From the floor of the Parliament, AKEL's General Secretary gave a strong negative tone to the 10-year alarming government in his speech on the 2023 state budget. Assessing this government as a whole, Stefanos Stefanou underlined that "in the ten years with DISY in power, our country and our society took steps backwards instead of steps forward."
"The DISY government failed to respond adequately to the challenges.
Close to the existing problems, it has caused new ones while creating new deadlocks, especially for our young people.
Social and economic insecurity has increased in recent years for the majority of society.
Social and economic insecurity has increased in recent years for the majority of society. Nowadays, social insecurity is increasing even more because of the inefficiency that is draining the budgets of households and businesses.
It prefers to maintain high surpluses derived from the additional revenues it has due to increased tax collections, instead of returning a part of them to households and small and medium-sized enterprises.
Cyprus, according to European statistics, is ranked fourth from the bottom in the allocation of resources to support society and the economy to tackle the energy crisis and poverty.
[/P]Long-standing problems have been diverted instead of being solved. Especially institutional corruption.
This is documented in various international reports. For example, the recent IMF Report which records that since 2014 there has been a serious slippage in the areas of governance and in particular in the areas of corruption, governance effectiveness and the judiciary.
The rule of law has deteriorated, institutions have been undermined or do not have the independence they should have, as the Commission's 2021 Report on the unsatisfactory state of the rule of law in Cyprus finds.
Social inequalities were not addressed, but maintained and at various levels reinforced.
This is primarily reflected in the fact that the share of profits in GDP increased in contrast to the reduction of the share of wages. The economy is growing, but workers are not getting what is normally due to them. The distribution of the wealth produced is done in a way that constantly reinforces the reversal of the correlation between capital and labour.
Even on issues where the government has attempted to make reforms, for example in the health system, the GESY is being attacked and undermined from within, by government and DISY officials, as even former government officials suggest.
Cyprus is still among the world leaders in private debt and non-performing loans.
Cyprus is still among the world leaders in private debt and non-performing loans. The transfer of these loans to credit companies may help the banks to show an improved picture, but the loans remain in society and the economy.
Thousands of our fellow citizens are losing or at risk of losing their homes and property.
The increase in interest rates will further aggravate the already difficult situation for borrowers and beyond.
Catastrophic failure on the Cyprus problem
The Cyprus problem is in its worst situation ever. Since 2017 our national problem has been in a prolonged negotiating limbo. The biggest ever!
Turkey, despite its provocative and aggressive behaviour, is uninhibited in the perception of the international actor.
Unlike Turkey, the Greek Cypriot side is considered by the international actor - together with the Turkish Cypriot side - to be co-responsible for both the deadlock and the negotiating vacuum.
This situation is being exploited by Turkey to create new occupation facts on the ground without actually facing any reaction or costs. The status quo is sliding further and further towards the finalisation of partition.
The above facts - Turkey threatening and our side being blamed - epitomise the abject failure of the President's policy on Cyprus. A policy that is contradictory and full of regressions. So many regressions that the outgoing President has gone so far as to cajole various actors inside and outside Cyprus for a two-state solution. Against the backdrop of this difficult and extremely dangerous situation, the DISY government is passively and indifferently watching the continuous slide towards the consolidation of partition. Its only interest - as in other serious issues - is to manage internal public opinion by instrumentalizing Turkey's aggressive behavior.
The partial opening of the enclosed area of Famagusta did not upset the rulers, since according to the then Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides, what Turkey was claiming was a communication ploy, while according to DISY President Averof Neophytou, Turkey was not going to make such moves.
The government and DISY wandered and misled about sanctions that would hurt Turkey and multilateral agreements that would shield the Cypriot EEZ, but it all turned out to be false big words and illusions."
Citizens expect change! "Historical responsibility to fight the battle to restore the moral authority of our country"
It is no coincidence that the General Secretary of AKEL ended his speech with an extensive reference to the upcoming elections and their real stakes: change.
Because, as he said, "this is what the citizens expect from us: to support a credible governance proposal that concerns the future of our country."
Because, as he said, "this is what the citizens expect from us: to support a credible governance proposal that concerns the future of our country."
Because, as he said, "this is what the citizens expect from us: to support a credible governance proposal that concerns the future of our country. The change proposed by AKEL starts with the election of a President who.
[*]To be ethical, to realize the great responsibilities he has towards the country and the people and to assume them, not to put them on others.
[*]To be responsible towards the country and not to be indifferent when our country is vilified internationally by simply doing internal management.
[*]To support the economy on solid foundations so that it has prospects and not to limit or encourage predation and temporary profit.
[*]To be socially sensitive, to understand the anxieties, aspirations and problems of the citizens and to try to solve them.
[*]To be socially sensitive, to understand the anxieties, expectations and problems of the citizens and to try to solve them.
[*]To be a politician for the benefit of the many and not the few and privileged.
[/LIST]
On the basis of all this, AKEL supports the candidacy of Andreas Mavroyiannis.
"We feel it is our historic responsibility to fight the battle to restore the moral authority of our country. That is why we are ready to sign a new social contract, which will ensure a promising future for our children and grandchildren," declared AKEL Secretary General Stefanos Stefanou.
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs Cyprus Times
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or Cyprus Times
Source
