New access to Government

Clerides took office on February 28 at the head of a coalition government with DIKO, an alliance inedita, though many voters had caused bewilderment that had not been realized before, considering the significant overlap in two ideological formations that shared the niche center. The assumption by Clerides on his new responsibility entails his resignation from the seat of the chair and deputy executive DISY, but remained in the game as honorary president. As head of state, Clerides gained extensive executive powers and heads the Council of Ministers. His areas of decision-making itself was especially in foreign policy, national defense and security, ie everything directly related to the division of the island and the conflict with the Turkish Cypriots may veto Parliament’s legislative initiatives in these areas.
The arrival of President Clerides to the internationally recognized Cypriot state was a revival of contacts with the side of the island led by Rauf Denktash, president since 15 November 1983, the self-Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (RTCN -TRNC), recognized only by his mentor, Turkey. The principle that guided the entire process, and endorsed Clerides, was established in the UN resolutions on a bizonal, bicommunal federation can remedy the de facto division of the island and intermittent outbreaks of tension between the two populations.
From 9 to 12 July 1997, Clerides said in Troutbeck, New York, with his old partner for the 1968-1976 talks a preliminary round of talks face to face. The optimistic expectations were soon unravel. The difficulties were not insurmountable power away from the issue of Cyprus-old enmity between Athens and Ankara, countries faced with a large number of disputes and litigation in the military, territorial, economic and cultural systems in which the status of Cyprus has been the most bitter.
Furthermore, the strong European Clerides, who took the witness for the application to join the European Union (EU), launched by the Government of Vasiliou on July 4, 1990 to irritation of the Turkish Cypriots. On December 12 1997 the president will share the satisfaction of the green light given to this demand by the European Council meeting in Luxembourg, so that the March 31, 1998 formal negotiations started up a process of adhesion is anticipated that successful given the high degree of preparedness of the country, higher than in the former Soviet bloc countries to meet the political and economic requirements, the acquis communautaire and to do well in highly competitive market economy of the EU.
Moreover, his proposed missile batteries deployed surface-to-air Russian S-300, with a range of 200 km, as a measure of the pressure of Rauf Denktash, reluctant to any agreement in principle to recognize Nicosia unless previously Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, aroused the wrath of the government of Mesut Yilmaz in Ankara and a barely concealed discomfort of Americans and Europeans who considered counterproductive to the idea and stressed the need to overcome the entrenched conflict in the island. On December 29, 1998 Clerides agree to abandon the controversial project in February 1999 announced that it had reached an agreement with the Greek socialist government of Kostas Simitis, in which missiles would be installed on the Greek island of Crete in the Aegean, while his property would andalusia Cyprus.
At the domestic level, the coalition DISY-DIKO revalidates majority in the parliamentary election May 26 1996, which granted the president’s party a satisfactory 34.5 of the votes without losing any seats, but on November 5 1997 Kyprianou solved to get its five ministers in a context of economic stagnation of the tourism income, poor crop harvests in the Mediterranean exporting countries and the financial costs of the recent acquisitions of armaments.
In 8 of the presidential and February 15, 1998 Clerides hardly renewed its mandate in the runoff with 50.8 of the votes compared to former Foreign Minister George Iakovou, with the support of AKEL and the DIKO. Immediately after the Government had to rebuild portfolios giving EDEK andalusia, andalusia Liberal Party (KF) and the Movement of Free Democrats (KED), plus some dissidents DIKO, alliance, however, did not provide an absolute majority. The new cabinet began on February 28 and before reaching the anus, the January 4, 1999, suffered the defection of EDEK, which had the Ministry of Defense, to protest the resignation of Clerides plan to install missile Russians.

Get more:

Comments are closed.

  • « Older Entries
  • Newer Entries »