Grieks-Cypriotische leider Papadopoulos tegen VN-plan voor vereniging Cyprus, Turkse zijde is voor (en)

The Greek Cypriot leader has dealt a heavy blow to the chances of a united Cyprus joining the EU on 1 May.

In a public appeal, Tassos Papadopoulos on Wednesday (7 April) urged voters to reject a UN plan to reunify the island in a referendum this month.

"I cannot accept or sign the plan", said Mr Papadopoulous in a TV broadcast of the proposal drawn up by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

"I call on you to reject the Annan plan. I call on you to vote a strong 'no'," he said.

Huge repercussions

His words are set to have huge repercussions on both sides of the community - the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots - when they both vote in referendums on 24 April.

The plan foresees a confederation with a federal administration handling foreign affairs and domestic affairs being handled by separate Greek and Turkish sides.

Mr Papadopoulos' words come after a strong appeal by the European Commission earlier on the same day for voters on both sides to accept the plan.

Enlargement Commission Günter Verheugen said he hoped the two communities would "seize the opportunity to reconcile their differences".

He also stressed that if this opportunity was missed it would be the last one "for a long time".

Asked to speculate on what would happen if the Greek Cypriots rejected the plan, he said it would mean "the whole process has failed".

In this case, the whole island would join the EU but EU law would only apply in the Greek Cypriot part.

Turkish Cypriot side

And the EU would have a part of its territory that is under military occupation.

Mr Verheugen added that if one side rejected the referendum the European Commission would have to consider how to "avoid political and economic tension" on the island.

For their part, according to Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper, the Republican Turkish Party (RTP) has officially decided to support the "yes" vote on 24 April.

Chairman of the party, Mehmet Ali Talat, said "It is in our hands to meet with the world for the future of our people. We shall say "yes" in order not to stay isolated for another 40 years".