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CYPRUS MAIL

AKEL: we have to take share of blame for Annan fiasco
AKEL yesterday accepted part of the blame for the positions of Papadopoulos on the Annan plan and 2004 referendum, saying the party had had no option at the time. Party spokesman Andros Kyprianou was responding to accusations from the Papadopoulos camp that there was no difference between the positions of AKEL leader and presidential candidate Demetris Christofias, and that of opposition DISY’s candidate Ioannis Kasoulides. The move is part of the Papadopoulos strategy to divide the three candidates into two camps, the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ by placing the Annan plan centre stage in the presidential race. This was compounded by statements this week by Papadopoulos’ campaign spokesman, former AKEL man and Foreign Minister George Lillikas who accused AKEL of accepting the Annan plan. AKEL was also accused of adopting the positions of DISY and former President Glafcos Clerides, Papadopoulos’ predecessor, who was in favour of the plan. “It is astonishing how certain persons have the ability to transform themselves,” said Kyprianou, referring to Lillikas’ comments. “Where was the political crisis when Mr Papadopoulos in 1993 supported the candidature of Mr Clerides, and then he comes and accuses him of creating all of the current problems.” Kyprianou said AKEL in no way influenced Papadopoulos when it came to the referendum and the Annan plan. “On the contrary, the President of the Republic said that we did not have a choice, so we supported the choices of Chairman. Here, we have to take our share of the blame,” Kyprianou said. But he reminded that AKEL had asked for a postponement of the referendum so that a ‘yes’ could be secured at a later stage. Christofias said he was astonished to hear Lillikas say that AKEL had collaborated with Clerides and DISY, something his party had never done. The accusation was nothing more than a fairy tale, he added. He also said that if AKEL had been promoting a ‘yes’ in the referendum, the Annan plan wouldn't have been rejected by a massive 76 per cent of Greek Cypriots. Responding to AKEL, Government Spokesman Vassilis Palmas said he expected criticism from the Kasoulides camp on the President’s handling of the Cyprus issue, but Christofias’ comments came as a surprise because everyone’s positions at the time were well known. He also referred to the pre-referendum ‘secret dinner’ with Serdar Denktash at Papadopoulos’ Strakkas residence, saying Christofias had also been there. “The aim was to convince Mr Denktash to go ahead with the referendum,” Palmas said. A second meeting had been held with Talat with the same aim. “It's easy to sit comfortably and in hindsight to issue criticisms about things which no one opened their mouths about at the time,” said Palmas. “The President at least had the political courage to say what he thought about the referendum,” Palmas added. “Where was all this criticism during the time that AKEL supported the government?” DIKO leader Marios Karoyan also accused Christofias of adopting the positions of DISY. “Today we see the disguise of Christofias,” he said. “Political reliability is gained on the basis of empirical data and unfortunately the AKEL candidate, as it is being proven day by day, adopts the practices and behaviours of electioneering and perhaps those of Mr Papapetrou and Mr Vassiliou.”