Statement on the plenary of the Central Committee of AKEL
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 20th June 2020, Nicosia
The Plenary of the C.C. AKEL convened today, Saturday, 20th June, 2020 to review the situation in the country as it has evolved with the pandemic, the Party’s activity during the previous period and our main priorities for the day after.
The Central Committee assesses that that the decisive factor in the successful checking of the pandemic so far has been the high sense of social responsibility that our people have demonstrated by listening to the advice given by scientists and by following the measures proposed. AKEL calls on the people to continue to apply the measures during this phase too, until the epidemiological situation and conditions permit the return to full socio-economic activity and the full restoration of all the rights and freedoms of citizens.
All through this period AKEL has acted consciously, focusing on the priority of protecting public health. We called for public hospitals and health professionals to be supported who have demonstrated in practice the irreplaceable role of the public health system. At the same time, we highlighted social solidarity. AKEL put its militants all over Cyprus at the disposal of the state services to staff the mobile units to offer support to the vulnerable groups of the population. It organized emergency blood donations in all districts. It distributed 10,000 protective masks it had received from the Communist Party of China to homes and institutions.
At the same time, AKEL focused on tackling the socio-economic consequences of the pandemic. From the very outset, we have called for substantial support to be provided to working people, self-employed people and small and medium-sized enterprises. We demanded that no worker should lose his/her job. We called for a suspension of foreclosures and loan installments, demanded solutions on the issue of rents, a reduction in the price of electricity, a crackdown on profiteering with a ceiling on the price of masks, antiseptics, laboratory tests, essential goods and fuel. We presented a comprehensive proposal for the funding of the economy and we have submitted numerous proposals on issues related to Health, Culture, Education, Tourism, Agricultural Economy, Justice, Sports and others.
The day after finds our country and people facing great challenges. It is to be expected that working people must defend their rights and gains from the employer’s arbitrariness. The neo-liberal right-wing that is in power – even if it was temporarily forced by the pandemic to implement policies that are against its ideological/political beliefs – is expected to return to its true positions. That is to say, privatizations, the defamation of the public health system, the deregulation of labour relations and the serving of the interests of the privileged few to the detriment of the many.
The Central Committee of AKEL considers that the pandemic highlighted the irreplaceable role of the state in the vital and strategic sectors of the country, in health, education, energy and transport, but also in safeguarding the social and labour rights of the people. Given that in the period ahead of us key sectors of the economy will face many difficulties, the need to elaborate and plan a new development model for Cyprus is even more urgent. For a development model that will unleash the country’s productive potential, while simultaneously supporting a strong public health, education and social protection system, with the safeguarding of modern labour and social rights.
The C.C. of AKEL calls on the members and friends of the Party to be at the forefront for the small and big battles that we have before us. It assures that it will continue, creatively and assertively, to defend the gains and the perspective of our people and country.
The C.C. of AKEL decided to move the 23rd Congress of the Party from June, as it was scheduled, for the 27, 28 and 29th November.
At the beginning of the plenary, the C.C. observed a minute’s silence in honor of two comrades who passed away. The member of the C.C comrade Fanis Christodoulou, who was a member of the Central Secretariat and the Political Bureau and comrade Panikos Lapithiotis, who was a member of the C.C. and the Political Bureau of the Party.
