By Nicola Smith - 7th April 2004
Hopes of reunifying the divided island of Cyprus were dealt a blow on Wednesday after the Greek Cypriot leader urged voters to reject a UN-backed peace plan.
In a televised appeal, Tassos Papadopoulos called on Greek Cypriots to “vote a strong no” to the UN-brokered deal.
The Greek and Turkish populations of Cyprus are scheduled to vote simultaneously on a plan drafted by UN chief Kofi Annan on April 24.
But in an emotional live broadcast on Cyprus TV, Papadopoulos told viewers that “I cannot accept or sign the plan,” reports the BBC.
The settlement plan to end a 30 year dispute on the island is perceived by many Greek Cypriots to favour the Turkish Cypriot side.
However, Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, who boycotted peace talks in Switzerland last week, has also consistently opposed the deal.
The news will come as a major setback to Brussels which still hopes to welcome a unified Cyprus when the EU enlarges to 25 members on May 1.
An appeal by EU Enlargement Commissioner Gunter Verheugen on Wednesday for leaders on both sides of the divide to embrace the peace blueprint as a last opportunity appear to have fallen on deaf ears.
Verheugen warned on Wednesday that failure to “seize the opportunity” would scupper any future chances to resolve the conflict “for a very long time.”
The rejection of the peace plan by either or both sides of the island in the referendum would mean that only the Greek south would enter the EU.
If this occurs, any EU laws extended to the Turkish north would be suspended and the Republic of Cyprus would become the legal representative to the EU for the whole of the island.
“We would have to consider how we can avoid political, social and economic tensions on the island,” cautioned Verheugen.
EU officials will now be pinning their hopes even more on a Cyprus donors conference next Thursday to boost voter support for the peace deal.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops occupied the northern half of the island in response to a Greek-engineered coup in the south.
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