Statement by Neoklis Sylikiotis, AKEL Political Bureau member on President Anastasiades’ interview today

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 3 January 2021, Nicosia

In an interview he gave today, President Anastasiades tries to turn the truth on his head, but he doesn’t manage it.

• The President doesn’t say anything about the glaring conflict of interest concerning him and a number of current and former members of his government. The Nikos Anastasiades law firm and firms connected to his Ministers promoted more than 300 applications for citizenship, which were approved by them as members of the Council of Ministers. It is precisely due to this institutional interwoven interests that the EU has initiated legal proceedings against the Republic of Cyprus.
• He continues to deliberately undermine every institution and official that is not controlled by the government. The current government kas clashed with everyone who it hasn’t managed to put under its control. The Anastasiades-DISY government clashed with the former Attorney General, two former Central Bank governors, with the Chief and Deputy Chief of Police and now with the Auditor General. The Anastasiades government radiates authoritarianism and regime-type perceptions.
• He doesn’t even bother to reflect on why he and his government have ended up discredited and isolated from most of the domestic political forces, but also from a large section of society. Mr. Anastasiades took power with the slogan “We unite forces” and ended up not being able to form a majority to approve the state budget and is now blaming this on everybody else.