The new composition of the twelve deputies of Limassol has been renewed by 50%. In the parliamentary elections of May 30, 2021, DISY was elected first party but with losses. AKEL not only did not achieve the goal of the “first” but entered into storms, since it had perhaps the biggest provincial defeat. DIKO with significant losses -2.8% in its percentages received 9,628 votes.
DIPA is impressive, with 6.43% entering the Parliament with a dynamic that overturned every poll. For the first time also ELAM and the Ecologists elected deputies.
Note at this point that Solidarity with 3.43%, the Hunters Movement with 2.74%, the Generation Change with 2.55%, the independent candidate Evangelos Pourgouridis with 2.16%, the Awakening 2020 with 1.58%, the Animal Party with 1.19 %, Pnoi Laou with 0.76% and Famagusta for Cyprus with 0.43% failed to secure a seat.
DISY
The ruling party remained first in Limassol, despite falling percentages.
Efthymios Diplaros, vice president of Alarm, came first in crosses for the third time. Lawyer Fotini Tsiridou took second place and Limassol District Secretary and Deputy Mayor Nikos Sykas third.
Former MP Eleni Stavrou and Andreas Kyprianou were left out.
Hatzimanoli Gliki Marina and Iraklis Agathokleous made a very good presence, securing over 3,000 votes.
The coalition of the ruling party has risen in recent days, in combination with the very good pre-election organization of the candidate staffs. Note that the percentage that DISY lost in Limassol (-1.9%) is less than what it lost in Nicosia (-3.7%).
AKEL
The party of the Left for another electoral contest did not manage to win the first place in our province, its former stronghold. His defeat clearly shows that the party has serious problems at the provincial level, both in terms of organization and substance. The completely indifferent advertising presence of AKEL positions in Limassol was a surprise. It seems that Nicosia did not pay any attention at the local level.
While society is frustrated by scandals and corruption, workers, popular families see their living standards deteriorating, the city of Limassol has repeatedly had local lockdowns, AKEL has failed to convince voters that it can oppose represent them. There are many voices that speak of factorism and personal agenda of candidates, phenomena that until now were “foreign” in this area. Let us remind that in July and specifically 2 to 4 of the month, the pan-Cypriot conference of AKEL will take place, which has been postponed twice so far due to a pandemic. There is a serious possibility that a new General Secretary will be elected with the names that play for the next day to be Stefanos Stefanos and George Loukaidis.
The current MPs Costas Costas, together with Andros Kafkalias were re-elected. The trio is completed by the new MP Marina Nikolaou who left behind the provincial secretary and current MP George Georgiou who failed to enter Parliament.
DIKO, DIPA, ELAM
In the party of Nikolas Papadopoulos, we had a derby until the morning hours. With the opening of the ballot boxes, the ranking order of the candidates also changed. Pavlos Mylonas came first in crosses of preference. Panikos Leonidou, with only 118 votes difference from Neophytos Charalambidis, secured re-election.
The Democratic Party, which debuted in the parliamentary elections, got 6.43%, denied any poll and for 69 votes from ELAM, did not win the fourth place. To emphasize that DIPA is the only one of the new parties that claimed a seat in Parliament and succeeded. Behind the scenes information wants Mr. Karoyan to keep his position in Limassol and not to resign, in favor of Angelos Votsis. Former DISY MP Andreas Themistokleous managed to get elected with ELAM, leaving behind Poly Anogyriatis with only 28 votes.
EDEK and Ecologists
EDEK while in Cyprus for a few votes lost the fourth place, in the province of Limassol is in the sixth place. This phenomenon can be explained taking into account that, in essence, EDEK has not had an MP in our province since 2016, as the president of the party, Marinos Sizopoulos, is being elected with pan-Cypriot responsibilities. The absence of a local MP removes the people of Limassol from EDEK as the MPs of the other parties are in daily contact with him, solving serious problems.
Failure to focus on the many Limassol problems in the city and province deprives the Social Democratic Party of contact with new voters.
There is a serious possibility of the resignation of Marinos Sizopoulos, in case of his election as President of the new Parliament and his position will be taken by Christos Iakovou who came first with 1254 votes.
Ecologists
For the first time in its history, the Ecologists 'Movement – Citizens' Cooperation secured a seat in Limassol. Stavros Papadouris with just 10 votes more than Monica Pieridou managed to get elected. While the polls showed the Ecologists more elevated, this did not translate into a ballot box. It should be noted that Mr. Papadouris as well as the new MP from Nicosia Alexandra Attalidou are not members of the Ecologists but collaborating with it.
The Solidarity Movement failed to enter Parliament and only in Limassol had a 3.9% reduction in percentages. The Cypriot Hunters Movement with 1987 votes is left out, as well as the Generation Change of Anna Theologos with 1850 votes.
The independent candidate Evangelos Pourgouridis (son of the former DISY MP) with 1571 votes, got the impressive 2.1%.
Serious issues of Limassol
The city has very serious problems, which remain open and the twelve new deputies must bow to them in cooperation with the central state.
Limassol General Hospital has been waiting for years to expand. It does not mean a large province to have a public hospital on the verge of collapse. Staffing and upgrading of services is imperative, but also investing in the appropriate equipment. There are containers outside the building due to lack of space.
As far as the Old Hospital is concerned, the prevailing conditions are third world. Huge tails, mice, rodents in the surrounding area and serious deficiencies. Many MEP candidates stressed that it is not possible today, in the largest municipality of Cyprus and in the second largest province, to have a rudimentary hospital.
Another issue is the development of the University of TEPAK in its second pole, next to the Central Police and the Technical. Central to the development of the academic institution, which in recent years is one of the leading new universities in the world. While they were by the executive power of proclamation, this important work of substance did not proceed. The university institution is “suffocating” in the facilities it has and needs immediate expansion to the 2nd pole.
Another thorn for the proper development of Limassol is the traffic and the implementation of the study of SVAK (Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan). While the study was completed in 2019 and cost over 650,000 euros, it remained on paper. The central government must pay a significant amount to promote this important project that will ensure in Limassol a sustainable system of urban transport and movement, bike paths, sidewalks, focusing on man and his needs, will improve the quality of the urban environment and will transform the city into an attractive “smart” city. Fast and economical transportation of people and goods will provide more jobs.
Finally, the deputies of Limassol with their legislative and control work have a lot to do with the tall buildings, the pollution of the sea, the Carnagio, the Aktaia Road but also the important issue with the floods in the city. We did not mention the countryside and the 104 villages of our province because this is a big chapter in itself.
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