be worked on serious alternatives and preliminary studies. Furthermore, to preserve this positive environment in international platform showing which side has been searching for a just solution in the island, intensive diplomatic efforts should be initiated. Therefore, in the wake of this highly busy period for Turkey and TRNC, it will be of crucial importance for these two countries to formulate common opinion/ brainstorming platforms, and by so doing to utilize one-voice opening ups in international arena.



Assoc. Prof. Mehmet Ozcan


Translated by: Çaglar Dolek








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