The fact that the Constitution did not emanate from the free will of the Cyprus people but was imposed upon them by virtue of the agreements was at the origin of feelings of discontent among Cypriots. Moreover many of the constitutional provisions conflicted with international law e.g. the fact that the Constitution could not be amended, rendering the Republic of Cyprus subject to the will of the guarantor powers and depriving it of the fundamental requirements of the State such as internal independence and territorial supremacy.
Other provisions promoting communal segregation prevented the smooth functioning and development of the country and created permanent sources of friction between Greek and Turkish Cypriots.
The ratio of participation in the public service attaining 30 per cent and in the security apparatus attaining 40 per cent for the Turkish Cypriot community (which represented 18 per cent of the population), in other words 166% and 222% its numerical strength, constituted one of the causes of discontent for Greek Cypriots as it offended the international accepted principle of the right of everyone of equal access to the public service of his country.
The constitutional provision relating to separate majorities for the enactment of certain laws in the House of Representatives was another source of serious problems affecting the smooth functioning of the state which was left without any taxation legislation for several months.
Another element that created problems was the right of final veto accorded to the President and the Vice-President of the Republic against any law or decision both in the House of Representatives and the Council of Ministers.
Faced with this complex situation, the President of the Republic Archbishop Makarios III, by his letter of 30 November 1963 to the Vice President, suggested a series of measures to facilitate the smooth functioning of the State and remove certain causes of inter-communal friction.
