Papadioulos suspects Anastasiadis’ ability to negotiate and evaluate

DIKO leader Nikolas Papadopoulos said that he has doubts about the Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Anastasiadis’ ability to negotiate and evaluate the Cyprus problem.  Papadopoulos holds that the present Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Anastasiadis and the former leader Dimitris Christofias have the same mentality and both would reach ‘a settlement that would cause yet another disaster for the country’ in cooperation with DISI and AKEL.

The Greek Cypriot weekly Kathimerini reminded that Papadopoulos accused Anastasiadis, DISI and AKEL of proving the Turkish thesis on the Cyprus problem, and questioned his basis. In response to this, Papadopoulos gave examples of ‘rotating presidency, guaranteed majority, foreign judges, and property ownership rights of refugees’.

Stating that Anastasiadis’ briefing to the Greek Cypriot National Council was not enough, and they obtained a wider range of information from the UN, foreign diplomats, diplomatic resources and the press, Papadopoulos said that the information they obtained shows that there is a negative atmosphere, rather than a positive atmosphere.

He said: ‘I don’t believe that Anastasiadis is a respected negotiator and he stands up enough for the rights of Greek Cypriots. Not because he likes the country and the Greek Cypriots less, but because he has different criteria and a different mentality.

I suspect Anastasiadis’ ability to evaluate the facts about the Cyprus problem and the dangers that come from his compromises as he sees the Annan Plan as a neat solution. Moreover, he is continuing from where Christofias left off. He has the same mentality with him, which makes me doubt his power and his criteria in the negotiations`.