PRO: An Appraisal of the Functionality of Annan Plan V

Neophytos Loizides, Queen's University - Belfast

Abstract

With the majority of peace agreements facing implementation problems at a global scale it is hardly surprising that questions about the political viability and workability of Annan Plan V featured prominently in the 2004 referendum campaigns of the two Cypriot communities. Preceding the referendum, one of the two major Greek Cypriot political parties, AKEL, justified its refusal to endorse the plan, citing issues of implementation, while in polls following the referendum, the majority of Greek Cypriots (61.9 per cent) stated they would support the plan if concerns on security and implementation were guaranteed (Christophoros Christophorou & Graig Webster 2004:4). Similar arguments on security and implementation were put forward in the Turkish Cypriot community, albeit with less success for the anti-deal camp. This chapter evaluates three main arguments made by opponents of the plan: a) the analogy drawn between the Annan Plan and the Zürich-London Agreements of 1959; b) the criticism of federalism and consociationalism as unfair and dysfunctional; and, finally, c) Turkey’s role and credibility in implementing the agreement, especially if it were denied EU membership. The chapter questions and criticizes the arguments and assumptions of the anti-deal camp, while at the same time recognizing important limitations and gaps in the Annan Plan itself.