Assumption of political responsibilities for ELAM attack should be taken

 

Statement by Georgos Loucaides, AKEL C.C. Spokesperson 

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 28th March 2014, Nicosia

 

AKEL considers that the Minister of Justice bears serious political responsibilities for the inability of the police to ensure the smooth running of the event at the Technical University of Cyprus. The responsibility starts with the fact that the Ministry of Justice had been informed in time, actually a week beforehand, of the meeting. However, these responsibilities also have to do with the general attitude of the Minister of Justice towards the tackling of ELAM, given that until recently he did not even recognize the existence of any ultra-right organisation in Cyprus, let alone of course the dangers arising from their activity. The severe responsibilities of the Minister of Justice with regards all that tragically happened recently in the Central Prison, and beyond that, should also be added.

Objectively, the Chief of the Police also bears responsibility for the fascist attack at the Technical University. However, the primary responsibility lies with the political head of the Ministry of Justice, whose Ministry also knew about the meeting to be held there. Consequently, it is seemingly self-contradictory to turn the Chief of Police into a scapegoat, with the Government and the Minister not feeling any need to assume in practice their unmistakable heavy responsibilities. For AKEL practical assumption of responsibility means the resignation of the Minister of Justice and Public Order. Anything else will confirm that the attack in the Technical University was merely a pretext for the appointment by the President of a chosen affiliated person as Chief of Police, for whom indeed long ago there was talk that he would be the chosen appointed person of the governing Democratic Rally DISY party to undertake this post.

Furthermore, we consider the allegations made by the suspended Chief of Police against the Minister of Justice as very serious.

The President of the Republic must on the one hand intervene for the practical assumption of political responsibility and on the other for an independent investigation of these very serious allegations to be conducted that strike further blows to the public’s confidence in the already degraded institutions of the state.