AKEL will not share any responsibility for the government’s disastrous course

Statement of Georgos Loucaides, AKEL C.C. Spokesperson

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 20th January 2015, Nicosia

 

The government, instead of assuming its responsibilities for its inept handling of the Cyprus problem, which facilitated the promotion of the Turkish designs and is leading to the international isolation of the Greek Cypriot side, chose to pursue the familiar method of shifting responsibilities elsewhere and launching insulting accusations against AKEL too. More specifically, AKEL has been accused that of the criticism it makes, we are allegedly vindicating the reactions of the international community that our actions are not directed against Turkey’s unlawful and that AKEL does not submit any proposals.

We understand the government’s panic, as a result of the negative developments both with regards the Cyprus problem and the natural gas issue, especially after the public admission that President Anastasiades was once again fooled by his “strategic partners”.

We do not however understand and cannot accept the government’s insulting accusations, which are refuted by the events themselves. At the same time when the government unleashed these accusations against AKEL, the General Secretary of AKEL denounced Turkey in a letter addressed to all the institutional bodies and officials of the European Union.

The government spokesman asks what the opposition did when it was in government for a solution of the Cyprus problem and to force Turkey to assume its responsibilities. The facts speak for themselves: the former President of the Republic Demetris Christofias achieved significant convergences on three chapters of the Cyprus problem (Governance, Economy and European Union). When Eroglu undermined the convergences and in essence terminated the negotiation procedure, it was he himself and Turkey who found themselves exposed.

Even more so when it is known that AKEL is the Party which, without thinking of any political cost and being guided by any expediencies, has been submitting for two years now, positions and concrete proposals, not to gain some incidental popularity on the domestic front or among public opinion, but rather to contribute creatively towards breaching the deadlock in the effort to solve the Cyprus problem based on principles.

On the contrary, it is the government and ruling forces that for internal consumption purposes are continuing – even after the end of the pre-election period – to be guided by expediencies and are pursuing their political objectives through dangerous adventurism.

However the most worrying thing arising from the government’s reactions is that there doesn’t appear to be a will to make any self-criticism and consequently we mustn’t expect a change of course. If this is to be demonstrated in practice too, we reiterate that AKEL will in no way accept sharing responsibility for the disastrous course pursued by the government and ruling forces.