Speech by the General Secretary of AKEL, Stefanos Stefanou, at the AKEL Limassol Election Conference

 

19 November 2025, Ayios Athanasis Municipal Theatre, Limassol

Comrades,

Dear friends of the Social Alliance,

Today we shall be deciding on the list of candidates for AKEL – Left – Social Alliance in the district of Limassol. Today’s Conference is the culmination of a truly democratic process, in which our members have a real say and a decisive role. No one decides for everyone else. We all decide together! In this way, we put democracy into practice, something of which we should all be proud.

The parliamentary elections to be held next May are of critical importance. And they are indeed so because our country is facing crucial issues that are not only unresolved, but which the government is unable to address.

We therefore need a parliament that will pressure the government to provide solutions by taking the right decisions. We need a parliament that acts and decides in favor of society. In favor of the many and not to serve the few and the privileged: for the economy, wages, housing, social policy, the rule of law, democracy, scrutiny, and accountability over the executive power.

Parliament takes decisions that directly affect our lives, which is why the balance of forces within it is so important. Society needs a parliament that is in touch with the people. That is aware of people’s problems. That is ready to stand up to powerful interests, the monopolies, and the establishment.

That is precisely why society needs a strong AKEL, which has proven to be in constant contact with it. It has proved that it defends workers, the lower income-middle strata, young people, low-income pensioners, and the vulnerable groups of the population.

We know that we will wage this election battle in a climate of disillusionment and levelling of politics and parties. Disillusionment and levelling that generate anger at the difficult situation in which a large part of society faces.

We are aware of this situation — and we understand it.

But those who feel angry should take the crucial step and pose the following question:

Why are they living in such difficult conditions?

• Who governs and who takes the decisions affecting them?
• Who favours the few and disadvantages the many with their policies?
• And who is fighting to change this situation?

Because not all parties are the same. They do not all vote the same way. They do not represent the same interests. They do not support the same priorities.

AKEL is different – and has proven it through its actions.

When AKEL tabled a Bill Proposal in parliament to tax the bank’s super profits, the political parties were faced with the following dilemma: vote in favor of society or in favor of the banks?

We all know who voted in favor of the banks. They are the same forces who stood in the way of every attempt made to protect borrowers, to halt foreclosures and to limit the excessive debts of the banks.

The conclusion is clear:

There are parties that always serve the interests of the banks.

People suffering from foreclosures and excessive interest rates have nothing to expect from these parties.

AKEL is the only party that has been, is, and will remain on the side of the many. On the side of ordinary people.

The disillusionment and frustration caused by anger at the situation experienced by a large section of society often lead either to abstention or to a protest vote.

Anger is human and understandable. But abstention is not a neutral act.

Abstention leaves the taking of decisions to others – to those who benefit from the current situation. And, even more so, it suits those responsible for the dire situation experienced by thousands of our fellow citizens. By abstaining, they simply receive a vote of confidence to continue the same anti-social policies, to pursue the same socially insensitive policies.

Even a “protest vote” offers no solutions. It may vent anger for a moment, but it binds you for five years. A protest vote guarantees nothing about what will happen when difficult decisions for the country and society come before parliament.

Problems cannot be solved by engaging in exaggerated behaviour on social media. Such behaviour serves to get likes on social media, but it doesn’t solve any problems.

That is precisely why we call on citizens to decide how they’ll cast their vote after careful consideration and evaluation when they go to the polls. In this difficult time of decision-making, they should look at who was on their side all along and who stood against them. If they do this, they will naturally come to the conclusion that AKEL is always with them, by their side.

In the difficult and contradictory conditions in which we live, the rise of the far right is one of the most dangerous developments in our country. The far-right ELAM party threatens democracy and poses a danger to fundamental human values. It is the party that acts as a reserve force for those forces/circles who impose anti-social policies and serves powerful interests.

When AKEL warned about the rise of the far right, everyone else mocked us and said we were scaremongering. When we called on everyone not to cooperate with ELAM, others invested in their vote. That is how Anastasiades and Christodoulides were elected to the highest office of the Republic of Cyprus. This is how THE President of DISY Annita Dimitriou was elected president of the House of Representatives. And if we add to this scenario the government’s flirtations with ELAM, then the dangers posed by the rise of the ultra- right become even greater.

At a time when the parties, each for their own reasons, are sounding the alarm about the rise of the far right, the people are called upon to support and give more power to the most consistent party that stands against it: AKEL.

That is why strengthening AKEL is crucial:

• to stop the far right,
• to protect democracy,
• to keep the democratic balance alive in the country.

Some people ask us: “You criticize. Do you have any proposals?”

The answer is clear:

AKEL is a responsible force. We don’t just simply oppose anti-social policies, but we also elaborate and put forward well-documented and feasible solutions.

On issues relating to housing, energy, taxation, student welfare, the countryside, agriculture, the water problem, the high cost of living, the economic model. The list is long and our proposals well documented.

AKEL does not remember society only during elections. It meets with society, listens to it, and stands by its side in dozens of visits is has organised, political tours, and discussions. Anyone can verify this. Everything is posted on the internet and constitutes irrefutable evidence of our constant interest in and contact with society.

We have organised such initiatives and actions in cities and villages, schools and universities, hospitals, at workplaces, cultural venues, and leisure venues. Everywhere and always. Before and after elections. AKEL draws strength from being constantly in touch with the people. From the people – for the people. This is our identity. This is our history.

The House of Representatives scrutinises the government and, within the framework of its constitutional powers, influences policy-making.

That is why it is crucial for the opposition to be strong. AKEL is the only force that stands firmly against the government. It is the genuine and powerful opposition to a government that has proved its inability to address problems on a daily basis. A government that is in constant conflict with society, taking care of its relatives and cronies but not its citizens. A government that fears transparency and accountability – as demonstrated by the case of the President’s wife’s Fund, about which the President refuses to provide any information. Why, I wonder? What does he have to hide?

So, in the face of this government, we need an even stronger AKEL.

And let’s put an end to something that is insulting people’s intelligence: every time we criticize the government, instead of arguments, they deliver lessons in history, usually distorted and false. This is what the previous Anastasiades-DISY government did when we denounced the scandals of the ‘golden passports’ scheme, the suspicious agreements on Vasilikos, the manipulation of institutions, and much more.

Resorting to the past was the previous government’s way of hiding its scandals. And the current government is doing exactly the same thing. After all, Mr. Christodoulides had served alongside Mr. Anastasiades. He built his political capital in the comfort of that position. And the current government resorts to the past not because it is interested in history, but because it has nothing to say about the present. It is its permanent line of defence. When those in power are cornered, when reality contradicts them, when citizens demand solutions, they simply change the subject because they have no answers.

This tactic is not just a sign of weakness. It demonstrates political bankruptcy. Because when a government responds to social hardship with references to the past, it means that it has neither a plan, nor the courage, nor the elementary respect for citizens who are suffering. We will not let them hide behind the ghosts of yesterday to avoid their responsibilities today. We will force them to respond — here, right now, to the reality that they themselves are unable to serve.

The elections are taking place at a time when there will be developments surrounding the Cyprus problem. Although parliament has no role to play in the Cyprus problem, the role of the political parties is important. The Cyprus problem is an additional important reason why AKEL must emerge stronger in the upcoming parliamentary elections. A stronger AKEL means more power to influence developments towards a solution and reunification.

AKEL does not need credentials for this. It is the force that speaks with a clear, responsible, and consistent voice. It is the force that remains unwaveringly committed to a bi-zonal, bi-communal solution with political equality, a solution that ends the occupation and reunites our land and people.

AKEL is the party that clearly shows how we can break the deadlock and maximize our chances of reaching a solution, by continuing the negotiations on the basis of the Guterres Framework from where we left off in 2017 and by safeguarding the negotiating acquis.

With a strong AKEL, there is strong hope:

• for a solution,
• for reunification,
• for a modern European Cyprus without occupation.

Comrades and friends,

Today we are forming the candidate lists for the district of Limassol. Limassol, like all districts, needs a representative, capable, combative, and honest list. This is always the case with AKEL’s candidate lists.

Lists that express AKEL, the Left, and the Social Alliance.

They combine the knowledge of experience with the vitality of youth.

They highlight gender equality with the participation of many women, because AKEL is and must be seen in practise as a force for equality.

The May elections are a collective moment of responsibility.

Strengthening AKEL is in the interests of workers, the middle strata, low-income pensioners, young people, and people who are struggling every day to make ends meet. For them, we are calling for a strong AKEL.

• To strengthen their voice.
• So that our strength becomes the strength of the people.
• To keep alive the prospect of a solution and reunification.
• For an AKEL that is strong for Cyprus – strong for the people.

So let us move forward with the momentum of our history, our experience, our service to the people, our collective work and effort, to emerge from the elections even stronger, even more powerful.

Because a strong AKEL means a strong hope for the present and future of our country!