Contribution by Vera Polycarpou, member of the Central Committee of AKEL, member of the International Relations and European Affairs Bureau at the International Meeting organised by the CP of Brazil (PCdoB)

 

“Trends of the international situation:  the crisis of capitalism; the world in transition; the imperialist offensive and the resistance of the peoples and nations; the integration of Latin America and the Caribbean; the internationalism and the struggle for socialism today.”

 

São Paulo Brasil, 13-14th November 2013

 

 

Dear comrades and friends,

 

It is an honour and great experience to share with you this forum, listen to your positions and try, fully respecting each other, to learn from each other’s experience in an effort to advance what should be our common struggle.  A struggle in favour of the working people of our countries, against war and the imperialist plans and interventions, for peace and justice for all peoples and countries.  A struggle that would allow us to achieve our common goal of putting an end to poverty and suffering, the plundering of natural resources and destruction of our planet, to make the necessary steps to build socialism and attain it. And there is no easy way in this struggle, we all know this. It has advances and backtracking, it involves suffering and sacrifice. But it is a struggle worth waging and a path worth taking through life and sharing it with all you in solidarity with each other.

 

A special message of solidarity and comradeship to the comrades, the leadership and members of PCdoB on the eve of the opening of your 13th congress.  Its deliberations will help us understand your work better and enable us to have firsthand your evaluation on the current stage of your struggle in Brazil as a Party that participates in government.  We wish every success to your Congress and future development and struggles.  On behalf of AKEL, I would like to thank you for organizing this international meeting and inviting us to participate.

 

If I were to give two main characteristics of the current situation I would cite the global economic systemic crisis of capitalism with all its consequences and the militarization of international relations that goes hand in hand with the imperialist wars, both open and covert, and all kinds of interventions.

 

I will deal with these two characteristics starting from Cyprus, where from 2008 to February of this year our former General Secretary c. Christofias, was elected and served as President of the Republic of Cyprus. An island which is divided since the fascist coup d’état  and Turkish invasion of July 1974 and subsequent occupation of 37% of its territory; a crime planned and committed by NATO and the same criminal brains that orchestrated just 10 months before the coup d’état against president Allende and the government of Unidad Popular in Chile 40 years ago. A small island of around 850,000 people -Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots- that is still searching 40 years on, for its 2,000 missing persons. An island in the Eastern Mediterranean, at the crossroads of three continents, Europe Asia and Africa, at a stone’s throw from Palestine, Lebanon  and Syria and all the developments in the Middle East. An island where Britain maintains according to the agreements that granted Cyprus it’s independence in 1960, two so-called “sovereign bases” which serve not only as military bases, but also as the big surveillance and eavesdropping system spying all over the Middle East, part of the infamous NSA.

 

In 2007 AKEL decided for the first time since Cyprus independence in 1960, to contest the Presidential elections with its own candidate. Our Party considered  that given the then situation, that a step was necessary in order to enhance our struggle for a just solution to the Cyprus problem and a more just society.  The party had foreseen possible difficulties and dangers we would have to face, both from within and from outside the country.  Having worked for years in building alliances to serve the aim of reunifying our country and people, to serve the people, the 2008 Presidential elections were won.

 

A lot was achieved in various aspects – social, infrastructure, education, public transport, international relations, the discovery of hydrocarbons in the Exclusive Economic Zone and safeguarding of the Republic of Cyprus’ sovereign rights on it. For the first  time since independence a government challenged the establishment.  However, we had the misfortune that the global economic crisis broke out when our government was in office, a fact that crippled the possibilities of implementing the pledged social and economic policies.  President Christofias and his government tried to tackle the crisis through development and public investment, a path different from the austerity measures and policies imposed by EU governments.

 

AKEL is currently in the final stage of evaluating and assessing the 5-year term in office and the February 2013 presidential elections which we lost, so I will not go any further on the issue; when ready we will of course share this evaluation with you.

 

Following the change in government in March 2013, the new right-wing neoliberal president and government fully agreeing with the pursuits of their allies and leading circles in the EU, saw the economic situation as an opportunity to impose their long-wished policy of neoliberalism, austerity, privatizations, destroying working peoples gains and rights and labour and trade union rights, including collective bargaining.   What happened in March this year through the Eurogroup decision for a “bail-in” with the full complacency of the right-wing government, was a “shock therapy” on a small country and people -just 850,000 people – which was used as a guinea pig to experiment with the “bail-in”, what now will certainly become a rule as stated recently by  IMF officials.  The “bail-in” was followed by a  “Memorandum of Understanding” with the notorious Troika, which seems to have gone even so far as to threaten the public ownership of the discovered hydrocarbon wealth.  The consequences of both were immediate, with unemployment reaching unprecedented levels of 18% with an increasing tendency. AKEL’s response was the proposal for an exit from the Eurozone as a way out of the crisis, elaborated by a team of economists and specialists from AKEL along with a team of international experts. This proposal is currently being further elaborated on.

 

The right wing forces saw the new situation as an opportunity to launch an all-out attack on AKEL, aiming to isolate and destroy the Party, as the example of a left-wing government was an unwanted example in the EU, and because as always AKEL has been the main obstacle to the imposition of the imperialist plans on Cyprus.  These plans include both a settlement of the Cyprus problem that will not be uniting Cyprus and its people under a bizonal bicommunal federation with single sovereignty, singly international personality and single citizenship, as well as forcing Cyprus into the “Partnership for Peace”, the entrance-hall to NATO membership.

 

Unquestionably the odds are high, the situation is extremely difficult, but we are all conscious that there are no easy solutions and shortcuts except that of determined struggle, gradually building people’s resistance and forging a common front in defense of the working people’s rights and of public property. The workers, farmers, the unemployed whom we represent, are not necessarily in a position to understand the theoretical philosophy and background on which we base our policy. But they fully understand when they see our members and cadres next to them, with them struggling for their rights.  This is the only way to gain their trust and confidence, strengthen and broaden the fronts of struggle and the Party itself, to achieve a successful outcome of the struggles.  This is the course that we take in Cyprus.

 

I would also like to briefly touch on the issue of militarization of International relations and the persistent violations of International Law in connection to the EU. Since 2003 when the EU adopted its European Security Strategy, but particularly since the start of the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty, the European Union has set on a course of militarization, building structures and capabilities, preparing and intervening well beyond its borders, asserting a global role in full connection with NATO.  It should not escape our attention that all this is happening at times of crisis, when in the EU there are millions of unemployed, when social cuts are constantly being imposed and the welfare state is being demolished, built after the second world war.  The militarization of the EU goes hand in hand with its neoliberal policies and is coupled with the democratic deficit inherent to its institutions.

 

The EU has currently Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) military and civil-military missions in the territory of the former Yugoslav federation, in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Congo and Somalia.  The pretexts may be different, but the aims are clear: to secure their neocolonial influence, energy sources and routes, control over natural resources and wealth. This policy goes hand in hand with the US and NATO policies and interests, increasing tensions and causing suffering.

 

Facing these dangers, we declare that for us in Cyprus, as well as for other peoples struggling against foreign occupation and violation of their sovereignty, International Law is the sole instrument of defense alongside international solidarity.  For us solutions to all conflicts should be sought through diplomatic means and not through wars.  We take the opportunity to reiterate our all-round solidarity with the Palestinian people, the Saharawis, the people of Iraq, the Syrian people struggling against occupation and foreign intervention.

 

In conclusion, we reiterate that each party is developing its activities as it perceives its tasks in the particular conditions of its country and each country has its peculiarities; each party is accountable to its own people alone, and is in the best condition to judge the course of its struggle.  Our common task is to show solidarity with these struggles, be it  for the rights of the working people or in defense of national sovereignty, and unite our forces in our common struggles.

 

In that sense I would like to thank PCdoB and all parties represented here, for the continuous solidarity with the  struggles of AKEL and the Cypriot people to end the Turkish occupation of our country.