AKEL does not agree with the DPA's proposal for a national unity government, but the leaders of the two parties, Stefanos Stefanou and Marios Karoyan, agreed to continue the dialogue. The PPP President said he will continue to push his proposal because he believes this is what the country needs.
In joint statements after their meeting at AKEL's offices, which lasted just under an hour and a half, the AKEL Secretary General said that they are aiming for a progressive change for the country and those parties that share the conviction that Cyprus is in a quagmire with many and serious deadlocks, which have been caused by the alarming governance, are creating the objective ground for them to march together in the presidential elections.
The idea of a national unity government, he added, was heard a few times in the past, but it was never possible to have such a government because of objective difficulties due to differences in policy and approach on substantive issues. Regardless of this, he said, AKEL did not refuse dialogue with anyone on anything "when we are dealing with Cyprus, society, the economy, our people". Stefanou said that they will continue the effort to create cooperation with the opposition parties, depending on the developments they will see how to proceed and will continue to be in contact with the PPP because they share common concerns about various things but also to open a perspective for the country.
Marios Karoyan
said that it was a very creative and meaningful discussion. They believe, he said, in the proposal for a national unity government because the country is going through a difficult time, the needs of society and citizens are enormous, two years of health crisis that created huge economic problems but also in the psychology of people, as well as the war in Ukraine, create a number of additional issues.
Cyprus is at a critical crossroads, there are risks and challenges - he continued - from the national issue, the economy, and the difficulty of a large part of society, the social issues, the lack of reforms and the incomplete adaptation to modern geopolitical, geostrategic and economic realities. There is not much time unfortunately, the challenges are enormous, the risks are a given, but there are also opportunities, Karoyan added. "Here too, the party and political system has to face up to the new facts," he said.
The country has no more room for conflicts, divisions and barren debates, the issue is not for one party to gain an electoral advantage or for the other to lose, he continued. The important thing is that we all put our backs into it so that we can give a hope and a perspective to the world and especially to the younger generation, who are seeing their dreams evaporate through all that has happened. The people, he said, are tired of hearing theoretical constructs but on the substance there are omissions and practices that are far from the real facts and their needs.
That is why, said Mr. Karoyan, he will continue the effort to promote his proposal to the other forces in the hope that in the end the collective good will prevail, to leave aside for 5 years the party flags and "to raise the flag of Cyprus. This is what the country and society needs, this is what the citizens are looking for, in our opinion". We all took from this land, it is time for us to contribute to it, he added, saying that they will continue the dialogue with AKEL because he believes that communication between the party forces is useful.
Answering a question on what basis they will continue the dialogue, since they disagree with the proposal for a national unity government and whether they discussed a name, the AKEL Secretary General said that they did not enter into this logic. "We discussed the approach we have in view of both the presidential elections and the next period." He reiterated AKEL's position that things have to change and for this to happen, the government of the Synergy, which has caused huge deadlocks, has to go.
For Stefanou, the government is part of the problems and the country cannot continue with the policies of the Synergy government that it has been following for more than nine years. That is why this government, he said, must end and there must be a progressive candidate with a progressive programme that will open up a perspective and show another course.
Asked if the dialogue with DIKO seems to be wrecked, Stefanos Stefanou said that the dialogue with DIKO and other forces that will attempt to do so continues. "When this effort is completed, we will have the result, but no one should be in a hurry to draw their own conclusion," he said.
About the meeting of the AKEL Political Bureau, he said they will discuss the efforts made for the presidential election. He noted that because they are in an important period of the efforts they are making, "that is why you see us being sparing in our statements."
Asked if he would go towards a candidate who is not universally accepted, Karoyan replied that "I learned in politics to be patient". He reiterated that he believed in the proposal and considered it necessary and would not give it up easily. "I am not ethereal, I knew and know the difficulty of the task. But in life nothing comes unless you fight and try." He is in the thankless - as he said - role of trying to see if such conditions exist for broad consensus.
No names are in mind, Marius Caroyan said, citing Italy as an example for his own proposal, where Mario Draghi was elected, who was not a party leader, was not a political party official, was a personality and on the basis of a program, a contract between the majority of party life and the people of Italy, which he is implementing. "In our proposal there is no H.P. name. What I can tell you is that he will not be a party leader, nor a party official, he will be appreciated, respected, he will be consensual, to be able to compose, to be able to have the confidence of the parties to be able to implement the program that will be co-decided."
He does not have the name, he added, and once they enter the process of discussing such a program everyone has the right to submit names, personalities. They modestly and humbly submit to the political dialogue this proposal, if the conditions exist it will be seen, otherwise each political force will make the decision that, in its view, serves the collective interest, he added.
Asked to comment on whether, based on the description of the person he made, Nikos Christodoulides could be the choice for the DIPA, Mr. Karoyan said that we have to separate the two things and he spoke only about the government of national unity, which foresees in some key pillars, convergence policies and at the same time the parties will find the person. "If for example Mr. Christodoulides - since you mentioned it and I will not pull back - does not receive the support of, say my own party or other major party or parties, how can he be the common candidate?".
Asked if the two parties will meet again soon, Karoyan said dialogue on the right basis is oxygen and they have no problem making a new appointment if there is a subject matter. "Stephen has no time to waste with me either. I have the patience to spend time with friends," he added.
Events are running, Stefanou said for his part, adding that Averof Neophytou is announcing his candidacy on Sunday and Nikos Christodoulides has expressed his intention. "The two are competing with each other on how to continue this governance, which we want to change. So you understand that for us these two candidates are off the agenda. But events are running and the political forces, each in its own way will be forced to run," he said.
They have no intention, he continued, of taking the discussion with any party - including DIKO - in the long run and noted that they do not consider AKEL to be late in terms of decision-making. When you have a dialogue in a reasonable period of time you come to the conclusion whether you can have the desired result or not, he said, saying that in such a case you go to other scenarios and options, "which we certainly have."
Source: CNA
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