“They are all the same…” – Article by Giorgos Loucaides, AKEL Political Bureau member
9th May 2021, “Haravgi” newspaper
“One of the most common and leading to the worst temptations is the temptation by saying, “Everyone does this.”
Leo Tolstoy, 1828-1910
But why is this self-evidently dangerous aphorism cultivated intensely, especially during this pre-election campaign?
The simple, also self-evident, answer is that those really and primarily responsible for everything that disillusions and angers society, are prompted into using this aphorism, in order to convince citizens not only not to denounce them, but to reward them on top of that.
More specifically, regarding the Cyprus problem, citizens, by casting their vote in the upcoming elections, are called upon to approve or reject the following:
- The President’s flirtation with a two states solution, which was belatedly confirmed – twice – by the Archbishop himself; the regressions, contradictions and the criminal handlings made on the Cyprus problem, which have led not only to the historic opportunity missed for an agreed solution, but also to Turkey being praised by the international community, thus facilitating its plans to implement undisturbed the illegal and unprecedented fait accompli in Famagusta and the Exclusive Economic Zone and to lead us just a breath away before the final partition of Cyprus.
Or, on the other hand, citizens to approve or reject consistency and responsibility, far from serving any pre-election or other expediencies/considerations, the timely warnings that were being issued that the Cyprus problem and our country are being led to mortal dangers, as well as to approve or reject the submission of creative and substantiated proposals that keep the hope for a just, viable and workable solution alive.
- Citizens, with their vote are called upon to approve or reject the rhetoric, actions and omissions that were prompting the Turkish Cypriots into the arms of the partitionist and nationalist policy of the Turkish Cypriot right-wing and Erdogan, such as, for example, the bill on the Enosis referendum which was voted by ALL THE PARTIES, except AKEL, as well as the demonization of the candidacy of a Turkish Cypriot in the European elections, the actions and errors that ultimately facilitated, among other things, the assumption by Tatar over Akinci of the leadership of the Turkish Cypriot community.
Or to approve or reject the consistent policy of building bridges of cooperation and the forging of a common front of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots for the salvation of our homeland.
- Citizens with their vote are called upon to approve or reject the disorientation of our foreign policy in the direction of establishing military cooperations/alliances, which according to the President of the Republic would supposedly protect Cyprus against Turkish aggression, but in the end had left us completely unprotected and even worse have made it easier for Turkey to confront us on its privileged arena, namely this cycle of tension.
Or to approve or reject that AKEL, which was the ONLY force from the very beginning that warned about the dangerous delusions of the government ruling forces and that the favorable arena for the Greek Cypriot side was and remains the negotiating table, where with the tool of international law and the agreed framework of the solution we can defend ourselves more effectively on the one hand in the face of Turkish provocative actions and on the other hand to aspire to a solution, the liberation and reunification of our homeland and people.
- Citizens with their vote are called upon to approve or reject the resounding defeat in Cyprus’ foreign policy and isolation within the EU, when the Anastasiades government made the imposition of harsh sanctions on Turkey an end in itself, ignoring the fact that the EU is guided by selfish interests and not by principles and ignoring the fact that the first and foremost priority must be the solution of the Cyprus problem, to which everything else should serve as instruments and not the other way around.
Or AKEL, which was the ONLY Party that was warning of the dangers stemming from the transformation of the policy of imposing sanctions into an end in itself, warning about the delusions of the government ruling forces and calling for the need to take initiatives that would pave the way for the resumption of meaningful negotiations.
Ultimately, if there is one thing certain, it is that we are not “all the same”, not only as far as the handling of the Cyprus problem is concerned, but also with regards the issues of corruption, our stand towards institutions and the rule of law, the issues relating to the economy, society, workers, pensioners, the vulnerable groups of the population, the rights of young people, borrowers, the areas of Health, Education, Culture and the respect for the environment and our cultural heritage.
We shall return to all these issues with well-documented arguments/positions and indisputable facts!
