AKEL and the Cypriot Left revive the hope! – Article by Giorgos T. Georgiou, AKEL Political Bureau member

 

Sunday 26 February 2023 HARAVGI newspaper

The 2023 presidential elections are now history. A new period begins. The challenges for Cyprus and our people are enormous. The new government, under the newly elected President Nicos Christodoulides, will be judged by his deeds, by the end result as will the entire political system.

AKEL and the Cypriot Left failed to elect the independent candidate Andreas Mavroyiannis. He came so close to fulfilling the dream! He may have lost electorally, but politically he achieved a feat. I say this because the political establishment and wider political and economic system wanted AKEL to be finished before the election campaign even began. Life itself proved that AKEL’s decision to support Andreas Mavroyiannis was both wise and hopeful. In the person of Andreas Mavroyiannis we saw the best of Cyprus!

Today, AKEL and the Cypriot Left are emerging as the political force that can and must revive the hopes of our people. It is a vital necessity for AKEL, in view of its forthcoming statutory Congress, to listen to the needs and demands of our people, listen to their aspirations for a better and sustainable future.

A new social alliance is emerging as a popular demand. Below I reiterate briefly enriched ideas and proposals for a positive agenda for Cyprus and our people that AKEL and the Cypriot Left can call on our people to commence a new journey of struggles.

1. In this agenda first and foremost is the solution of the Cyprus problem, the peaceful reunification of our homeland, the liberation of Cyprus. Towards this end, the unanimous decisions of the National Council, the United Nations Resolutions and the European acquis are the benchmarks. Cyprus can be saved, otherwise time will sink it along with our dreams and aspirations.
2. Second in line is the divorce from scandals, corruption and entanglement/interwoven interests. Catharsis demanded now, with strict and exemplary punishment for all those guilty. It also demands transparency, accountability and for the institutions of the judiciary to have prompt reflexes to prevent financial crimes being committed on the one hand and to stamp them out on the other.
3. Redistribution of the wealth generated in favour of working people, the poor and the weak. Around ¼ of our people, that is to say 25%, 250,000 of our compatriots live below the poverty line.
4. Safeguarding minimum pensions, as the government’s announcement of 710 euros for a single person and 1280 euros for a couple, and restoring the 12% that was cut from pensions as a penalty 9for those opting to retire at 63).
5. Ensuring a more dignified minimum wage for the young generation, so that no young person is subject to the super-exploitation that is currently the case.
6. Ensuring that employment contracts are safeguarded and legally enshrined, so that no violation of what has been agreed between employers and workers is permitted, nor for contracts to be interpreted as one sees fit. This is the only way to achieve respect and industrial peace.
7. Immediate formulation of plans to provide housing for both the 1974 refugees and domestic population. Acquiring housing should not be a privilege but a right. The State needs to provide a comprehensive framework so that the poor have the opportunity and possibility to acquire housing.
8. Promote a national strategy for the countryside with a series of proposals to create the terms and conditions, the framework for the return of the inhabitants to the countryside for the revitalisation of the mountain areas.
9. The idea of re-establishing the Co-operative movement is already on the table. Some initiatives and actions, such as the Co-operative in Pelendri, are a ray of light. And the left must be the protagonist of developments!

Finally, the state needs a modern vision for 2030, investing as a country in the fields of Education, Culture, Health, Innovation and Research, the Environment and Green Economy.

AKEL and the Cypriot Left can and must become the engine of the new beginning. We should call on the people to become fellow travelers on the train that life has started to travel in the coming years with many starting points and stations.