New controversy broke out between the Government and AKEL over issues related to the management of the pandemic and the mass demonstrations.
Specifically, AKEL spokesman Stefanos Stefanou issued a written statement stating the following:
The UN Secretary-General yesterday condemned the use of the pandemic by some governments as a pretext for suppressing dissent and violating the most fundamental rights. In other words, he confirmed what the large part of the society in Cyprus has been shouting about for a long time against the choices and decisions of the government.
The Anastasiadis government and the Democratic Alarm insist on not discussing irrational and disproportionate restrictions on human rights and democratic freedoms. They insist on a total ban on the right to demonstrate, even though they know that the Constitution, the European Convention on Human Rights, the UN, the Council of Europe and even the government's epidemiological team suggest otherwise. Even yesterday, DISY refused to discuss in the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights the issue raised by AKEL, ie the issue of disproportionate restrictions on individual and political freedoms.
AKEL reiterates that the authoritarianism of the DISY government raises the issue of defending the rule of law and democratic freedoms in our country.
Responding, Government Spokesman Kyriakos Kousios states:
Cyprus is ranked among the top five countries for managing the coronavirus pandemic. It is the first test in Europe and at a time when countries with jealous health systems were in danger of collapsing, with thousands dead, it was able to adequately meet the needs of the pandemic.
The EU, recognizing the way the Republic of Cyprus handled the pandemic following the advice of experts, put our country as a coordinating country in the Network of Clinical Vaccine Trials Program for Covid-19.
Cyprus has adopted the same restrictive measures used by dozens of developed and democratic countries in the EU and elsewhere, for a significantly shorter period of time, but also in the extent of the measures.
AKEL in a paradoxical way, at a time when restaurants remain closed, football matches are held without the presence of fans, weddings are held with a minimum number of attendees, the dead are buried in the absence of friends and relatives, no concerts are held, while employees and companies are bloody in order to preserve the supreme good of life and health of the citizens, calls for the annulment of the decree that allows mass demonstrations in the streets, citing a statement by the UN Secretary General that has absolutely nothing to do with what is happening in Cyprus.
In any case, AKEL will have the opportunity to express its views during the Meeting of Party Leaders in the presence of the members of the epidemiological advisory group that will take place tomorrow under the chairmanship of the President of the Republic.
It is the time of responsibility of all political forces to properly manage the pandemic and to protect the health and lives of our fellow citizens, to return to normalcy as soon as possible, and not a time for slogans and populism.
AKEL: The arbitrariness of the Archbishop is due to the government's conciliation with him
The Averoff-Kyprianou meeting on March 4 on the Cyprus issue was locked
