Our View: President presented UN envoy appointment as an end in itself

President Nikos Christodoulides, in the televised appraisal of his first year in office, said that the Cyprus problem was at the “epicentre of the priorities of the government”. He then proceeded to give credit to the government for securing the appointment of the UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy Maria Angela Holguin, pointing out that “her appointment and the commencement of a new effort for the resumption of negotiations was the result of our persistent efforts and initiatives.”

The overriding impression was that Holguin’s appointment was an end in itself, because the president’s primary concern was to be seen to be doing something about the deadlocked Cyprus problem, even though this did not amount to much. He said as much in Tuesday night’s address, explaining that the drive of the Greek Cypriot side in the direction of the UN the EU and other international players brings results. But what were these results?

“Everyone recognises our readiness and political will to go to the negotiating table, with sincerity and determination, with the sole aim of the solution of the Cyprus problem on the basis of a bizonal, bicommunal federation, utilising what has been achieved at negotiations so far,” he said, by way of an explanation. So, is his objective for “everyone” to recognise the Greek Cypriot “readiness and political will” to return to the negotiating table? Even if they do, which is highly unlikely, what would be gained from this recognition? Would there be a higher probability of a settlement if we prove that the Greek Cypriots are more willing to resume negotiations than the Turkish Cypriots?

It is as if he is preparing for the blame game in anticipation of a deadlock, something he also hinted at on Tuesday, when he said “the Greek Cypriot side does not ignore the difficulties and the challenges as a result of the Turkish stance,” but it still approached “Mrs Holguin’s mission with absolute seriousness as a window of opportunity for the resumption of substantive talks.” It was in “within this framework that the more active involvement of the EU is in place”.

Television viewers may have been convinced by these platitudes, which are unlikely to have been perceived as a display of “absolute seriousness” by anyone capable of critical thought. In fact, Christodoulides has put all the responsibility for the resumption of talks on Holguin. Failure would be her fault as well as that of the Turkish stance, while he would be blameless as he had already proved to everyone his “readiness and political will to go to the negotiating table”.

The president is all but washing his hands of the whole situation, even though it is he who has repeatedly declared that the status quo was unsustainable and that there were no frozen conflicts. In his televised address, he gave no indication that he would make any attempt to help Holguin persuade the Turkish side to return to the negotiating table.

He refuses to understand that the onus is on him, as the Turkish side is perfectly happy with the status quo.