AKEL on privatisation of semi-state Organisations

 

Statement by Giorgos Loucaides, AKEL C.C. Press Spokesperson

 

The President of the Democratic Rally party DISY in statements made yesterday for the first time recently in an unequivocal way revealed the real positions of DISY and the government on the issue of privatisations, which he considers as a necessary measure for modernisation.

Although quite delayed, with his statements Mr. Averof has admitted the truth about such a crucial issue for the economy and society. That is to say, that the government and the President of the Republic misled and fooled the Cypriot people, working people in the Semi-state organisations and its coalition partner the Democratic Party DHKO, when during the pre-election campaign they made the pledge that they would not promote the privatisations of the Semi-state organisations.

Furthermore, Mr. Averof’s open admission explains why the government did not negotiate the question of privatisations with the Troika last March. It explains why the government and ruling forces never attempted to search for other alternative solutions, despite being urged to do so by the opposition and the submission of proposals by the Semi-state organisations. It sheds light about the the government’s consent to the updated Memorandum and the relevant decisions about the road map for the privatisation of the Semi-state organisations.

It fully clarifies that the criticism of the government against the previous government and the referring, through distortion, to a relevant Memorandum provision, was nothing but an excuse to hide and camouflage their long-standing policy in favour of the selling-off of the profitable Semi-state organisations.

In addition, in contrast to Mr. Averof’s claims that privatisations – wearing the mask of “modernisation” – do not have any colour or ideology, the truth is totally different. All over the world, in Cyprus too, the political forces of neo-liberalism are trying to impose the selling-off of strategic sectors of the economy which belong to the state and the public, aiming exclusively at serving the big private interests to the detriment always of the people, the workers and society.

Once again, we urge the working people and citizens in general to rally and unite their forces against the selling-off of our national wealth.

Furthermore, we call on the government coalition partner party DHKO to clarify whether it shares the position of the DISY party that the privatisations are a necessary measure for modernisation and mainly, whether it will eventually consent to the selling-off of the profitable Semi-state organisations.