Neither arrogant posturing, nor passive submission but militant assertion

 

Statement of Georgos Loucaides, AKEL C.C. Spokesperson

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 9th September 2015, Nicosia

 

Whenever petty party and electoral considerations, self-righteous syndromes, dogmatism and anti-AKEL rage dominate, whenever arguments are replaced by a poisonous and divisive political discourse, society and our people are called upon to pay a heavy cost. It seems that once again we are entering such a political period. In reply to statements made by the President of the governing DISY party Averof Neophytou and Democratic Party President Nicolas Papadopoulos in the morning, as AKEL we would like to stress the following:

– AKEL decides its stand on every issue, solely on the basis of whether this stand serves the interests of our people and workers. Whether it concerns the Cyprus problem, the economy, privatizations, the foreclosures of family homes, the Memorandum and other issues, one may disagree with AKEL’s positions but no one can attach to AKEL in a plausible and documented way any hidden motives.

– In this context, both with regards the Cyprus problem and the handling of issues concerning the economy and the Memorandum, the same principles and the same philosophy determine our approach and policy. At the same time as we reject both fruitless negativism and dangerous and unfeasible maximalist approaches, we correspondingly reject the logic of submission, fatalism and subordination that invokes the superior power of our opponent. Both on the Cyprus problem and the economy, AKEL chooses the path of setting realistic goals and the militant assertion of the rights of our people, workers and society.

– For that reason, AKEL considers as necessary and imperative the determination and adherence of minimum “red lines” or in turn minimum fundamental principles, which must be defended to the very end, whether we are dealing with Turkey or with the Troika.

We therefore say to Mr. Averof Neophytou, but also to Mr. N. Papadopoulos, whose party fully identifies with the Memoranda policies of DISY, the Troika and the government, that we reject both the arrogant posturing and bravado, as well as the passive submission whether this concerns the economy or the Cyprus problem, or whether we are dealing with the Troika or Turkey.

In conclusion, since Mr. N. Papadopoulos has discovered that “there is a danger of the explosion of containers on the Cyprus problem”, we inform him that the containers of US-origin Turkey brought to Cyprus were sparked 41 years ago by Greek-speaking traitors in the name of maximalist and unfeasible sloganeering for the union of Cyprus with Greece, namely “Enosis”. Then and now, all those who decide their stand based on expediencies or fanaticism, are not only finding it difficult to ascertain the true causes and culprits, but in unfortunately following the same path of empty sloganeering and division, will only bring new sufferings and the finalization of partition.