‘Most Greek-Cypriots Oppose U.N. Reunification Plan’

The polls, conducted on behalf of three daily newspapers, were carried out during the past week amid massive media coverage of negotiations and raging public debate about the merits of the highly complex and detailed plan for ending the 30-year division of the island.

Although 53 to 63 percent of citizens, depending on the poll, said they would vote against the plan if a referendum was staged today, the high number of undecided voters highlights the complexity of the plan. In the three polls, 28 percent, 34.6 percent and 10 percent said they did not know how they would vote. Just 19 percent, 11 percent and 27 percent said they would vote in favour of the plan.

Asked in the poll by top-selling Phileleftheros how well they understood the plan, 14 percent said “not at all,” 57 percent “not very well,” 21 percent “quite well,” and only 11 percent “very well.”

The reunification plan envisages the reunification of the island as a single state with one Greek-Cypriot and one Turkish-Cypriot federal region linked through a weak central government. The two sides disagree on fundamental aspects of the plan.

More than 61 percent of respondents to the poll for the daily Politis said the plan favoured the Turkish side only 8.6 percent said it was balanced, and just 0.8 percent said it favoured the Greek-Cypriots. The rest were uncertain.

President Tassos Papadopoulos, the Greek Cypriot leader, and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash have blamed each other for the lack of progress since they resumed negotiations two weeks ago.

Papadopoulos charges that Denktash’s proposed amendments are outside the agreed framework of the plan, while Denktash counterchargs that all Papadopoulos rejects all his proposals.

The two Cypriot leaders have until March 22 to agree on the plan. If they fail, Greece and Turkey will join them for another week and if there is still no agreement Annan has been authorised to fill the gaps and place his plan for approval through separate referenda on or near April 21.

The UN plan aims for a unified island to join the European Union on May 1.

Cyprus has been divided since Turkey invaded in 1974 in the wake of an abortive coup by supporters of union with Greece. A breakaway Turkish-Cypriot state in the north is only recognised by Turkey.

The three polls were all conducted last week through random telephone interviews with people over the age of 18. RAI Consultants carried out the Phileleftheros poll, interviewing 810 people. InterCollege Research Centre polled 800 persons for the right-wing daily Simerini, and ACNielsen talked to 604 people for Politis. The margin of error of the three polls was 3.5-5 percent.