The government is scheming to sell-off people’s properties to private capital

Statement of Stefanos Stefanou, member of the Political Bureau of the C.C. OF AKEL 

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 9th April 2014, Nicosia

In his statements today to “Astra” radio station, the Chairman of the government-appointed National Economic Council Mr. Pissarides was very revealing.

First: The government has no proposal for the safeguarding of the primary residence, despite the presidential pledges that the homes of ordinary people have been safeguarded.

Second: Mr. Pissarides was unable to reply, where the government will find the money to buy people’s mortgage loans. It is obvious that the government and ruling forces, so as to address the indignation and rage of society because it prevented the passing of the Bill prepared and tabled by AKEL and EDEK party – as they did also with many other proposed Bills to protect big business and bankers – are trying to pull the wool over the people’s eyes, by promoting proposals without any content.

Third: Mr. Pissarides said that international investment funds can also allocate money to buy off the loans. This reveals the real goals of the government’s policy of delaying and postponing the vote on the Bill, which – despite its declarations – for months has done nothing to protect the primary residence. It is scheming to sell-off houses which will be bought by private capital at ridiculously low prices. This in effect means the massive seizure and confiscation of properties and the selling-off of properties with great value to foreign capital.

The government and ruling forces must end the policy of protecting big business which is leaving people defenceless who are suffering from the tragic consequences of the Memorandum against the people and their interests.

Finally, what they should be doing is caring for the common people, the unemployed, pensioners on low incomes and pensions, the middle strata and not the handful of big business magnates and bankers.