Cyprus ratifies EU pact over ruling party's objections

[Arthur Gordon Pym]

Cyprus ratifies EU pact over ruling party's objections

By Agence France Presse (AFP)

Saturday, July 05, 2008

Charlie Charalambous

Agence France Presse

NICOSIA: Cyprus has ratified the European Union's Lisbon Treaty despite the opposition of the euroskeptic communist party of President Demetris Christofias. Thursday's vote came less than a month after Irish voters in a referendum rejected the treaty aimed at streamlining EU bureaucracy in a move that plunged the bloc into crisis because the text must be ratified by all 27 EU members.

A total of 31 MPs out of the 49 present in the 56-seat Parliament in Nicosia voted for the treaty while the 17 communist members present voted against, with two abstentions. The vote capped a six hour debate.

Christofias's AKEL party had already voted to oppose the treaty in a June 23 ballot, but the president had insisted his government would back the treaty despite his own party's stance. AKEL is the senior partner in a government coalition and joint largest party in Parliament with 18 seats, equal to the right-wing opposition party DISY.

But DISY had pledged to back ratification, as had AKEL's coalition partners the center-right DIKO with 11 seats and socialist EDEK with five, thus ensuring the treaty's safe passage.

During Thursday's debate, AKEL MP and union federation chief Pambos Kyritsis complained that the treaty had little to do with the European Union's ordinary citizens.

"As a point of order, moral principle and democracy we cannot close our eyes and ratify this treaty far away from the voice of the people," he said. "We expected much more from this treaty; we expected it to protect the weak, not to strengthen the few."

DISY MPs argued that Cyprus should back the treaty since it had been one of the beneficiaries of the bloc's eastward expansion, although party vice president Averoff Neophytou acknowledged it contained weaknesses.

"Staying faithful to our long history and belief in Europe we will vote in favor of the Lisbon Treaty despite its shortcomings," he said in the debate.

Ireland was the only country to put the treaty to a referendum, an obligation under its constitution. The other 26 EU members are holding or have held votes in Parliament, despite calls in some for referendums.
The treaty aims to streamline EU bureaucracy after the bloc's expansion, but it has suffered consecutive blows in recent days from both Poland and the Czech Republic.

On Wednesday Polish President Lech Kaczynski said his country would sign the treaty only if Ireland approves it in a new referendum.

And the Lidove Noviny newspaper in Prague on Thursday quoted Czech President Vavlac Klaus as saying: "I hope that the Constitutional Court or Senate will not allow adoption of the Lisbon Treaty here." The court is examining whether the treaty conforms with the Czech Constitution.

Klaus backed Kaczynski's stance, but refused to say in the newspaper interview if he would do likewise himself.

"I believe it is important that we map the way forward with our Irish partners in a comradely manner," she said.

Cyprus joined the European Union in 2004 as a divided island, after Greek Cyriot voters rejected a UN reunification plan that was approved by Turkish Cypriots.

EU rules remain suspended in the breakaway Turkish Cypriot north of the island pending the outcome of a new round of reunification talks.

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