philenews
AKEL honored the memory of Dimitris Christofias today, two years after his loss. “More we need to remember the course of his, his comrades, the Popular Movement, not to copy mechanistically, but to look again at what can be achieved in a hard time perseverance in our ideals, faith in ourselves us, the hard work, the renewal, the courage to change, the power that is reborn in the people, by the people, for the people “, stressed the General Secretary of AKEL in his speech.
Read the speech of the General Secretary of AKEL as it is:
Two years after Dimitris Christofias left.
One wonders what is left when such people leave? Historical leader of AKEL, Former President of the Republic of Cyprus, Speaker of Parliament, a well-known figure in the international movement, in the international establishment.
A leader who, together with his comrades, led the Party in difficult times, critical times. A leader who received applause, criticism, climbed the first steps, was called upon to make difficult decisions, received harsh, sometimes inhuman and immoral criticism.
So what is left of all this? First of all, there is the memory of a man, what he achieved together with his comrades, a political legacy of one who fought with many as an equal.
Dimitris was a man who loved the truth.
That is why he defended the historical truth first and foremost. As he lived it, as our people experienced it. First in EDON and then in AKEL, he did not do anyone the favor of hiding behind the words, nor to present the facts otherwise. Nationalism and chauvinism committed crimes. Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots also fell victim to these crimes. Betrayal was betrayal, crime, crime. Oblivion, the acquittal of the guilty over time or the falsification of events was not raised by his body, he considered it another crime against Cyprus. Dimitris was firmly convinced that only when we know, when we accept the truth and what happened in this place will we find a way to close the wounds and move forward.
“Are you a communist, Mr. Christofias?” “And with that, communist, democrat.” At the time when the red flag was being flown around the world, Christofias did not pretend to be something else, he did not hide, he did not play with words. Together with his comrades who were in the leadership of AKEL at that critical time, principles, values and ideals were not renounced. But they were not encircled either. They drew faith and strength from the worldview and philosophy and dared to take steps, always speaking openly and honestly to the world about who they are, what they believe, what they envision for the place and the world.
Dimitris was a man who loved the whole of Cyprus, the entire Cypriot people.
I can not remember a case of another leader in this place who was honored on his last trip to such an extent by Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and by Maronites, Latinos and Armenians. This is because throughout his life he said it, believed it and put it into practice that he was fighting for the entire Cypriot people.
The solution to the Cyprus problem was the goal of his life. A solution based on principles, agreed with the international and Turkish Cypriot community, a solution of a bi-zonal bi-communal federation. For Christofias this was not a slogan, it was a strong belief. He spoke honestly to the Cypriot people about what the goal was and what the path was for the solution of the Cyprus problem. He was focused on him with consistency, seriousness and continuity.
The period in which he talked about the solution of the Cyprus problem went down in history as the period in which convergences were reached on issues that were discussed without result for years. The cultivation of trust and a common struggle of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots for liberation and reunification, the policy of rapprochement was significantly strengthened as part of AKEL's policy under Christofias.
Dimitris was a man who loved the youth.
He was an executive who was formed in the struggles and in the youth movement. He never forgot that there in the youth is the most valuable and selfless part of the Movement and society. That is why he always made sure to be among the young people, companions and not only, to listen to them, to talk to them, to understand their concerns and needs, to dare to adopt policies that support and pave the way for the youth .
Dimitris was a man who loved culture. Assuming the leadership of AKEL, he created an auxiliary office for policy-making for culture. Through this AKEL created and strengthened ties with the world of creation. Of course, AKEL's relationship with culture was not born then, it pre-existed from the first decades of its life. But under Christofias, cultural policy went a step further. This is because the leadership, personally and collectively, at that time understood the importance of cultural ferment for the cultivation of political consciousness, the importance of producing work and positions on cultural issues.
Dimitris was a man who loved Man.
Not only because he remained a faithful servant of the ideology that serves man, the universal ideals and the struggle against his exploitation. He managed to remain human despite the often inhuman attack he received. He managed not to lose his humanity in the harsh environment of politics. His guide was the man when discussing the formulation of any policy. His concern was man in both big and small. How many and how many of us have not met all these years who had to tell a story about Dimitris, about how much he supported or helped on a human level people who were suffering, who were facing health problems, life problems, survival problems.
Dimitris was a man who dared.
He took over the leadership of AKEL together with his comrades at a radically young age for the data of the time. Shortly after his forty years. He dared to speak boldly, openly and honestly about the great ideological and political issues of the time. Together with his comrades and associates, he dared to go against the current and open the doors of AKEL, to promote changes in the operation and the way of work of the Party, to give a new breath to the policy of the Party, to expand its action. This was appreciated. This appreciation was reflected in the ballot box and the influence that AKEL acquired in society and in political life. AKEL during Christofias dared to take the step of claiming state positions, the Presidency of the Parliament and the Presidency of the Republic.
His tenure in the Presidency of the Parliament upgraded the content of the institution, strengthening the parliamentary democracy, upgrading the institutional role of the Parliament, but also its daily political function.
The bona fide can only identify historical features in the Christofias government in Cyprus. During Christofias, unifying proposals were submitted on several aspects for the settlement of the Cyprus problem. Proposals that gave perspective to the coexistence of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in their common home: the Republic of Cyprus. For the first time, this vision took shape with specific political positions and proposals, which were justified and are justified by life itself.
During Christofias, during the difficult times for the economy, it was possible to open another window of perspective: that of energy. The pursuit of making energy a factor of peace for the country and prosperity for the people was shielded by the policy pursued at the time. In addition, in times of economic crisis, a line of resistance and protection was drawn, for the benefit of workers and vulnerable groups.
Under Christofias, the people listened to the truth. He had in front of him a man who was first and foremost the same example against the phenomena of corruption, entanglement and political intrigue. Everyone, inside and outside Cyprus, had an honest interlocutor in front of them, whose great agony was the liberation of the place from its occupation and reunification and his great concern for the interests, needs and expectations of many.
“As long as we stand at the forefront of the interests of the broad masses, as long as we strengthen our ties with the workers, as long as we follow the right policy in the Cyprus issue and all the major or less important problems of the country, no cosmopolitanism and no new class can expel the Left from the consciences and the hearts of the people of Cyprus “, Dimitris supported from the podium of the Conference in honor of the 80 years of the KKK-AKEL.
At this critical and difficult time for AKEL and the Popular Movement, we must remember this well. Our ties with the people, our constant contact, our presence where the world of work, creation, intellect, exists and breathes, out on the street, in society, where the new, the pioneer, the radical, is born, is our physical location. It is the navel in which we were born as a Movement and grew up to become a mass Party, a broad popular front with a clear class orientation, experienced and able to have a say with weight and role in developments.
With this modest event today we honor the memory of Dimitris Christofias. More we need to remember the course of his, his comrades, of the Popular Movement, not to copy mechanistically, but to look again at what can be achieved in a hard time the persistence in our ideals, the faith in ourselves , the hard work, the renewal, the courage to change, the power that is reborn in the people, by the people, for the people.
