There is a blackout surrounding the Akamas Local Plan

Statements by AKEL MP Aristos Damianou:

21 July 2022, ‘Astra’ radio station

There is a blackout surrounding the Akamas Local Plan, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Internal Affairs Committee and AKEL MP Aristos Damianou revealed.

Speaking to ‘Astra’ radio, A.Damianou noted that the general picture is hazy and unclear at the moment, while he spoke of a prevailing political atmosphere of intense pressure being exerted on the people who will be drawing up the report of the Environmental Authority.

The AKEL MP noted that the report contains positive elements such as the ban on individual housing. However, he pointed out that it also includes a number of provisions that bear the hallmark of political pressures, such as the fact that the visited farms are being retained while the quarry zones are being expanded.

Furthermore, A.Damianou underlined that in some cases there was the danger of developments looming that would be detrimental to the environment and to the benefit of private interests, but also the possibility for arbitrariness to exist.

The AKEL MP also said that there are numerous aspects of the report that need to be analysed by technocrats. He stressed that those responsible for AKEL’s environmental policies are working feverishly to examine certain issues.

He also said that the government is moving at a fast pace in view of the presidential elections too, while at the same time he made it clear that the Parliamentary Internal Affairs and Environment Committees will continue to exercise parliamentary scrutiny.