Report on the death of Lello Dimitriadis
Ladies and gentlemen,
As a minimal act of recognition in his journey in parliament, Nicosia Municipality and in the public life of Cyprus in general, I would like to refer to the death of former MP and former Mayor of Nicosia Lello Demetriades, whose funeral service is being held this afternoon.
Lello Demetriades, a charismatic man with a strong personality, was for decades one of the most emblematic figures of our country's political life. Born in 1933 in Nicosia, he studied law in London and, upon his return to Cyprus in 1955, he began to practice as a lawyer, taking an active part in the liberation struggle of EOKA 1955-59.
With the declaration of independence he was elected MP for Nicosia in the first parliamentary elections in 1960 with the Patriotic Front, which in 1969 was renamed the United Party, and served as its parliamentary representative from 1966 to 1970. He was Secretary of Parliament until 1966, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committees on the Interior and Foreign Affairs, and a member of other parliamentary committees and missions. He did not seek re-election to parliamentary office in the 1970 parliamentary elections and in 1971 was appointed by the President of the Republic as Mayor of Nicosia, a post he held for thirty consecutive years, having been elected Mayor in 1981, 1991 and 1996 and serving as President of the Union of Municipalities from 1981 to 2001.
Nicosia during the days of Lello Demetriades experienced particular growth with the promotion of major development projects, such as the resolution of the sewage system, the construction of pedestrian streets and tree planting, as well as cultural upgrading with the promotion and reconstruction of historical monuments, such as the Famagusta Gate, the creation of museums and the popular neighbourhood, the establishment of the annual Nicosia Festival and other institutions that continue to this day. Thus, it gave Nicosia the character of a capital rich in history but at the same time modern and citizen-friendly. The stamp of Lello Demetriades on the Municipality of Nicosia, as well as on the political life of Cyprus will remain indelible.
Reference to the anniversary of the coup d'état of the colonels in Greece and the anniversary of the genocide of the Armenian nation
Before the agenda, it is our duty to refer also to two sad anniversaries.
This year marks the fifty-fifth anniversary of the colonels' coup of 21 April 1967, which overthrew the democratic constitution in Greece and imposed a military dictatorship that lasted seven years. During the 'dark seven years', the people of Greece were confronted with the abolition of their democratic freedoms, the violation of their human rights, but also an intellectual darkness that deprived them of freedom of expression and introduced strict censorship. Many were those who resisted and fought for democracy and freedom, facing persecution, arrests, torture, exile and executions by the brutal dictatorial regime.
The junta of the colonels collapsed in 1974 with Cyprus paying a heavy price as a result of the treasonous coup and the brutal Turkish invasion, the tragic consequences of which continue to plague our people to this day.
Ladies and gentlemen,
April 24 was established worldwide as the Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide by the Young Turks, one of the greatest crimes in the modern history of mankind, which began in 1915. One and a half million innocent people were slaughtered and hundreds of thousands were brutally abused, forcibly displaced or enslaved as part of an organized and premeditated plan to exterminate the Armenian nation.
The Armenian genocide is one of the darkest pages of world history, which has left a traumatic imprint on the collective memory of the Armenian people, but also of all peoples who were confronted with the atrocities of Turkey, which, with the acquiescence of the international community, has committed genocide against other populations, without to date having recognised the Armenian genocide or apologised for the policies of ethnic cleansing and expansionism that it has unrepentantly continued.
Cyprus was the first country in Europe to recognize the genocide by establishing, by a unanimous resolution of the House of Representatives in 1990, 24 April as the National Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide.
Today, as the House of Representatives, we condemn for the umpteenth time this heinous event and at the same time declare our solidarity with the friendly Armenian people, while appealing to the international community for universal recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
I now invite you to observe a one-minute silence in memory of Lello Demetriades, the victims of the dictatorship of the colonels and the victims of the Armenian genocide.
May their memory be eternal!
Reference to the European Patients' Rights Day
Dear colleagues,
In conclusion, I would like to refer to the European Patients' Rights Day, which is celebrated every year on 18 April by decision of the European Parliament. The aim is to safeguard the rights of patients and recipients of health services to prevention, information and quality standards as reflected in the European Charter of Patients' Rights. The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the contribution of the General Health System to equal access to health services for all, as well as to informal prescription. National health legislation, a key part of which derives from international and European conventions, primarily safeguards the fundamental right to life. By way of example, the Law on the Guarantee and Protection of Patients' Rights. At this point, I would like to highlight the valuable and long-standing contribution of both the Federation of Cyprus Patients' Associations, which is by law an institutional partner of the state on health issues, and other associations and organisations. As the main legislative body of the state, we are committed to continue our efforts to develop health policies with a focus on people, especially vulnerable groups, without discrimination.
(EC)
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