If the Municipality of Aglantzia secedes from the Metropolitan Municipality of Nicosia it will be deprived of important services, said Interior Minister Nikos Nouris and stressed that the government will wait for the outcome of the Court in the Municipality's appeal, but at the same time will proceed within this two-year transition period to implement the provisions of the reform and expressed hope that everything will go well.
Asked about the appeal of the Municipality of Aglantzia on the issue of the Local Government Reform, Mr. Nouris -on the sidelines of the Pancyprian Seminar of Lifesaving Examiners, in Larnaca, said that we live in a democracy and it is fully accepted by everyone that anyone can claim with any legal remedy their interests as he considers best. What I want to say is that particularly in the case of the Municipality of Aglantzia, is that the government has submitted a specific proposal regarding the Metropolitan Municipality of Nicosia, structuring a municipality which will have specific characteristics."
He added that "the possibility of the Municipality of Aglantzia separating from this Metropolitan Municipality of Nicosia, we believe that it will precisely remove these characteristics from it."
From then on, he said, the arguments that have been heard during the filing of the appeal, namely that there was not enough dialogue and that referendums were not held, have been answered long ago.
With regard to the issue of consultation, he said that for 11-12 years we have been discussing the issue of reform, everyone is aware of the various issues and problems. They were discussed exhaustively, he said, at the House level and I think it cannot be the case that there was not enough consultation.
Nouris continued by saying that "as far as the issues of referendums are concerned, I just want to point out the opinion of the Attorney General of the Republic, that there is no provision in the Cyprus Constitution for holding such referendums and the position of the Council of Europe, to which we appealed, which also gave a clear position." As he noted, "both opinions were before the House of Representatives, so there is no lack of information, but there is the claim of the Municipality of Aglantzia."
We will wait for the result of the Court, said Mr. Nouris and stressed that we are proceeding in this two-year period that we have before us the transitional period to implement the provisions of the reform, and I hope that everything will go well.
Interior Minister Nikos Nouris made statements during his presence at the Pancyprian Seminar of Lifesaving Examiners in Larnaca.
Source: CNA
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