Excerpts from the speech of the General Secretary of the C.C. of AKEL A.Kyprianou at Lymbia on the Cyprus problem and Presidential elections
AKEL C.C. Press Office, Sunday 21st May 2017, Nicosia
Our country needs a strong Left and a powerful AKEL in every city and village.
Our country and people need AKEL, with its positions and visions, patriotism, seriousness and consistency, its militancy and action.
First and foremost it needs AKEL at the forefront of the anti-occupation struggle for freedom and reunification.
The cause of the solution of the Cypriot problem is at a crucial juncture. Negotiations are in a phase where critical and important decisions will be taken. The negotiations will either continue with a view to reaching an agreement or will be suspended or collapse completely with unpredictable consequences. I only hope that an attempt isn’t made to revive them until the presidential elections simply to serve Mr. Anastasiades’ goals.
The situation inside Turkey raises concerns about the future, while the occupying power is preparing new provocations in the Cypriot Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), openly and directly threatening us over drilling.
I also have to say that, unfortunately, the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci at critical times has not managed to rise to the occasion by insisting on unacceptable positions.
On the other hand, Mr. Anastasiades, instead of working consistently according to positions of principles and with total commitment to the goal of the solution, unfortunately fell into contradictions, regressions and erratic actions. His desire to rally all his potential voters forced him to put the race for the Presidential chair over and above the interests of Cyprus.
He is the one who will have to reply to the following question: “what value is the Presidential chair if my country is divided?”
Doesn’t he understand that there is a risk not only of the procedure collapsing, but also of the Greek Cypriot side being held responsible, or even if partially? Even though the main responsibility for the stagnation lies with the Turkish side.
I also want to send out a very clear message to both Nikos Anastasiades and Mustafa Akinci: history will be unforgiving to those who do not act in the critical moments; to those who set other priorities. History is not going to be who has more or less responsibility.
As AKEL, we urge both leaders to work constructively and decisively to achieve convergence on the internal aspects of the Cyprus problem in order to pave the way to discuss the international aspect, namely the issue of the withdrawal of the Turkish troops and the abolition of guarantees, which make up the international aspect of the Cyprus problem. There is no other path towards the solution of the Cyprus problem. Anyone who claims that another path exists must at long last explain it to the people.
For many years we have been hearing the leaders of the so-called centre “inbetween spectrum” talking about the notorious so-called “new strategy” on the Cyprus problem. However, they still haven’t told us what it actually means and what it contains. On the contrary, they cannot agree among themselves even on what the desired solution of the Cyprus problem should be.
On the one hand DIKO President Nicolas Papadopoulos claims he wants a bizonal, bicommunal federation with the “right content”, while the leadership of EDEK rejects it.
The leader of “Solidarity” Eleni Theocharous is even ready for Enosis, namely union with Greece, while these parties’ views are increasingly coinciding with those of the ultra-right ELAM.
The leaders of DIKO and EDEK will have to answer not to us, but to their own voters and confront their history as to how they have managed to get caught up in the same bastion with the neo-fascist ELAM.
They will have to answer as to how they manage to declare themselves as defenders of the Republic of Cyprus and, at the same time, vote in favour of ELAM’s amendment on Enosis?
How do they honour the memory of Makarios when they fall in line with the remnants of the actions and ideas of Grivas?
We repeat that their recipe was not only tested, but failed miserably. In 1993, 1998, after July 2006 and from 2013 until February 2014. Every time this strategy and policy was pursued Cyprus and the Greek Cypriot side came out for the worse.
Of course, if we are honest, those leading the way and at the forefront in the exploitation and manipulation of patriotism, the actions and ideas of Grivas and the kid-glove handling and appeasement of the extreme-right continue to be to the ruling DISY Democratic Rally party.
It is DISY who, while claiming that it wants a solution of the Cyprus problem, continues – even to this today – to honor and pay tribute to the pioneers of the betrayal committed against Cyprus. It organizes visits of school pupils to Griva’s hideout so that they are taught about his activity.
It’s as if the huge occupation flag on the Pentadactylos mountain range is not enough to show us what the results of Griva’s actions were.
Against all of them AKEL proposes positions of principles that have been vindicated by history and developments themselves.
We are putting forth constructive proposals on how to overcome the difficulties and obstacles.
We propose the waging of a common struggle of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots against nationalism and partition.
We are projecting the vision for a free homeland from one end to the other; a homeland without armies and barbed wires of division, without foreign “guardians” and “motherlands”.
We are projecting and struggling for an independent and united Cyprus, sovereign and prosperous.
This is the reason why AKEL doesn’t get disillusioned and does not give up our country’s cause. The members and militants of AKEL will continue to keep the banners of reunification, freedom and democracy high and steadfast.
I fully understand that among the people of the Left and society in general, the issue of the 2018 Presidential Elections and the candidacy AKEL will support is being discussed broadly. This interest demonstrates that the candidates that have already been announced can’t satisfy the aspirations not only of the people of the Left, but also of the centre-left and, more broadly, the unaffiliated progressive citizens of our country. Respecting the procedures of the Party currently underway, permit me to confine myself to commenting on just three points on the issue.
First. The candidacy to be supported by AKEL must be qualitatively different. It should be a winning candidate because the country needs change from the Nikos Anastasiades-DISY government.
The country cannot afford another five years of the Right and the DISY party.
It cannot afford the government of “pledges” that were forgotten as it came to power.
The government of the ideas and actions of Grivas and all the talk on Enosis.
The government of the haircut on bank deposits and the Memorandum.
The government of privatizations and foreclosures.
The government of scandals, the DISY attempts to fully control the state mechanism and policies of favoritism.
Our country needs change.
Change means ridding ourselves of the Right and not a variant or other version of the Right, such as the one espoused by Nicholas Papadopoulos.
Nikos Anastasiades, Nicolas Papadopoulos and DISY President Averof Neophytou are eminently exponents of extreme conservative neo-liberalism.
Together they defended the bankers and the former Governor of the Central Bank Athanasios Orphanides at the time when the banking crime was committed and debts of billions of euros were loaded onto the backs of the Cypriot people.
Together they voted in favour of the haircut on bank deposits.
Together they imposed the Memorandum of the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.
Together, they approved all the government’s budgets that curbed social and development spending.
Together they sold out the port of Limassol, where daily that this represents a big scandal is being revealed.
Together they approved the legislation on privatizations, the law on foreclosures leaving the primary family home and small business premises unprotected.
Together they allowed banks to package and sell loans to foreign private investment funds.
Together they voted against AKEL’s amendment to ensure no fees for medical health care for families with a total income of 30,000 Euros, for unemployed people who don’t receive unemployment or other benefits and for pensioners below the poverty line.
This is the reason why the country and people need a candidacy to present a modern and progressive governance program with specific proposals for development that will serve the majority of society; a program providing for equitable redistribution of national wealth, strengthening the welfare state, the progressive modernization of the state, combating corruption and intertwining interests and for all that citizens demand immediate and radical solutions.
Secondly. The candidacy to be supported by AKEL should reflect positions of principles on the Cyprus problem. AKEL does not make concessions on principles regarding our country’s cause and will not stop telling the truth to the people. The new President of Cyprus must embody the goal of a just and agreed solution to the Cyprus problem; a solution that will liberate and reunite our island and people, paving the way for a different future for our homeland.
The candidate we will support should be a candidate free from the syndromes of nationalism, conservatism, and the extreme right, addressing both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots as equal citizens of the state. This candidate must have an understanding of the modern world and of our times, in which the struggle of Cyprus for reunification is being waged.
Third. The decision on the candidacy AKEL will support will be taken, as always, by the Extraordinary Pancyprian Party Congress to be convened.
In AKEL, decisions are not taken or imposed by the leadership.
In AKEL, the leader does not announce his/her candidacy and then calls on the members to applaud it.
In AKEL, the members are the true masters of the Party.
In AKEL, decisions are taken based on political criteria and through collective and democratic procedures. The leadership will propose, the party grassroots membership will decide and then – together as one force – we will implement whatever decision is approved, with unity, selflessness and faith in our positions and principles. That’s how AKEL works. That’s how it has written History. That’s how it has refuted and confounded the polls in the past. That’s how we will once again dispel the predictions and succeed! United and determined!
In this struggle, as in all the struggles we have before us, I am sure that the AKEL members and militants in Lymbia will once again make their own decisive and dynamic contribution.
With the honored red banners of the working people, democracy and progress.
With the flags of Cyprus.
