Excerpts from the speech of Andros Kyprianou, General Secretary of the C.C. of AKEL, to the Nicosia District Electoral Conference
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 9th January 2016, Nicosia
“…Those circles and forces who accuse us are the ones supporting the economic policy of the Government of Anastasiades and DISY party. They are the ones who on numerous occasions have offered a lifejacket to and saved the Government with their votes in the House of Representatives to approve anti-social Bills. This is indeed collusion. Their only difference is that they vote the Bills in the House and subsequently go on the evening news fiercely attacking the policies which they themselves supported and voted for to be imposed on the people. They themselves pave the way for the Government of Anastasiades and the DISY Democratic Rally party to set up the scenario of the so-called Cypriot “success story”.
With unemployment at 16% where have they seen the “success story”? With 30,000 Cypriots already having emigrated because why are they celebrating? With 234,000 people on the poverty line where have they observed the so-called “kick starting” of the Cyprus economy? During the last two years the income of 10% of the most privileged has increased by 3.4% as opposed to 90% of society who have seen their fall by 8% reduction in income. In 2016 the purchasing power of the average salary to the levels of 20 years ago. The rich are getting richer and the poor poorer. This is the result of class and authoritarian policy pursued by the Government of Anastasiades and DISY party. This is the “success story” for which the Government is boasting about. We are paying the highest lending interest rates in the Eurozone. Primary surpluses are being created from the pockets of the majority of the people, while the privileged few are getting richer and are evading paying tax undisturbed. Thousands are enduring the humiliation of the so-called guaranteed minimum income. Thousands can no longer meet their obligations and are terrified when the time comes when the banks will confiscate their homes. Thousands are no longer able to send their children to study, to offer them even the minimum. The disabled, single parents, public assistance recipients, large families, the unemployed and poor pensioners – all these groups of the population have been hit by the anti-social austerity policies of the Government pf Anastasiades-DISY party.
The health system is not simply collapsing. They are dismantling it through the attempt to serve private interests. Public health spending covers 43% of the total, representing one of the lowest percentage rates in the EU. Only 6.9% of government spending goes on health, a very low percentage compared to the EU average at 15.8%. Finally, the proportion of health expenditures covered by the contribution of patients amounts to 49.4%, while the EU average ranges to the much lower percentage rate of 14%.
Even the hope that existed for an exit from the deadlocks by utilizing the natural gas seems to be vanishing. All the plans elaborated by the previous government have been dismantled. We are in the end lagging behind developments.
The Government of Anastasiades-DISY party betrayed the hope and trust of those who believed in them. A clear example is the issue of privatization. The government is now openly reiterating that privatization is an ideological issue. However during the pre-election campaign Mr. Anastasiades pledged with his very signature that he will not promote them. As he had pledged that he would not accept the haircut on bank deposits, that had transnational loans ready, that he would not cut social benefits, that he would reduce bureaucracy within three months, that within a year of his election he would bring “Spring”, that he would rule collectively. All these commitments have been forgotten as soon as the curtain of the Presidential elections had closed…”
