The forthcoming review of the Cyprus Memorandum by the Troika appears unfortunately to be an opportunity for the Anastasiades government to promote its long-standing positions for the privatisation of the profitable Semi-state organisations. The Government does not seem to be taking into account Cypriot society’s reactions, insisting on the implementation of the Memorandum’s dogmatic and anti-peoples proposals.

AKEL cannot adhere to the logic which the Government so determinedly wants to impose on society. The public utility organisations primary duty, besides their social role, is to provide services to society, offer high quality services and the safeguarding of Cyprus’ strategic interests. Their surrender to private capital will result in the downgrading of these services and the cost will once again be shouldered by society.

We hope that even at this late stage the Government will reassess the negative consequences of the privatisations on society as a whole and that it will study the proposals submitted by the Semi-state organisations themselves for finding other ways of raising the 1.4 billion Euros Cyprus’ loaners are demanding.

AKEL completely disagrees with the policy and philosophy of privatisations which is why we shall defend with all legitimate means the property belonging to the state. Accordingly, AKEL will vote against the Government’s privatisation Bill.

The Government is continuing to persist on the policy of tough austerity and cuts also with regards social benefits. The recent incident of the death of a woman in Larnaca confirms in the cruellest way that behind cuts in expenditure for vulnerable social groups are people in fact and not statistical numbers.

AKEL calls on the government to review the practice of universal cuts in social expenditure aiming at the creation of fiscal surpluses. The tidying up of public finances must not be the governments excuse to ignore the need for the provision of genuine social protection to our fellow citizens.