AKEL 2015 New Year Declaration

 

AKEL C.C Press Office, 1st January 2015, Nicosia

 

On the occasion of the advent of 2015, AKEL extends its warmest wishes to the people of Cyprus, Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Maronites, Armenians and Latins, for a New Year full of, happiness and prosperity, for the speedy termination of the occupation and for the reunification of our homeland in conditions of freedom and peace.

AKEL also extends its wishes to our compatriots living abroad, who are waging their own struggle to assist and promote the just cause of our Cyprus.

We address our warm wishes to all the immigrants who live and work in Cyprus and whose thoughts during these festive days quite naturally are with their own country and people.

 

Fellow compatriots,

2014 has come to an end leaving behind it a bitter taste due to the unprecedented adverse conditions in the economy. The continuation for the second year running of the punitive measures against Cyprus, as a result of the Memoranda and government austerity policies, has led to the further impoverishment our people.

At an international level, the attempt to impose the imperialist interests of the United States and their NATO allies all over the world continues unabated against the peoples and their will, against the national sovereignty of states, human rights and freedoms.

Our neighbourhood is once again at the centre of developments due to the continuing bloodshed of entire peoples and the huge humanitarian crisis that has been created as a result of the actions and interventions of powerful Western states. Having created the so-called “Islamic State” organisation, today the US and their Western allies are using it as a pretext to impose their interests in the region with the same recipe.

Similarly, in Europe a new round of bloodshed has been unleashed, this time in Ukraine. The goal for the subjugation of Ukraine to Euro-Atlantic interests is part of the effort to encircle and ultimately control the Russian Federation, which reacted with the annexation of the Crimea.

Both of these developments adversely affect Cyprus, both economically and in a geopolitical sense. First, on the one hand Turkey’s role has been upgraded and on the other, this has had a negative impact on Cypriot tourism and exports to the Russian Federation.

At the same time, despite the tragic results of the Memoranda and the imposition of the model of neoliberal economic management, which has considerably exacerbated the consequences of the worst systemic crisis of capitalism, the ruling circles of the EU not only do not change course, but instead are strengthening further the neo-liberal character of the Union.

In Cyprus, Turkey’s enhanced role for Western interests, combined with the undermining of the international credibility of the Republic of Cyprus, as a result of the government’s dogmatic insistence on pursuing a one-dimensional foreign policy and its erratic, full of petty-political considerations in the handling of the Cyprus problem, have facilitated the implementation of Turkey’s plans and adventurisms in the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Cyprus.

Turkey’s illegal and inexcusable actions against the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus have caused the suspension of the negotiations, making the prospect of breaching the deadlock and finding a negotiated solution to the Cyprus problem bleak. The government in the face of these developments and despite AKEL’s repeated appeals for the need to take initiatives that will either force Turkey to withdraw the fait accompli it is attempting to impose, or either leave it seriously exposed, has unfortunately chosen to be play a communications game for domestic consumption rather than acting for the benefit of the people.

The Cyprus economy is still going through an unprecedented in intensity and extent crisis as a result of the collapse of the banking sector and the Memorandum “therapy” that has been savagely imposed by the Troika on Cyprus in March 2013. The Memorandum yoke was not only accepted by the Anastasiades government, but in contradiction with its pre-election pledges, it considers the Memorandum as its own ideological manifesto. Working people, the unemployed, households, the vulnerable groups of the population and SME’s are all suffering from the results of the Memorandum’s anti-social austerity measures, the haircut on bank deposits, the deregulation of labour relations, the dismantling of the welfare state and privatizations.

Health, education, culture, the environment, housing and refugee policy, as well as most areas of socio-economic activity are also victims of the banking crisis, the Memoranda austerity policies and the class-based government interventions in favour of big capital.

 

Fellow compatriots,

Unfortunately, 2015 promises to be another very difficult year for Cyprus, our people and workers.

As AKEL, we assure that we will continue to struggle with consistency and be in the forefront for a solution of the Cyprus problem based on principles and for the rapprochement of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.

As the main opposition party, AKEL will continue to be a strong pole of resistance against the neoliberal policies of the Troika and the government for brutal austerity, deregulation and privatization. By constantly strengthening the ties of the party with our people and workers, AKEL will continue with even greater determination to defend Cypriot society, which is under unprecedented attack.

Through ongoing initiatives and the submission of proposals and suggestions for a fair and balanced distribution of the burden of the crisis, AKEL will continue to strive to exit from the Memorandum yoke and for the speediest possible recovery of the Cyprus economy.

Through the struggles and mobilizations of workers and our people, we can keep alive and renew the hope for tomorrow.

AKEL will continue to fight against nationalism – chauvinism, racism and the inhuman ideologies of the extreme-right.

AKEL as a genuine internationalist party expresses its solidarity with all the peoples and workers of the world who are struggling against imperialism, neoliberalism and the impact of the crisis, for democratic and labour rights, social gains, for peace and socialism.

The forces of labour are and remain the bearers of progress and the hope for humanity. Through organized political, social and class struggles humanity is marching on the difficult road towards a bright future. And no one can stop this march, no matter how many adversities there may be.

 

Happy New Year to all!