Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 04-04-10

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From: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>

CONTENTS

[01] Leftwing AKEL party asks for Cyprus referenda postponement

[01] Leftwing AKEL party asks for Cyprus referenda postponement

1725:CYPPRESS:01

Leftwing AKEL party asks for Cyprus referenda postponement

Nicosia, Apr 10 (CNA) -- The left wing AKEL party today called on the United Nations and the international community to postpone for a few months the separate referenda scheduled for April 24 in the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities on the Annan plan of March 31 for a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue.

The central committee of AKEL, which studied the U.N. plan in a two-day special session, said the postponement was necessary "in order to provide the possibility for objective presentation of the plan to the Cypriot people and for negotiations aiming at filling the gaps existing in the plan", so that its approval by the large majority of Greek and Turkish Cypriots can be made possible.

The party, which is the largest in the 56-seat parliament in Cyprus and is a senior partner in the Cyprus government, warned that in the opposite case, it "will be obliged to not support approval of the Annan plan in the referendum" of April 24.

The proposal approved by the central committee is to be presented to an all-Cyprus party conference convened for April 14, which will take the party's final decision on the Annan plan in view of the referendum.

In shaping its stand, the central committee, as noted in the written proposal released this afternoon by AKEL's general secretary Demetris Christofias, took into consideration, inter alia, "the feelings of insecurity shared by the majority of our Greek Cypriot compatriots, whether these emanate from the long presence of the (Turkish) occupation forces and the de facto partition, or are cultivated by certain circles."

"AKEL calls on the United Nations and the international community to proceed with the postponement of the referenda for a few months, so that the possibility is provided for the objective presentation of the (Annan) plan to the people and for negotiation... and the filling of existing gaps in the plan so as to allow its approval by the large majority of the people, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots."

"In the opposite case, AKEL will be obliged not to support the approval of the Annan plan in the referendum," it warned.

"The central committee of AKEL calls on our Turkish Cypriot compatriots to show understanding towards the concerns and scepticism of Greek Cypriots, to continue to trust AKEL and to continue the common struggle for reuniting our homeland," it concluded.

Yesterday, the social democratic EDEK party, also a partner in the Cyprus government, decided to vote against the Annan plan on April 24.

Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos in a televised address earlier this week, urged Greek Cypriots to "say a resounding no" to the plan, saying that the consequences of voting for it were heavier and more onerous than rejecting it. His centre-right Democratic Party (DIKO) party unanimously came out against the UN plan only 24 hours later.

The opposition right-wing Democratic Rally Party (DISI) has scheduled an all-Cyprus special convention for April 15 to decide its stand on the plan. Its honorary president and former President of the Republic Glafcos Clerides told DISI's bureau earlier this week that he would vote for the plan.

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