AKEL: Brief Historical Outline and Main Political Features
Foundation. AKEL – the Progressive Party of the Working People, held its founding Congress on April 14, 1941, succeeding the Communist Party of Cyprus founded in 1926.
The main elements that were then at the centre of the Party’s activity, were the struggle against colonization, to gain our people’s democratic freedoms and social conquests and the struggle against fascism. A large number of AKEL cadres and members fought fascism during the 2nd Word War joining the British army following the Party’s appeal in 1943.
AKEL: The Party of the Cypriot working class. AKEL in all the 84 years of its existence and activity has defended the people’s rights. It played a leading role in the founding of the first trade unions in Cyprus, and the economic and social struggles of the working people and the broad popular strata. Since the 1930’s the left trade unions contributed significantly to the social achievements of the Cypriot working class. The establishment of PEO (The Pancyprian Federation of Labor) in 1941 led further the class orientated struggle of the working people. This fostered solid links between the working people and AKEL.
AKEL and the Cyprus Problem
In the years following the 1960 declaration of the independence of Cyprus, AKEL struggled to defend the independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus from foreign conspiracies that culminated in July 1974 with the fascist coup d’etat of the Greek Junta and the terrorist organization EOKA B’ and the Turkish military invasion that followed. A large number of AKEL members and supporters lost their life defending democracy and Cyprus. Since 1974 AKEL has been struggling to bring about the end of the Turkish occupation and the reunification of Cyprus and our people.
On the Cyprus problem, AKEL considers that this should be solved on the basis of the UN Resolutions and the High-level agreements, within the framework of the UN. The solution of the Cyprus Problem should be based on a bizonal and bicommunal federation, with a single sovereignty, single international personality, and single citizenship, with the human rights and freedoms of all Cypriots guaranteed.
AKEL supports the dismantling of the foreign bases in Cyprus and the demilitarization of the island, though the primary objective now is the end of the occupation.
Rapprochement between Greekcypriots and Turkishcypriots.
From the wake of its foundation, AKEL has been and remains a fighter against nationalism and chauvinism, for friendship, cooperation, mutual understanding and respect among all Cypriots, irrespective of national origin. This consolidated the brotherhood of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in the framework of the left movement. Since 1974 AKEL has been working with consistency and insistence for the rapprochement of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, considering rapprochement instrumental for the implementation of a future solution of the Cyprus problem. Today rapprochement has become a mass movement involving Cypriots of all ages and profession.
AKEL – A permanent supporter of the working people. AKEL succeeded in rejuvenating itself, modernizing its political and ideological approaches and in broadening even further the inner party democracy preserving its Marxist-Leninist character, without abandoning fundamental principles and values.
The policy of political alliances. The urgency for a solution to the Cyprus Problem has led AKEL to support along with other democratic forces several governments aiming to contribute in the struggle of the Cypriot people for a just solution to the Cyprus Problem. At the same time, its influence in these governments has been catalytic for safeguarding the rights and the conquests of the working class. Its participation in these governments though, has never been a reason to disorientate the Party from its ideological character and its long-term targets for the socialist transformation of the society.
The election of Demetris Christofias in the Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus. In 2007 AKEL had taken the historical decision to participate in the Presidential Elections of 2008 for a first time with a candidate coming from the ranks of AKEL. This was when it decided to put its ex-General Secretary Demetris Christofias to run as a candidate in the elections of February 2008. The election of com. Demetris Christofias with a percentage of 53,3% in the 2nd round of the elections as the new President of the Republic of Cyprus has been a historical success for the Party. The political goals of this government were based in the permanent goal of AKEL for a just solution in the Cyprus Problem. Moreover this government had targeted to promote a further just society implementing a progressive political program. This program had to be implemented under the harsh conditions of the world capitalist crisis and the attacks from the internal and external bourgeois establishment.
The consequences of the capitalist crisis. During the last years, AKEL and the previous government had played a big role on confronting the consequences of the capitalist crisis. Cyprus has been affected from the crisis especially mostly to the huge exposure of two of the bigger Cypriot banks to the Greek debt. Main responsibilities lie on several bankers, the previous Chief of Central Bank and the political establishment that have been supporting them. The previous government has done its outmost for safeguarding the conquests of the working class in contrast to the severe austerity policies that have been followed in other countries.
The election of the right wing government in February though has given the opportunity to the local and foreign bourgeois establishment to make Cyprus a new experiment of the IMF and Troika. AKEL has fought from the first moment along with the people of Cyprus against the unacceptable and unjust agreement with the Troika of last March. It has also provided its own Alternative Proposal for an exit from the Memorandum of Agreement with the Troika to the Cypriot society.
The electoral results for AKEL during the last years are the following:
| Year | Elections | Results |
| 2009 | European elections | AKEL reached the percentage of 34,7% and elected 2 out of the 6 Cypriot EMP’s. |
| 2011 | Parliamentary elections | AKEL polled 32,7% (+1.6%) and elected 19 MPs (+1). |
| 2011 | Local elections | AKEL elected 8 mayors and supported that were coming from the ranks of the Party and 10 coming from other parties. It had also increased the number of its municipal councilors. |
International Department of AKEL
August 2013
