DISY- DIKO attempt to promote legislation for clientelism an insult to Parliament

 

Statements of Georgos Loucaides, AKEL C.C. Spokesperson

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 2nd February 2016, Nicosia

DISY party President Averof Neophytou appeared particularly insulted, considering the interconnection of the state doctor’s strike action in the public sector with the freezing of the procedure for a vote vote on the Bill submitted by DISY-DIKO parties extending the retirement age to 68 years of age as an insult to the House of Representatives.

What is an insult to the House of Representatives is not the justified resistance of state doctors to the machinations and scheming of the DISY-DIKO parties, but rather the attempt of these two parties to promote legislation with a clear cliental content.

What is an insult to the House of Representatives is the authoritarianism stemming from the attempt to impose such a measure, in violation of labour norms and codes, without any prior debate whatsoever and ignoring the views of all interested parties, including the Minister of Health who disagreed publicly with the extension of the retirement age.

What is an insult to the House of Representatives is the hypocrisy of those who while not caring at all about the collapse of public hospitals, and were never bothered about the cuts amounting to 185 million Euros over the last three years in the budget of the Ministry of Health, are now raging against the doctors as a result of their supposed “sensitivity” for patients who are facing difficulties due to the strike.

What is an insult to the House of Representatives is the behavior of certain Members, about which they themselves who are now hypocritically concerned about the House’s prestige have done absolutely nothing about.

Finally, an insult to the House of Representatives was the transformation in many cases of the body from an exponent of popular sovereignty to a passive and ratifying tool serving the Troika’s blackmailing, always with the blessing and help of the friends and collaborators of the Troika in Cyprus.