Cyprus-Forum.com

[Piratis]

Bananiot, you voted "yes" so you are obviously not the right person to tell us why people voted "no". I voted "no" and everybody that I know that voted "no" did so because the Annan plan was unacceptable and not because they expected a European solution within a year.
Other members of this forum that voted no, like mikkie2, MicAtCyp, Pantelis etc, can tell us if they voted "no" because they expected a European solution within a short period.
Actually, there was a survey several months after the referendum that showed that only a tiny percentage changed his mind about his vote. (you can find this survey if you search the forums).
So Bananiot stop telling us of how disappointed we feel because we didn't get the European solution you claim that we expected. Talk for yourself.

As far as Annan goes, Papadopoulos knows very well now how to handle them for maximum gains for Cyprus. We all know very well that with the current balance of power no fair solution can be found. They tried to close the Cyprus problem right before we entered the EU, and now they will try to close it again before Turkey will have to recognize Cyprus.

Its not going to happen that way. We will not accept a bad "solution" that to solve the problems of Turkey and create more problems for us. They should realize that their problems will end when our problems will end, and Papadopoulos is going to do the best that he can to achieve this.

[Bananiot]

Piratis, would you accept the plan if the changes proposed by AKEL were to be implemented?

[-mikkie2-]

Just to put the record straight, I live in the UK and am a UK citizen so I couldn't vote in the referendum even if I wanted to. My family that lives in Cyprus though were split between the yes nad the no.

Obvioulsy my theoretical vote would have been no! My reasons for it are not because of a better, European solution, but that just as we were on the precipice of gaining EU entry, we would have thrown our trump card away by voting yes to the plan.

It is obvious that once we are in the EU we are in a much more satisfactory position because we would have overcome a great psychological barrier - the fear of Turkey. It was more a security issue that would instill more confidence in the minds of Cypriots but also amongst the political leaders as well.

As for accepting the changes requested from AKEL, I am afraid the aim was to give poor reasons to say yes to Annan 5 and as such I would still say no! In my view certain substantive negotiations need to occur. Paramount to this is the safeguarding of the rights of refugees. They must not be at the bottom of the pecking order. Particularly if voting rights remain as they are, more land should be given to GC control so that more refugees can return with a sense of security. If on the other hand the voting rights of TC state residents is ammended to give GC people living there proper representation then things would be more acceptable. This is just one aspect. Another is the functioning of the economy.