UN presses for vote on the future of Cyprus

The United Nations special envoy for Cyprus, Alvaro de Soto, warned yesterday that "a dark chasm of uncertainty" would open up if a UN plan for the reunification of the island was rejected by Greek and Turkish sides.

A crucial meeting will be held tomorrow at The Hague between the rival Cypriot leaders and the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, who wants his controversial reunification plan to be voted on by the two communities on 30 March. President Tassos Papadopoulos, the Greek-Cypriot leader, and his Turkish-Cypriot counterpart, Rauf Denktash must decide whether they accept the referendum proposal, which in effect bypasses them.

The UN plan posits reunification as a single state consisting of Greek- and Turkish-Cypriot "constituent states", linked through a weak central government. But Mr Denktash insists on recognition of his breakaway state in northern Cyprus as a step to reunification as a confederation of two independent states, andrejects the return of Greek-Cypriot refugees.

The Greek-Cypriot side objects to provisions in the plan that exclude application of the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees that refugees can return and repossess property. (AP)