AKEL on the Deputy Ministry of Culture: When things are difficult…the lies begin
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 20th April 2021, Nicosia
In a desperate attempt to justify the absence of any substantive dialogue on the Bill for the establishment of a Deputy Ministry of Culture, The Minister of Education P.Prodromou is once again indulging in distorting AKEL’s positions. And this is happening, at a time when AKEL has taken a constructive stand from the very beginning, expressing its full support towards the creation of a Deputy Ministry of Culture, provided of course we agree on its content.
AKEL, with openness and full transparency, submitted its positions before the bodies/bodies engaged in Culture and involved Organizations. It listened carefully to their own proposals. On the contrary, the relevant Minister is in a dialogue just with himself and claims that he consults others. At no time was our Party or any other involved agencies/bodies asked to submit their views in writing. And quite erroneously he referred to positions of the General Secretary of the Central Committee of AKEL, which in fact were never said.
The Minister of Education isn’t telling the truth the truth when he claims that “the government submitted the Bill, after consultations with organized Bodies”. Nor is he telling the truth when he claims that “the Symphony Orchestra Foundation will be under the Ministry of Culture”, since such a provision has not been included in the Bill.
Regarding the transfer of the Department of Antiquities, AKEL reiterates its position that with the Cyprus problem unsolved, any unilateral actions changing the administrative responsibility of the Antiquities will give an alibi to the pseudo-state to proceed with new separatist actions, this time to the detriment of the Antiquities in the occupied territories.
Finally, with regard to the “increase in funds for Culture”, this claim is also false since the Budget of the Cultural Services remains at the same low levels, despite the increased needs and despite the money given by EU funds to deal with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
