Statement of the Central Committee of AKEL
15th March 2013, Nicosia
During its session today the Plenum of the Central Committee of AKEL dealt with the latest developments on the Economy and more specifically, with the developments regarding the conclusion of the loan agreement with the Troika. The General Secretary the C.C. of AKEL Andros Kyprianou briefed the body on the recent meeting of the leaders of the political Parties at the Presidential Palace.
As AKEL, we are fully aware of the difficult situation and critical moments the Cyprus economy and our country in general is going through.
With great concern, but also with feelings of indignation, we are following over the last two weeks, the Troika and certain EU member-states continuously setting new unacceptable demands neoliberal in content, which are anything but moving in the direction of the declared principle of solidarity. Instead, these are measures which if imposed, will not only solve none of the problems of the Cyprus economy, but will further lead to an economic deadlock and to a vicious circle of recession with tragic consequences for the working people, the vulnerable groups of the population and the economy in general.
As AKEL, we reiterate our fierce opposition to privatization of any kind, of public utility organisations, especially when these are indeed economically robust and profitable. The public utility organisations are the property of the people, carrying out a social work and indeed some of them are directly related to issues concerning national security and sovereignty.
In addition, we also express our strong opposition to provisions that would destroy the gains and achievements of the people of Cyprus in Education, Health and Social Welfare. We are equally fiercely opposed to the withholding of pension funds which belong to working people.
Our Party, fully aware of the situation and the needs of the Cyprus economy, declared from the very beginning that it shall support efforts to address the problems. Unfortunately, Mr. Anastasiades has chosen the lone and not the collective effort to tackle the serious challenges our country is facing, avoiding the consultation and involvement of all the political forces and rejecting the helping hand we have extended.
Consequently, Mr. Anastasiades has consciously chosen to assume the full responsibility for any conclusion of the negotiations with the Troika and our European partners. Even now we declare our readiness to support the President and his government if Mr. Anastasiades would be consistent with his pre-election pledges.
However, we issue the warning that AKEL is not going to consent to measures that will condemn the whole of the people of Cyprus, and especially the workers, the unemployed, the young generation or the pensioners to poverty and misery. AKEL is not going to consent to Cyprus taking the disastrous path that other peoples of the European South have found themselves in.
As AKEL we pledge once more to remain consistent and militant defenders of the rights of our working people and people.
The Plenum of the C.C. of AKEL
15th March , 2013
Nicosia, Cyprus
