Frixos Dalitis
The political leaders are starting to climb the hill of the Presidential Palace from today, with President Anastasiadis starting his cycle of contacts with the sole aim of finding channels of communication with as many political forces as possible.
Following the parliamentary elections and the completion of the procedures for the election of the Speaker of the Parliament, the bet now for the Government is the pending reforms. But in order to achieve this, there must be consensus and cooperation within the Parliament, so that the corresponding majorities for the reform bills within the Parliament can be formed. Especially for hot issues, such as the issue of the reform of the Judiciary, the Local Government, the Fight against Corruption but also the Public Service.
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The most important thing for the Government is to be able to use the 4.4 billion euros of the “Cyprus of Tomorrow” project, most of which is directly related to the reforms that need to be made. Specifically, the plan includes a total of 58 reforms, of which 23 are already pending in Parliament and 20 of them should be promoted for implementation by the end of the year.
In his statements yesterday, the President of the Republic, Nikos Anastasiadis, stated that his contacts with the political leaders are to create a climate of consensus, of a wider acceptance of policies, that can lead Cyprus even further.
In his statements to the journalists, after the opening ceremony of the commemorative column for the Greek Revolution, in Ayia Napa, and you were asked to say whether he would raise the issue of the reshuffle of the Government to the leaders of the political parties, during the meetings he will have with them. on 14 and 15 June, and whether he will announce a reshuffle before leaving for Brussels for the European Council meeting, the President of the Republic said that “this will be clear from the consultations”.
He added that it is his warm request not to become a screenwriter that affects the prestige and respect he has for all his associates.
“My contacts with the political leaders are to create a climate of consensus, of a wider acceptance of policies that can lead our Cyprus even further,” he concluded.
The schedule of meetings with leaders
Based on the schedule of his meetings, the President of the Republic will have meetings today at 09:00 with the president of DISY, Averof Neophytou, at 09:45 with the secretary general of AKEL, Andros Kyprianou, at 10:30 with his president DIKO, Nikola Papadopoulos, and at 11:15 with the president of ELAM Christos Christou.
Tomorrow he will meet at 09:00 with the president of EDEK, Marino Sizopoulos, at 09:45 with the president of the Democratic Party, Mario Karoyan, and at 10:30 with the president of the Movement of Ecologists – Citizens' Cooperation, Charalambos Theopemptou.
The President will ask the political leaders to see through their cooperation for the implementation of the reforms, the collective good through the securing of funds for development projects. However, the fact that a new pre-election period for the municipal elections is expected immediately after the parliamentary elections is not considered an ideal scenario. Nevertheless, it is estimated that there can be a broader consensus and avoid the toxicity of the pre-election parliamentary elections, which cost everyone.
However, regarding the participation in a Government widely accepted, as characterized by President Anastasiadis, AKEL and DIKO have already left, stating that their intention is not to participate in a Government under Nikos Anastasiadis. The Ecologists are also coming out of the equation, who also have no intention to participate, while EDEK, although it will expect to hear, as stated by its leadership, nevertheless its participation in the government is considered an extremely remote scenario. Beyond that, DIPA and ELAM are not clear. Certainly as far as Mario Karoyan's party is concerned, the data for participation in the Government are much easier, although circles close to its president state that non-participation in the Government will be the first political act of the Democratic Party as a parliamentary party. It is extremely unlikely for ELAM to participate in the formation of the government.
