Statement by the AKEL C.C. Spokesperson Stefanos Stefanou on the outcome of the European Elections

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 27th May 2019, Nicosia

We once again would like to thank the Cypriot people for the support they gave to AKEL, thus enabling it to enhance its strength, to elect two MEP’s and reinforce its position. As the major opposition party, AKEL is called upon to lead the efforts to pave the way for a hopeful political change in the country.

The outcome of the European elections represent a denunciation of the European Union’s anti-social policies, a negative judgement on the Anastasiades government and a punishment of the leadership of governing DISY party. The leadership of DISY at times engaged in scaremongering, other times in distortion and insults, at times setting forth false dilemmas or investing in the promotion of the division of the people, attempting unsuccessfully to rally its disaffected supporters by providing the worst service to waging both a democratic dialogue, as well as to the cause of the solution of the Cyprus problem.

AKEL’s choice for the first time in the history of Cyprus to call on the people to support a bi-communal ballot has been vindicated. A new chapter has opened in the relations between the two communities and for the prospects of reaching a solution. We will invest in this new chapter of struggle with our actions and initiatives both in Cyprus, as well as in the European Parliament and Europe in general.

We will continue trying to breach the protracted deadlock and make the resumption of the negotiations possible from the point where they had remained and on the basis of the Guterres Framework, with a view to reaching a solution that will liberate and reunite our country and people.

AKEL by strengthening its historical ties with society, will continue to struggle for the working people, the young generation, the common people, all those who feel they are being crushed by the policies that are widening the social and democratic deficits in Cyprus and Europe.

We will continue to struggle against abstention, which does not relieve the people from the inherent essential problems of the system and the negative consequences arising from the imposition of anti-social policies, but which instead perpetuates and strengthens them.

We will continue to struggle for the definitive nullification of the danger from the ultra-right, so as to lead the country into a new period of social prosperity, social justice and progressive change.

We will devote all our forces towards fulfilling these goals.