AKEL’s Congress positions and the…“advice” given to AKEL
Article by Costantinos Stylianou, member of the Communications Department of AKEL
Sunday 22nd January 2017, “Haravgi” newspaper
Recently AKEL’s positions are being repeatedly cited by leading members of the so-called “intermediate political spectrum”, but also by other circles and forces. Their whole logic of referring to AKEL’s positions entails calling on AKEL, either directly or through innuendos, to “turn back” to its Congress positions. This argument is trying to construct an image of an AKEL lacking in patriotism and with a tendency towards capitulation to imperialism.
Of course the attempt to portray the picture that AKEL’s leadership is basically deviating from the Party’s positions collapses because it is groundless. It is, however, becoming tragically laughable when it stems from members of other parties and particularly those from the so-called intermediate spectrum. This is so because those who are trying to supposedly bring AKEL to its senses and to “bring it back” to an “assertive” path are the same who pretend they don’t understand that their own political philosophy leads to passivity and fatalism on the Cyprus problem; that by making empty rhetoric and hollow declarations of resistance we are simply compromising with the occupation.
Despite all this, for the purposes of understanding it is useful to examine more concretely the content and underlying logic of AKEL’s positions on the Cyprus problem and its solution. It will subsequently emerge whether AKEL is actually “deviating from the party line”.
- For AKEL that the solution of the Cyprus problem should not be set within the framework of NATO was an issue of upmost importance. The question of NATO guarantees was and remains a “red line” for AKEL. Right now nobody raises the question of NATO, precisely because of AKEL’s very clear position.
- AKEL wants the UN Security Council to guarantee the solution of the Cyprus problem through the adoption of a strong resolution.
The UN Secretary General’s with his statements in Geneva on 01/12/2017 had referred precisely to this issue: «We are also ready in the context of the UN […] the Security Council to guarantee, in an effective and strong way, the results» [meaning the negotiations]
- For AKEL, the preconditions that are set out in its positions for the convening of the international conference on the Cyprus problem have a specific logic and content. That is to say, to ensure the non de-recognition of the Republic of Cyprus; to safeguard the non-upgrading of the illegal pseudo-state; to ensure that no other issues apart from security and guarantees will be raised in this conference. As regards the Geneva Conference, although it wasn’t an international conference as perceived by AKEL, the question was to safeguard the above-mentioned.
Developments themselves have shown that after the Geneva talks neither was the Republic of Cyprus derecognized, nor was the illegal pseudo-state upgraded, nor was any issue raised other than the issue of security and guarantees.
- For AKEL, the solution of the Cyprus problem must provide for the continuity of the Republic of Cyprus and the transformation of the state from a unitary to a federal state, without armies and without any external rights of intervention.
All the talk about some “deviation from the party line”, which is being said or implied by certain circles and forces, is to put it mildly a bunch of lies. It would be better if those, who are indeed trying to “return” AKEL back on the “correct path”, do actually read all of its positions and take an example from the dialectics of its analyzes.
AKEL’s positions are a guiding framework for action; they do not represent a pretext for negation. For AKEL patriotism was and is the reversal of partition which is happening now.
AKEL is also interested in the manner and content of the reversal of partition. This has been the key issue since 1974 and this is repeated in all the Party Congress decisions and declarations that have been approved. Besides – and this has been stated repeatedly – AKEL will take its final decisions, given that it has studied the final content of any agreement through the convening of an extraordinary Congress.
AKEL’s line is therefore crystal clear and it is the policy that can safeguard a peaceful and safe future for all of our people; a people that we should all remember is composed of both the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.
