Cyprus can! – Article by Stefanos Stefanou, General Secretary of the C.C. of AKEL
Saturday 1 October 2022, “Haravgi” newspaper
If we scratch beneath the surface of the parades to honor Cyprus Independence and the celebratory speeches made, the true picture of today’s anniversary day will be revealed: a shackled Republic which is deeply wounded and still struggling to overcome its childhood illnesses. The picture would simply be sad if it weren’t about our own state. Things do not get much worse, as they go to the very essence of our existence. The former pathologies of our immature democracy – nepotism, cronyism, clientelism, conflict of interest – are still plaguing the edifice of the Republic of Cyprus 62 years after its foundation.
This is the great challenge for those of us who do not shy away from facing reality head on. It is above all a political challenge, which confronts us with our personal responsibility: to help this country come of age politically and take a decisive leap into the future.
We as AKEL commemorate the anniversary of Cyprus Independence, not out of any formal obligation, but for the substance. From the very beginning, we believed in the Republic of Cyprus and waged our battles in the front line of the struggle to defend it.
Against foreign interferences and the parastate paramilitary forces who were undermining the lawful state.
Against all those who were attempting to overthrow and abolish democracy in our country.
Against the Junta of Greece, EOKA B and the far-right. Against the treasonous coup d’état and the Turkish invasion.
We commemorate the anniversary of the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus, by simultaneously paying tribute to the brave heroes of the struggles waged for our liberation from colonialism and to all those who fought to defend the freedom of our homeland and democracy in the country. Those who are stubbornly insisting on a just solution to the Cyprus problem, because only in this way will our country become a happy common homeland for all its citizens, Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Maronites, Armenians and Latins. We have said these things so many times before and so persistently that I believe we have earned, if anything, the public approval and good repute.
However, it would be a pity if today’s Independence anniversary were to be confined to the expected, the banal and the trivial. If we want to be really useful to our country, then we must do what I mentioned at the beginning: scratch the surface and face up to our truths. We should at least understand who this state we are celebrating today is and what its tragic deficits are. In the past, diligent efforts were made and steps were taken to modernise and mature democracy. Social struggles yielded progress for the country and dignity for society. Of course, problems cannot be solved by some magic wand, especially when development is overshadowed by the heavy burden of the occupation. But steps forward were taken, so that we could reasonably hope that a promising future lay ahead of us on the threshold of the 21st century.
Over the past decade, unfortunately, Cyprus has suffered a major setback. I am not naïve enough to claim that everything was rosy before, nor am I nullifying what has happened out of a sense of duty as an opposition force.
However, as a citizen of the Republic and as a politician, I cannot but stand on the self-evident facts: The moral devaluation of the Republic of Cyprus with the sole responsibility of the Anastasiades – Democratic Rally government, the downward slide of our credibility internationally, the stain of the “golden” passport scheme, the mishandling of the Cyprus problem that led the international community to hold the Greek Cypriot side equally responsible for the prolonged stalemate on the Cyprus problem that is bringing permanent partition ever closer. Ten barren years in which the logic of serving the interests of the few and the privileged to the detriment of the many has prevailed.
The state we are celebrating today is made up of citizens with a name and a surname.
They are the people struggling daily with the monster of price hikes and the high cost of living.
They are the young people with degrees but without a hopeful perspective.
They are our vulnerable citizens trying to maintain their dignity on a minimum wage that ignores their real needs.
They are the households that cannot endure the unbearable burden of the energy crisis.
This is the democracy we are celebrating today. This is the stark reality one finds outside our political offices. This is the Cyprus we have an obligation to speak about today, on the anniversary of Independence, if we want to be honest with ourselves.
For that reason, anniversary speeches and parades are all good and fine, but knowing the truth is better. This truth that confronts us with our personal responsibility: what do we do to free ourselves from this dystopian reality?
For AKEL there is no dilemma. The answer is transparent and stems from the need for real, progressive change. Cyprus will not turn the page and will not leave behind the erroneous practices of the past with the continuators of this government.
Cyprus will only move towards a brighter future if it believes that it can turn the page.
Our belief is that Cyprus can!
