[B-0]22310[B-1]
[B-2]"Over-voting is not consistent with the role of control of the government-DISY assigned to AKEL by the people" says Stefanou AKEL's Secretary General referred to the Cyprus problem, the economy and corruption[B-3]
[B-4]Speaking during the debate on the 2022 State Budget, AKEL Secretary General Stefanos Stefanou, referring to the Cyprus problem, said that AKEL has never accepted and will never accept discussion of a two-state solution, while on his party's stance during the vote. Stefanou said that he will vote against the budget, because voting for it is not in line with the role of controlling the Anastasiades-DISY government that the people entrusted to AKEL.[B-5][B-6]The AKEL General Secretary expressed the assessment that the final partition is more visible than ever, adding that it is obvious that in order to end this destructive course and put a stop to Turkish aggression and the rhetoric for a two-state solution, which is fuelled by the prolonged stalemate, negotiations must be resumed.[B-7][B-8] After stating that breaking the damaging deadlock can be achieved if we take concrete initiatives in trying to revive the negotiating process on its proper basis, he added that we must understand that if we do not move, others will not move for us. Stefanou also said that AKEL, as a responsible and serious party working consistently for a solution within the agreed framework, a year ago submitted to the President of the Republic a comprehensive proposal for breaking the deadlock, which serves two main objectives.[B-11][B-12]"First, with concrete steps we can convince that the declared readiness of the Greek Cypriot side to resume negotiations is sincere. This will restore the President's non-existent credibility and persuasiveness on the Cyprus issue vis-à-vis the international factor, as the negotiator of the Greek Cypriot side, Mr. Mavroyiannis, has noted."[B-13][B-14][B-13][B-14] He also said that by responding to the position of G.UN Secretary General to use gas as a catalyst for the resumption of negotiations, we have submitted a proposal on how this can be achieved, which does not violate any red lines of our side or suggest unacceptable concessions.[B-15][B-16]He added that the President of the Republic, instead of appreciating the fact that the opposition party is presenting him with a concrete proposal to break the dangerous deadlock, not only rejected it without discussion, but also accused us of allegedly unacceptable concessions.[B-17]
[B-18]With regard to the economy, the Secretary General of AKEL said that the government "has convinced us so many times in the years of its governance that it has no vision for tomorrow and is content with managing today, promoting temporary profit, greed and the catering to the needs of the day".[B-19][B-20]He said that to cover up its "lack of vision and coherent economic policy" the government every year presents much publicised plans and commits to various "which are usually left on paper."[B-21][B-22]Focusing on the issue of implementation of the state's development budget, he said that in this area too the government receives a very low grade "the lowest of all governments".[B-23][B-24]Continuing, the Secretary General of AKEL expressed the view that it is imperative to create an economy built on solid foundations, oriented towards sustainable, balanced and socially oriented growth.[B-25][B-26]He said that in rethinking our development model, we must support the primary and secondary sectors, which have been left on the sidelines in recent years.[B-27][B-28]It is imperative, he said, to support agriculture and livestock farming, as well as Cypriot industry, substantial support for small family businesses and self-employed workers who are the backbone of the Cypriot economy, and incentives not only to attract foreign investment but also to support the growth of Cypriot businesses.[B-29][B-30] He further stated that at the same time we need to turn to new sectors that have been relegated to the background and create a knowledge economy by increasing investment in research, innovation and technology and improving the infrastructure necessary for the development of these sectors.[B-31][B-32]It is imperative that we promote the circular and green economy with determination and at a faster pace because we are still lagging behind, improve the functioning of the state to get rid of its distortions and problems, he said.[B-33][B-34]In his speech, Mr. Stefanou spoke of "complication - corruption - conflict of interest" which "exposes our country internationally and further devalues politics in the minds of Cypriot citizens", reproducing the stereotype "everyone is the same".[B-35][B-36]He cited as an example "the fact that the President himself stated bluntly that he could intervene with the investigating authorities if he wanted to present a dossier on the great passport scandal, which would not justify prosecution by the Attorney General" and that foreign journalists, on the threshold of the European Summit, were waiting in the rain for the President to ask him about his involvement in the Pandora Papers.[B-37][B-38]"It's a good thing, of course, that the President did not make an appointment with the devil for them too, as he did with our compatriot journalists, because they dared to ask him something unpleasant. The rulers cannot stand unpleasant and critical publications, so they have recruited an army of advisers in the presidential office to check them, who are of course paid by the taxpaying citizen," he said.[B-39][B-40]He further referred to the fact that the BBC aired a documentary on Cyprus with the derogatory title "The offshore president" and the President's indefensible, as he said, argument about the involvement of his family in the naturalization scandal, saying: "But what do you want? Because they are my children to be unemployed?"[B-41][B-42]He also recalled "the sad case of the former Commissioner for Volunteerism, Yiannis Giannakis" saying that the government mentality that "breeds and elevates the unworthiness causes, in the same way that it causes the cobbled up of diaries in the presidential office, an event that again made the headlines".[B-43][B-44][B-44] The AKEL General Secretary also said that his party ranked the welfare state high among its priorities, adding that with the success story the government boasts of, one in four of our fellow citizens is below or on the poverty line and thousands of households are struggling to make ends meet and are mired in stress and financial insecurity.[B-45][B-46]"Two hundred thousand people on the poverty line. Let's keep that number," he continued.[B-47][B-48]He further stated that the EEO was formulated with the logic of limiting beneficiaries instead of providing assistance to those who are truly in need and fails to become a true safety net for the economically disadvantaged. "It simply spreads poverty to more people," he added, stating that "our position is clear: a redesign of social policy is needed to create a truly modern welfare state that effectively supports citizens."[B-49][B-50]On the pandemic, he said that AKEL is investing its hopes for a way out of this nightmare situation in science and expressed the position that the vaccination programme is a one-way street to protect us from this asymmetric threat.[B-51][B-52]The major issue highlighted by this unprecedented crisis, according to the Secretary General of AKEL, is the role of public hospitals, adding that all those who downplayed the value of the public sector as a pillar of the health sector, after the frightening experience of the last two years, should think twice.[B-53][B-54]He added that under this Government the relationship between the executive and the legislature has deteriorated because of the Government's behaviour, noting that the example of local government reform is indicative of what is happening. With "political fireworks and reheated ideas, such as that of the five municipalities, DISY is undermining the reform by reminding us of its bad self when it put obstacles in the way of the implementation of the YESY," he said.[B-55][B-56]He also referred to the Pournara Reception Centre for Migrants and Asylum Seekers and the tragic, he said, conditions there, saying that 2,500 people were crammed into a centre designed and funded by the EU to accommodate 600.[B-57]
[B-58]Contents of this article including associated images are belongs to [B-59]Cyprus Times[B-60].
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or [B-61]Cyprus Times[B-62][B-63]
[B-64]Source[B-65]
[B-2]"Over-voting is not consistent with the role of control of the government-DISY assigned to AKEL by the people" says Stefanou AKEL's Secretary General referred to the Cyprus problem, the economy and corruption[B-3]
[B-4]Speaking during the debate on the 2022 State Budget, AKEL Secretary General Stefanos Stefanou, referring to the Cyprus problem, said that AKEL has never accepted and will never accept discussion of a two-state solution, while on his party's stance during the vote. Stefanou said that he will vote against the budget, because voting for it is not in line with the role of controlling the Anastasiades-DISY government that the people entrusted to AKEL.[B-5][B-6]The AKEL General Secretary expressed the assessment that the final partition is more visible than ever, adding that it is obvious that in order to end this destructive course and put a stop to Turkish aggression and the rhetoric for a two-state solution, which is fuelled by the prolonged stalemate, negotiations must be resumed.[B-7][B-8] After stating that breaking the damaging deadlock can be achieved if we take concrete initiatives in trying to revive the negotiating process on its proper basis, he added that we must understand that if we do not move, others will not move for us. Stefanou also said that AKEL, as a responsible and serious party working consistently for a solution within the agreed framework, a year ago submitted to the President of the Republic a comprehensive proposal for breaking the deadlock, which serves two main objectives.[B-11][B-12]"First, with concrete steps we can convince that the declared readiness of the Greek Cypriot side to resume negotiations is sincere. This will restore the President's non-existent credibility and persuasiveness on the Cyprus issue vis-à-vis the international factor, as the negotiator of the Greek Cypriot side, Mr. Mavroyiannis, has noted."[B-13][B-14][B-13][B-14] He also said that by responding to the position of G.UN Secretary General to use gas as a catalyst for the resumption of negotiations, we have submitted a proposal on how this can be achieved, which does not violate any red lines of our side or suggest unacceptable concessions.[B-15][B-16]He added that the President of the Republic, instead of appreciating the fact that the opposition party is presenting him with a concrete proposal to break the dangerous deadlock, not only rejected it without discussion, but also accused us of allegedly unacceptable concessions.[B-17]
[B-18]With regard to the economy, the Secretary General of AKEL said that the government "has convinced us so many times in the years of its governance that it has no vision for tomorrow and is content with managing today, promoting temporary profit, greed and the catering to the needs of the day".[B-19][B-20]He said that to cover up its "lack of vision and coherent economic policy" the government every year presents much publicised plans and commits to various "which are usually left on paper."[B-21][B-22]Focusing on the issue of implementation of the state's development budget, he said that in this area too the government receives a very low grade "the lowest of all governments".[B-23][B-24]Continuing, the Secretary General of AKEL expressed the view that it is imperative to create an economy built on solid foundations, oriented towards sustainable, balanced and socially oriented growth.[B-25][B-26]He said that in rethinking our development model, we must support the primary and secondary sectors, which have been left on the sidelines in recent years.[B-27][B-28]It is imperative, he said, to support agriculture and livestock farming, as well as Cypriot industry, substantial support for small family businesses and self-employed workers who are the backbone of the Cypriot economy, and incentives not only to attract foreign investment but also to support the growth of Cypriot businesses.[B-29][B-30] He further stated that at the same time we need to turn to new sectors that have been relegated to the background and create a knowledge economy by increasing investment in research, innovation and technology and improving the infrastructure necessary for the development of these sectors.[B-31][B-32]It is imperative that we promote the circular and green economy with determination and at a faster pace because we are still lagging behind, improve the functioning of the state to get rid of its distortions and problems, he said.[B-33][B-34]In his speech, Mr. Stefanou spoke of "complication - corruption - conflict of interest" which "exposes our country internationally and further devalues politics in the minds of Cypriot citizens", reproducing the stereotype "everyone is the same".[B-35][B-36]He cited as an example "the fact that the President himself stated bluntly that he could intervene with the investigating authorities if he wanted to present a dossier on the great passport scandal, which would not justify prosecution by the Attorney General" and that foreign journalists, on the threshold of the European Summit, were waiting in the rain for the President to ask him about his involvement in the Pandora Papers.[B-37][B-38]"It's a good thing, of course, that the President did not make an appointment with the devil for them too, as he did with our compatriot journalists, because they dared to ask him something unpleasant. The rulers cannot stand unpleasant and critical publications, so they have recruited an army of advisers in the presidential office to check them, who are of course paid by the taxpaying citizen," he said.[B-39][B-40]He further referred to the fact that the BBC aired a documentary on Cyprus with the derogatory title "The offshore president" and the President's indefensible, as he said, argument about the involvement of his family in the naturalization scandal, saying: "But what do you want? Because they are my children to be unemployed?"[B-41][B-42]He also recalled "the sad case of the former Commissioner for Volunteerism, Yiannis Giannakis" saying that the government mentality that "breeds and elevates the unworthiness causes, in the same way that it causes the cobbled up of diaries in the presidential office, an event that again made the headlines".[B-43][B-44][B-44] The AKEL General Secretary also said that his party ranked the welfare state high among its priorities, adding that with the success story the government boasts of, one in four of our fellow citizens is below or on the poverty line and thousands of households are struggling to make ends meet and are mired in stress and financial insecurity.[B-45][B-46]"Two hundred thousand people on the poverty line. Let's keep that number," he continued.[B-47][B-48]He further stated that the EEO was formulated with the logic of limiting beneficiaries instead of providing assistance to those who are truly in need and fails to become a true safety net for the economically disadvantaged. "It simply spreads poverty to more people," he added, stating that "our position is clear: a redesign of social policy is needed to create a truly modern welfare state that effectively supports citizens."[B-49][B-50]On the pandemic, he said that AKEL is investing its hopes for a way out of this nightmare situation in science and expressed the position that the vaccination programme is a one-way street to protect us from this asymmetric threat.[B-51][B-52]The major issue highlighted by this unprecedented crisis, according to the Secretary General of AKEL, is the role of public hospitals, adding that all those who downplayed the value of the public sector as a pillar of the health sector, after the frightening experience of the last two years, should think twice.[B-53][B-54]He added that under this Government the relationship between the executive and the legislature has deteriorated because of the Government's behaviour, noting that the example of local government reform is indicative of what is happening. With "political fireworks and reheated ideas, such as that of the five municipalities, DISY is undermining the reform by reminding us of its bad self when it put obstacles in the way of the implementation of the YESY," he said.[B-55][B-56]He also referred to the Pournara Reception Centre for Migrants and Asylum Seekers and the tragic, he said, conditions there, saying that 2,500 people were crammed into a centre designed and funded by the EU to accommodate 600.[B-57]
[B-58]Contents of this article including associated images are belongs to [B-59]Cyprus Times[B-60].
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or [B-61]Cyprus Times[B-62][B-63]
[B-64]Source[B-65]
