COMPOSITION OF WORKING GROUPS SPURS OPTIMISM

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SIPDIS

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (CORRECTED CLASSIFICATION)

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL CY
SUBJECT: COMPOSITION OF WORKING GROUPS SPURS OPTIMISM

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(U) Sensitive but unclassified - Please protect accordingly


1. (SBU) Summary: President Demetris Christofias's appointment of
well-known supporters of the 2004 Annan Plan to the working groups
and technical committees soon to begin pre-negotiations preparations
has pleased reunification activists but divided Cypriot political
parties. Pro-government AKEL and opposition DISY praised the
staffing, but AKEL's partners in the government, DIKO and EDEK, fear
that the appointment of so many YES voters suggests that Greek
Cypriots might not "put up adequate resistance" in the talks. The
government has responded that appointees will follow Christofias's
policies, not their own, muting most objections. The list of
committee/working group heads includes noteworthy politicians,
diplomats, academics and technocrats, and is bereft of hard-liners
and nationalist ideologues. Post will forward and analyze Turkish
Cypriot appointments septel. End Summary.

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Parties Split Over Appointments
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2. (SBU) The official announcement of the names of the Greek Cypriot
heads of working groups and technical committees drew mixed
comments from the Greek Cypriot political establishment but met
with the approval of reunification activists. The two major
parties, AKEL and DISY, reacted positively while DIKO and EDEK
criticized the inclusion of supporters of the Annan Plan, the
last (2004) major UN effort to reunify the island. Indeed, most of
the politicians chosen to head the committees had actively
supported the Plan and are known for their moderate views, despite
some having served in former Cypriot President
Tassos Papadopoulos's administration.


3. (SBU) The negative reaction of DIKO and EDEK marked their first
public disagreement with Christofias's handling of the Cyprus
issue. DIKO leader Marios Karoyian cautioned that the appointment
of politicians who supported the YES vote would send the wrong
messages abroad. In a similar statement, EDEK Vice President
Marinos Sizopoulos said YES supporters "may not have what it takes
to resist the pressure" for unacceptable compromises. In a
low-key response, Government Spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said
that committee heads and members will not follow a personal
policy, but the policy of President Christofias.
Opposition DISY, which generally supports the President on
CyProb-related matters, asserted that the committees should be
judged from the work they will produce, not from their composition.

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Working Group Heads
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4. (SBU) The list of working group and technical committee heads is an
impressive array of individuals with extensive experience on the
issues they have been tasked to discuss with their Turkish Cypriot
colleagues. It includes a past president, five former cabinet
ministers, diplomats, academics and high level government
officials.


5. (SBU) European Matters: George Vassiliou, former ROC President
(1989-1993),former negotiator for Cyprus' EU accession and former
leader of the United Democrats Party. He is a successful
economist/businessman turned politician known for his flexible,
moderate and forward looking approach to efforts for a settlement.
Vassiliou is a close and regular Embassy contact, and his wife is
Cyprus's new European Commissioner (Health).


6. (SBU) Governance and Power Sharing: Andreas Mavrommatis, former
Labor Minister, Government Spokesman, diplomat and interlocutor of the
Greek Cypriot side in the intercommunal talks of 1983-84. During
his watch as interlocutor, the two sides made significant progress,
resulting in a draft agreement which was eventually rejected by
then-President Spyros Kyprianou. Mavromatis in 1999 was appointed
as Special Rapporteur of the UN Commission on Human Rights on the
situation of human rights in Iraq. He also chaired the UN Committee
Against Torture's inquiry on United States practices in 2006.



7. (SBU) Security and Guarantees: Sotos Zackheos, a career diplomat,
served as Ambassador to China, Permanent Representative to the UN in
New York and Geneva and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs (2003-2006). Zackheos enjoys President
Christofias's confidence, and is remembered within the Embassy as a
particularly "challenging" interlocutor. He remains a regular
contact.


8. (SBU) Territory: Alecos Shambos, another career diplomat, served a
Ambassador to Egypt and Kenya and Permanent Representative to the UN
in New York in 1993-1995. Prior to his retirement in 1998, he
served as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Hard working and principled, he is known as a person with moderate
views on the Cyprus issue.


9. (SBU) Property: Erato Marcoullis, former Ambassador to the U.S.,
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the

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(U) Sensitive but unclassified

first woman Foreign Minister (July 2007 - February 2008.) Though
she was always viewed as moderate and pro-solution, she disappointed
many reunification activists when she accepted Tassos Papadopoulos's
call to head the MFA. There, she faithfully implemented his
hard-line Cyprus Problem policies.


10. (SBU) Economic Matters: Michalis Sarris, Finance Minister
(2005-2008) and former senior World Bank official. Sarris is
considered one of the best economists on the island and perhaps the
best-performing minister in Papadopoulos's cabinet, having delivered
high growth, low inflation, and a seamless transition to the Euro in
January 2008. Embassy officials regularly see him.

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Technical Committees:
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11. (SBU) Crime and Criminal Matters: Andros Kapardis, criminologist,
professor of legal psychology at the University of Cyprus.

-- Economic and Commercial Matters: Dionysis Mavronicolas, senior
civil servant.

-- Cultural Heritage: Takis Hadjidemetriou, former EU accession
coordinator in Papadopoulos's administration. A visible and active
YES voter, Hadjidemetriou resigned in 2004 following Papadopoulos's
successful campaign against the settlement plan.

-- Crisis Management: Marios Lyssiotis, career diplomat seconded to
the Presidential Palace.

-- Humanitarian Matters: Symeon Matsis, former Permanent Secretary
of different ministries and an outspoken supporter of the Annan
Plan.

-- Health Matters: Haris Charalambous, former Health Minister
(2006-2007) and longtime member of AKEL.

-- Environment: Costas Kadis, academic and researcher specializing
in environmental issues; also served as Papadopoulos's last Health
Minister (2007-2008).

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Comment
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12. (SBU) Christofias's decision to appoint politicians who were in the
front lines of the YES camp seems intended to send the message to
both Cypriot communities and the international community that he
wants both progress at the talks and an improved climate on the
island. The reaction of DIKO and EDEK is a taste of what lies ahead
as the talks progress, but DISY's backing, along with AKEL's solid
support, should enable Christofias to continue to pursue his
policies without too much political cost.