While DISY and EDEK have taken several steps to find a common formula in relation to the appeal of borrowers to justice for financial disputes and sales, in order to approve the state budget of 2021, EDEK Pafos MP Elias Myrianthos issue and not just commitments. Yesterday, the president of DISY Averof Neophytou, met with the president of EDEK Marino Sizopoulos, as well as with the deputies Kostis Efstathiou and Elias Myrianthous, conveying the commitments of the government for the issues that remain open and are a precondition for its positive vote on the budget. Commitments, however, that did not satisfy the MP of Paphos, who left the meeting, asking for tangible solutions and not simple promises.
SEE ALSO: On January 21, the state budget in Parliament
EDEK urges the establishment of a special court for financial matters, so that borrowers who disagree with bank charges resort to it. In fact, until a case is heard, EDEK requests that the mortgage sale process be suspended. Yesterday, the president of DISY stated that until the establishment of a special court for financial and economic disputes, there is an intention by the executive power to appoint judges by the Supreme Court, who will examine such cases. The government, before setting up the special court, should consult with the European Central Bank, the Central Bank but also with the judiciary, the government camp points out.
The president of EDEK will wait for the final decision of the government on the issue, so that the collective organs of the party can be placed. However, as “F” is informed, the government's intentions are close to the proposal forwarded by EDEK to President Anastasiadis for the operation of a special court for sale issues.
In addition, the government satisfies the request for protection of the main residence, by freezing the sales by the end of March (a relevant law was passed by the opposition in Parliament on December 17 and was not returned by the President) but also for the preparation of the Estia 2 , which will cover 480 unsustainable borrowers. As Mr. Neophytou said, the vulnerable groups will be able to pay a much smaller installment, the state will contribute more and the banks will bear additional costs.
Why Myrianthous disagrees
Neophytou's commitments were not enough to convince Mr. Myrianthous, who, speaking to “F”, stated that he does not accept that the specific issues be settled only with promises. Agathi is the issue of appealing to justice. Specifically, he calls for the law on the 2018 sales to be changed so that borrowers can go to court. Answering questions from “F”, he said that if there is no legislation, he may oppose the state budget. He also did not rule out the possibility of separating his position from the one that EDEK will adhere to on the budget. He also claimed that the party's political bureau demands tangible solutions to the issue. In case the collective bodies of EDEK finally decide to vote in favor of the budget and Mr. Myrianthous is in the negative, EDEK will face a serious internal problem, a few months before the parliamentary elections in May.
Mr. Sizopoulos told “F” that EDEK is not divided, pointing out that Myrianthous' request is not related to the budget, since this issue concerns the Parliament and its legislative work. As he said, another issue is the budget consultations and another issue is the legislation on sales. After the meeting, the president of EDEK, when asked if there is an issue of party discipline for Mr. Myrianthous, stressed that there is no issue of disagreement of anyone, emphasizing that “it is obvious that the decisions of the Politburo are binding but in no they do not oblige anyone to follow them “.
It is approved even without the vote of Elias Myrianthous
Yesterday's statements of the president of EDEK that their proposals will not lead to financial derailment of the state, nor to question the financial credibility of the country, in view of the evaluations by foreign companies, show in the direction of budget support. It is worth noting that the state budget is approved without the vote of Elias Myrianthous. If EDEK is in favor, the positive votes of the two MPs of the party (Sizopoulos, Efstathiou) will be added to the 26 positive votes of DISY, Solidarity, the Alliance, the Cooperation of Democratic Forces and ELAM. The budget will therefore be approved with 28 votes in favor and 27 against.
Yesterday, during the meeting of the party leaders, it was decided to postpone for next Thursday, instead of Monday, the vote on the revised budget. The proposal was made by EDEK (possibly due to the lack of a final agreement with the government) and was accepted by both the government and the other parties. The Minister of Finance, Konstantinos Petridis, was informed about the change of the plans, by the Speaker of the Parliament, Adamos Adamou. The short extension was given so that, on the one hand, EDEK can complete its contacts with the government and on the other hand, the other parties can prepare their amendments. It is worth noting that the vote will take place on the eve of the assessment of the Cypriot economy by Moody's.
