Tens of thousands of Turkish Cypriots rallied in favor of a UN plan for the reunification of the island Wednesday while the largest Greek Cypriot political party voted to reject the proposal if the April 24 referendums on it are not postponed.
A jubilant rally of 40,000 in the Turkish Cypriot sector of the divided capital waved olive branches and EU flags chanting, "Yes to the referendum, yes for peace," and, "Peace in Cyprus cannot be prevented."
Several hours after the rally, 65 percent of the more than 2,000 Greek Cypriot delegates at an extraordinary congress of the Communist AKEL party voted to reject the UN plan unless the referendums are postponed to provide more time consideration. AKEL is the main partner in the Greek Cypriot ruling coalition government.
The date of the separate referenda by the two Cypriot communities was fixed to ensure the accession of a unified Cyprus to the EU a week later, on May 1.
Recent opinion polls indicate 70 percent of Greek Cypriots reject the plan, while 60 percent of Turkish Cypriots approve it. The leaders of both sides of the island have rejected the proposal.
AKEL leader Dimitris Christofias, who backs the plan, said the postponement of the referendums was necessary "to allow a reasonable debate on the pros and cons of the plan which is not possible now."
Wednesday's gatherings came amid mounting pressure from the EU and the US on the two Cypriot sides and Greece and Turkey for approval of the plan.
This would lead to the entry of a unified island to the EU on May 1, eliminating problems from a continuing division.
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