The largest Greek Cypriot political party announced today it opposed a peace plan to unite with the island's Turkish Cypriots because the United Nations had not provided guarantees it wanted on security.
"I'm sorry to say the response (from the UN) was not what we expected," Mr Dimitris Christofias, secretary-general of the AKEL communist party, told reporters.
AKEL had wanted separate referendums on both sides of the island this Saturday postponed to give time for the United Nations to pass a resolution that would have addressed its fears about the continued presence of Turkish troops on the island even if the plan was approved.
Cyprus has been divided since a 1974 invasion by Turkey triggered by a brief Greece-inspired coup.
Yesterday, Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution backed by Britain and the United States that aimed to encourage Greek and Turkish Cypriots to back the UN plan with the desired security guarantees.
Russia said the measure was being rushed through and should be taken up only after the plan had been adopted by both sides.
If either Greek Cypriots or Turkish Cypriots reject the plan in Saturday's referendums only the Greek part of the island will join the EU on May 1st.
