The government for years distributed thousands of ‘golden’ passports and its last concern was legality and transparency
Statement by AKEL C.C. Spokesperson Stefanos Stefanou
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 9th April 2021, Nicosia
The new data revealed by the Audit Office that another 220 passports were granted irregularly by the Anastasiades government are extremely serious and need to be fully investigated. In essence, at the same time as the government was claiming that it had Regulations for its golden passport scheme, it wasn’t implement them.
Besides, it is well known that the Anastasiades government for years was distributing thousands of golden passports and – as it has been proved – its last concern was legality and transparency.
- It is no coincidence that in February 2019 ruling DISY party voted against the proposal tabled in Parliament to approve Regulations for the passport scheme, because the government obviously wanted to retain absolute power over the passport scheme. Indeed, contrary to what AKEL supported for the immediate submission of Regulations, the majority of the political parties in Parliament voted to give the government a one-year deadline.
- It is no coincidence that the government took than a year to bring belatedly Regulations to Parliament.
- It is also no coincidence that in July 2020 the ruling DISY party rejected all the stricter amendments brought about by the Parliamentary Internal Affairs Committee to the program and restored all the weaker provisions and clauses that favored the big land development entrepreneurs. AKEL was the only party that voted against these Regulations.
In other words, while the Presidency and government were chopping and changing criteria to suit their interests, handing out passports to the clients of their law firms, the ruling DISY party in Parliament was kept guard to avoid the termination of this merry-go-round feast of serving mutual interests.
