Speech of Andros Kyprianou, General Secretary of AKEL, to the plenary of the C.C. of AKEL on the ratification of the candidate election list for the May 2016 parliamentary elections

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 16th January 2016, Nicosia

Today’s plenary is the culmination of the democratic process which began in October. The goal was the formulation of AKEL’s candidate list for the May parliamentary elections.

This process began with the holding of general assemblies by the Party Base Organizations, where a free discussion was conducted. Proposals were submitted by the Party membership and friends of the Party about who could participate in our electoral candidate list of AKEL- Left-New Forces. Following that, District Committees also conducted a free discussion. Subsequently, the candidate list was democratically drawn up in every District by secret ballot in the District electoral conferences. This process is by far the most democratic applied by any political party in Cyprus. We are proud because, yet again, we prove in practice and not in words, that we have the most democratic procedures.

Today, the Plenary of the Central Committee Plenary is called upon to discuss and adopt the final decisions. The proposal for the candidate list that is presented before us fulfils the objectives we set at the beginning. This list expresses the political character and identity of the Party and the People’s Movement of the Left. People also from the space of ​​the New Forces and the broader spectrum of ​​the centre-left also participate in our candidate lists. They include experienced members of AKEL and others and give recognition and an arena of struggle to the new generation. Young and militant cadres, women are promoted, with a voice to our country’s progressive minds, as well as to the people of science, but also the people of labour and toil.

Our country went, and is still going through, hard times. Our Party has also gone through this long period during which it has come under destructive criticism and devastating attacks.

During the period of the Demetris Christofias governance, we had to fight against the Turkish intransigence at the negotiating table and confronted Turkey as a powerful opponent at the international level. However, we also faced an unprecedented war waged against us on the domestic front.

Criticism against any government and a political party that supports it is to be expected and understandable when this is exercised in a well-documented way and when it is based on facts. In this sense, we expected that they would criticize the Christofias government and AKEL. Indeed this was to be welcomed if it was constructive criticism. Unfortunately, the severity, the ulterior motives and empathy with which we were criticized created unprecedented political morals in our country. We warned that this kind of opposition would open the Pandora’s Box. Unfortunately, developments themselves confirm our assessments. Political discourse in many cases was replaced by vulgarity. The attempts to destroy individual political opponents were on the agenda. Expediencies, extremist actions, phony performances, populism, hysteria and rampant behaviour dominate, resulting in depreciation and denigration against political figures and political people were strengthened.

This is how political life functioned in our country during the Christofias administration. On the Cyprus problem, we faced an unprecedented war waged against us. They also even questioned the long-standing positions of the Greek Cypriot side, a fact which every day damaged the unity that should exist when we are in a period of negotiations. Back then Mr. Anastasiades, DISY party and political forces with which AKEL had co-governed, rallied their forces against the handlings of Demetris Christofias on the Cyprus problem. The nearer we approached the Presidential Elections in 2013, the more extremist were the positions that were being projected. Today many people, among them the President of the Republic and the President of DISY party, realize the value and significance of what was achieved then at the negotiating table.

We also had to deal with the consequences of the economic crisis. Unfortunately the frenzy, the climate of hysteria and division, which the opposition fostered after the deadly explosion at the Mari base, did not allow for a common understanding, consultation, consensus and a collective tackling of problems to exist. Today the Government reiterates persistently that it is governing and will carry out its own policy. Even in the cases where the whole of society is opposing them, they insist on acting in an authoritarian way. Back then their demand was that the Christofias government should implement their own policies in order to permit it to govern.

At the same time up to the 2013 presidential elections the opposition back then was carefully hiding the responsibility of the banks for the collapse of the Cyprus economy. As a matter of fact they insisted on reiterating that public finances were to blame for the crisis. They persistently refused to discuss publicly, either inside or outside the House of Representatives, the situation of the banks, as we had repeatedly proposed.

But even after the assumption of the Presidency by Mr. Anastasiades, the well-known narrative “AKEL is to blame for everything” continued and continues to be promoted by the government and DISY party. In reality each time they broke one of their pledges it was AKEL that was being blamed. They forget that they have been in power for three years. Mr. Anastasiades pledged that he would not accept the haircut of bank deposits. He went, he accepted and he signed the haircut of bank deposits and when he returned to Cyprus he was trying to persuade the people about that it was Christofias and AKEL who were at the fatal Euro group meeting and not Mr. Anastasiades with his collaborators. He pledged that he would not go ahead with any privatizations. He then agreed with the Troika and unleashed a massive media campaign to convince – the government and DISY – that the privatizations were the positions of D.Christofias and AKEL. Subsequently, he pledged that he wouldn’t hurt working people with painful Memoranda provisions and promised that he had ready transnational loans that he would utilize to improve the Memorandum’s provisions. He pledged that there would not be any cuts in social benefits and much more. When the Government began imposing the exact opposite policies, we heard the familiar “we inherited chaos, the economy is on the brink of bankruptcy” slogan and many others too. It’s as if when it was promising everything under the sun during the pre-election campaign it didn’t know the situation, indeed at a time when it was boasting that it had expert groups ready that were supposedly studying the whole situation and preparing response measures.

As AKEL, we recognize our share of responsibility for the developments. This is one thing and the attempt being made to blame us for everything negative that has happened in Cyprus for all the years of our existence is something completely different.

The attack we came under was destructive and conducted at all levels. The truth is that we had suffered a cost. We felt this in our daily contact with the people. We managed, however, to stand upright and withstood these attacks. We defended to the very end positions of principle. We managed to have a decent result in the Presidential elections. We managed to hold our ground in the European elections. The Parliamentary Elections of May can and should mark the passage of AKEL from defence to attack – to a big counterattack. People now gradually understand not only the magnitude, but also the unjust attacks we came under. They realize at the same time that AKEL is a force that can stand as a bastion of resistance to the attacks against everything our people have gained over many years. The problems of course have not been overcome. We will gradually overcome them if we effectively meet the people’s expectations. We are showing that we have the power to do so; that we are the force that can consistently and uncompromisingly defend the interests of the majority of the people.

People with an objective view now understand that AKEL never acts guided by the pursuit of petty-party expediencies. If AKEL did so it would have abandoned its positions on the Cyprus problem back then when it came under ferocious attack. We did not do so. We did not retreat from our long-standing policy, despite all the pressures and attacks on us. We have endured and life is already vindicating us. As soon as the Christofias-Talat convergences were utilised by President Anastasiades, progress was recorded in the negotiations.

As AKEL we stated from the outset that if the President of the Republic pursued a correct policy we would support the negotiating procedure. We clarified that we consider as a correct policy the continuation of the negotiations from where they left off with the Christofias-Talat convergences. Mr. Anastasiades unfortunately didn’t listen to us. The result has been regression and setbacks in the procedure, but the Greek Cypriot side also suffered a corresponding cost in the talks. We criticized President Anastasiades, urging him to use and build on these convergences.

With the assumption by Mr. Akinci of the leadership of the Turkish Cypriot community and the utilization of the convergences, progress has been made. Currently the property issue dominates the talks underway. It is an extremely difficult chapter that has to do with the properties of tens of thousands of our compatriots. The problem is further complicated because forty-one years have already elapsed since its creation. Apart from the objective difficulties, the Turkish Cypriot side’s attitude doesn’t help either as it stubbornly refuses to discuss simultaneously the territorial issue. These are two inextricably linked chapters, whose parallel negotiation would be particularly helpful to the procedure.

Mr. Akinci brought back the convergences on the chapter of the property issue, which Eroglu had previously rejected. Thus, there has been some progress recorded. However, the distance that separates us from the solution is still great. Before us we have difficult and sensitive chapters. We therefore don’t need to jump the gun by determining the developments. What we should be seeking is to reach an agreement at the negotiating table. Knowing that there are disagreements and differences with the positions expressed by the Turkish Cypriot leadership, we need to develop arguments and formulate proposals, which while not departing from the principles of the solution, will create the pre-conditions for achieving an agreement.

Our own goal is an honourable compromise with the Turkish Cypriot community: neither a compromise with the occupation, nor with Turkish intolerance or with any third party. The Cyprus problem is an issue of the survival of Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Maronites, Armenians and Latins. The solution must be based on the agreed framework. It must liberate us from the occupation and not permit any imperialist forces to interfere in our internal affairs. It must isolate any fascist and chauvinist elements, not allowing them to undermine it. The transformation of the Republic of Cyprus must lead to a united state based on a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation with a single and indivisible sovereignty, a single citizenship and a single international personality, with political equality. It must ensure a solution without guarantees and rights of intervention, with the human rights and fundamental freedoms guaranteed for all.

 

Our own objective is to build together with our Turkish Cypriot compatriots the solution on solid foundations; the solution that will liberate and reunite the country, the people, the institutions and the economy of Cyprus. We work with all our strength so that the day will dawn when reunited federal Cyprus will be a beacon and an example for the whole world. It will be a modern example of the harmonious coexistence of two communities of different ethnicities, languages and religions that will co-manage their common state. It will be a country that will have managed to throw out the armies and channel all its power and resources towards social investment and economic growth. We have a long way to go to the desired solution. We must continue on this path without hesitation. We also stress that it would be criminal to sacrifice Cyprus for the sake of pre-election campaign expediencies, either by devaluing everything, either by spreading false hopes among the people. We have a long road ahead of us and we all need to rise to the challenge. The pledge AKEL makes is that we will act by consensus trying to contribute towards the efforts for a solution.

DISY is dishing out sermons with regards pre-election debates on the Cyprus problems. We emphasize that these sermons do not concern us, or affect us.

In the previous five year term, Mr. Anastasiades and DISY party did not miss any opportunity to accuse AKEL that it prefers power instead of our homeland’s salvation. I think if they seriously reflect on our attitude as an opposition they will change their view. If indeed they have the strength to self-criticism they will regret their own stand when they were in opposition. They would credit AKEL with patriotism, responsibility and seriousness.

We cannot accept the position that the Cyprus problem must not be discussed during the election campaign. This is an issue that concerns the future and perspective, the very survival of our country and its people. It can’t be excluded from the pre-election debates. What matters, everyone conscious of our responsibilities, is to have debates responsibly and in a serious manner.

The nearer we approach the day of casting our vote, the more pre-election slogans and sound bites will flourish. Already the President of DISY party said that the economy has “kick-started”. I will repeat what I said two years ago, because unfortunately nothing has yet been done in this direction. There is no kick-starting of the economy; we are seemingly about to “kick-start”. I am sure that the slogan about the economy’s “kick-start” will be propagated all through the coming months, together with another slogan, namely “We have exited the Memorandum”. March 2016 was the milestone that was set from the very beginning as the end of the payment of instalments from the European Stability Mechanism and the International Monetary Fund. This does not mean the end of the supervision over the economic policies Cyprus implements. This will continue until 75% of the money is paid, according to the European Treaties as well.

But there is something very important, namely that the exit from the Memorandum does not mean the end of the Memoranda policies of austerity. Besides, this is what the DISY-Anastasiades Government is declaring daily, that is to say that it will continue to impose the same vicious economic policies it has been implementing over the past three years. Furthermore, they themselves have admitted many times that even if the Troika didn’t oblige them, they would implement the same anti-social policies.

A clear example of this philosophy is the policy of privatizations. Now they openly declare that they want to privatize the public utility organizations for ideological reasons and not for the needs of the Memorandum. It is now obvious that the growth they are seeking will not be in the interests of the majority of the people, but for the select privileged few. Another clear example is their attitude on shop working hours in the retail sector. The long-standing demand of a handful of big magnates, the Anastasiades-DISY Government tried to turn it into a rule, then into law and now when it sees that it has not managed to do, it is devaluing institutions in order to enforce it.

The Anastasiades-DISY Government is insisting with the same intensity on justifying the chaos brought about by the implementation of the so-called Guaranteed Minimum Income, through monologues that it has supposedly benefited thousands of other families. But from whom did it get the money to give? They got money from the poor to give to the poorest. They didn’t succeed in doing this either, given that thousands of applications have still not been examined yet.

The Anastasiades-DISY Government is insisting that we are heading towards the successful completion of the economic adjustment program. However, is it calculating the social cost of the policies it is imposing? It is celebrating Cyprus’ entry to the markets and about the low interest rates we supposedly have secured. Is it wondering why Cyprus continues to pay the highest interest rates in the Eurozone? The Anastasiades-DISY Government invokes the achievements of the banking sector and talks about its full stabilization. Does it wonder why banks do not give new loans? The Anastasiades-DISY Government is advertising a better than expected performance with regards public finances and the creation of primary surpluses. Has it understood from whose the pockets it is taking this money from, especially since it has slashed millions of Euros from the benefits for social policy and health?

There is no alternative, they tell us. We must support those who will “kick-start” the economy, as the Minister of Interior has also stated. I’ll answer by giving just one example: Iceland. A country that not only has already punished those responsible for the banking crisis, but, more importantly, it called on those who can afford to do so, to pay for the consequences of this crisis, while simultaneously protecting the most vulnerable groups of the population. It introduced a wealth tax and increased taxes on profits. It cut high salaries, extended the unemployment benefit, social welfare and housing benefits. In doing so, they exited the crisis in record time.

What is the real situation in Cypriot society? Is its situation such that allows the government and DISY to be triumphant when they speak about a supposed “success story”? Quite the reserve is true. Unemployed has exceed 70,000 and 30,000 others have already emigrated. The danger of poverty, according to figures released by the European Commission, threatens 240,000 of our people. In 2012 the Cyprus economy had an annual production of goods and services which amounted to € 16, 2 billion. Now, in the three years of the Memorandum’s imposition, production will hardly exceed € 15 billion. In other words, we have an economy generating € 1 billion less and then the government goes on to argue that we therefore have growth and prosperity. The labour income in the last three years has been reduced by € 1, 6 billion, which is to say by about 20%. At the same time, capital gains remained stable in 2015, while for 2016 an increase by 200 million is expected.

 

Labour relations are being deregulated, plunging us back to medieval times. Inequality in Cypriot society is increasing with the highest percentage rates among the Eurozone countries.

This whole situation is creating despair, anger, resentment and frustration among the people. The people feel that nothing will be left standing by the end of Mr. Anastasiades’ presidential term. How can they not feel that way? Their future and the future of their children have been shattered. They have forced as a result of their policies, people who had a job, a home and dignity to search anxiously for any wages in order to feed their children; in order to save their house and shop from the foreclosures and confiscations. The people are being provoked when each day they see an absurd theatre being played in public life: The millions of Euros that were channelled abroad before the decision for the haircut on bank deposits was taken; the investigative committee on the economy proved to be a fiasco; the “disappeared” contract of the Governor of the Central Bank, which the President knew, but then did not know about; the conflict between the General and Deputy Attorney-General, in which the President intervened only to defend the latter; the Assistant Attorney General who is currently on trial at the Crown Court; the conflict of the Auditor General with the Minister of Interior, which the Cabinet was called upon to take a decision; the authoritarianism and arrogance with which the Anastasiades-DISY government handles issues such as privatization, the National Health Scheme, shop working hours in the retail trade and the question of the protection of Akamas; the complete non-transparency with which issues such as natural gas are handled.

This Government will be remembered only as a government of the privileged and select few. It will go down as the Government that has never governed. Instead it is the Troika, decrees, the Supreme Court, businessmen, big lawyers and vested established interests who govern.

All of these have not only triggered among the people disappointment, but also feelings of defeatism and fatalism. These phenomena are the first opponents that we must overcome in our personal contact with the people during the election campaign. We must convince the people that abstention is not the answer – rather abstention is a vote tolerating this state of affairs.

Our work among the people needs to intensify and assume concrete forms. This is what we must all realize. There is no more room. We need to inform and enlighten people and call on them to participate in mobilisations, to convince them that only their involvement and actions can bring results.

We shall also call on the people to strengthen us so as to enhance their own strength. There is no time to lose, nor any excuses. If bills that will damage the people’s lives were approved by just one vote difference, everyone can understand how important it is to strengthen AKEL in the House of Representatives.

We have all witnessed lately the vilification of the House of Representatives due to the behaviour of some of its members. We have thus a double obligation as people of the Left to be different. We should convince in practice that we are different with our ethos, work and whole attitude. The people discredit politicians, perhaps because it is politicians who first are devaluing everything that they supposedly serve.

The candidates of AKEL- Left-New Forces should be ones which someone may disagree politically with, but be able to also credit them with honesty, diligence and modesty. In today’s world where almost everything is being denigrated and vulgarized, the people of the Left should want, can, be and appear distinct. People should able to distinguish them by their presence inside and outside the House of Representatives that they actually differ; that they should avoid stagy populism performances, false handshakes and empty promises. Not that they stand out from the people, but come from the people and are committed to the people; that the priority for the people of the Left is not to gain public posts, but rather to serve values; that they are willing and able not to take, but to always give; that they have the stock and content of those pioneers of the Peoples Movement of the Left, which fought for the interests of the popular masses; that put above everything else the collective over the individual interest. Personal goals, personal ambitions, self-promoting interests and motives, as well as factionalism have no place at all and are incompatible with all these characteristics. Such phenomena must be tackled decisively if observed during the election campaign. It is inconceivable that at the same time as a Party we are waging a big battle to take a step forward, in order to meet the people’s aspirations, some cannot see beyond themselves and their ego. Today the Central Committee will approve the candidate code of conduct. This is binding not only for the candidates, but also for the Party cadres and members. Everyone’s behaviour will be judged based on this code.

There are some Members of Parliament who will not run for re-election to Parliament. These are comrades Yiannos Lamaris, Parliamentary Representative and Stavros Evagorou, Deputy Parliamentary Representative. Both have completed three terms. Not running as a candidate for re-election does not mean the end of struggles. Instead both will continue to offer their services as members of the Political Bureau and the Central Committee. Nicos Katsourides, who has completed five terms, will also not run for re-election. At their own choice, although not completing the terms, Panicos Stavrianos and Pambos Papageorgiou will also not be candidates.

I want to thank them all for the services offered to our Parliamentary Group.

The battle ahead of us will be very difficult. AKEL will only succeed if it works united and organisationally strong; only if it submits correct political positions, carries out targeted organizational work and a lot of work is done by all of us. In other words, we will succeed only if we work as our opponents fear that AKEL will work: like true members of AKEL.

Following todays plenary of the C.C we must begin our work. The members of the Central Committee are obliged to work twice as hard as anyone else. We will guide the party membership in the work ahead. To succeed we must be an example and be characterised by exemplary behaviour. We must be at the very forefront of the daily party work with vigour and enthusiasm. Only this will inspire others and not by giving and issuing orders, calling on others to carry them out. In our Party there were never two categories of cadres, those who toil and do all the hard work and those above them and above all the work. To put it simply, all of us who are in this room, without any exception, we are and must be soldiers in the Party’s work.

The local electoral committees must engage directly and straightaway in the practical work for the elections; to allocate tasks and areas and fields where everyone has a responsibility to work and a duty to fulfil until the very end; to continue the contact with the people which of course should not be done randomly. The people are waiting to hear and speak to us. In parallel and simultaneously, systematically and in an organized way, we will have to work for the registration of new voters on the election register, working with EDON and our student section.

Right now everyone admits that AKEL has all the conditions to achieve a good result in the forthcoming May Parliamentary Elections. We should not have the illusion that either the media or anyone else will help for the fulfilment of our goal. We are the media for the people and our voters. We are the force that can decisively tackle our opponents and transmit to the people our political positions and policies.

To do this, we need to mobilize all our forces; to organize our work correctly. If our work is organized, targeted and focused it will yield the result we are aiming for.

Since this Government has come to power, the evening political programs and debates have been abolished. It’s been almost two years now since the 2014 European elections when the political leaders of both major parties came face to face in a TV debate.

We do not believe that this was an accidental decision taken by chance. It is evident that the government and ruling forces do not want the clash of ideas and arguments. They prefer monologues exhausted in distortions and communication games. Our obligation is to refute the distorted images they are attempting to spread among the people; to present reality; to reveal and expose the anti-social policies being imposed by the Anastasiades-DISY Government.

In the nine decades of AKEL’s existence, it frightens its enemies and fills with hope its friends and the people of Cyprus; the hope that there is that force fighting for a Cyprus belonging to the people of Cyprus and not for half a Cyprus. There is that force insisting on resisting the vested establishment forces and interests that exchange between them offices and economically ravage the land; that there is a force that is struggling for the interests of the majority of the people rather than for the select and privileged few.

There is that force that the stronger it is, the more effective it will be to defend the interests of Cyprus and the Cypriot people.

So comrades, let’s move forward for the big counterattack, to bring the smile back to the lips of the people; to give hope and perspective to our Cyprus.