Presidential candidate Achilleas Demetriades unveiled his twelve government priorities, announcing specific proposals and measures to be implemented immediately to stamp out corruption, address the high cost of living and housing problem, a decisive turn towards renewable energy sources, steps to restore the credibility of Cyprus and a return to settlement talks.
As regards the pillar “Honest State” his priorities concern an in-depth investigation into the granting of 7000 ‘gold’ passports by independent criminal investigators, to be appointed by the Council of Ministers with the support of the EU Advocate General, separation of the powers of the Attorney General, a new appointments’ system so as to restore the independence of the institutions, the adoption of an effective assets declaration process and the abolition of the unreasonable privileges enjoyed by state officials and politicians.
Among the objectives for ‘Cyprus 2035’ is the establishment of a solidarity fund for displaced persons so that they are not obliged to sell off their properties in the occupied north, the implementation of the policy of affordable housing, the taxing of windfall profits of RES companies to support photovoltaic schemes, free internet in public areas, to the young and the elderly and effective handling of the migration issue.
To restart the Cyprus settlement talks, Achilleas Demetriades will inform the UN in writing, notifying also the EU, of his readiness to accept the Guterres framework of 30 June, 2017 as a strategic agreement with the view of seeking a framework for a comprehensive settlement. He will also set up a Truth Commission for the missing and introduce a class on the federal citizen at schools.
Achilleas Demetriades presented his twelve government priorities at a press conference on Thursday, 2 February at his campaign headquarters in Nicosia.
Asked why he was not participating in the ‘debate of the people’ proposed by presidential candidate Averof Neophytou, Mr Demetriades replied that Mr Neophytou’s proposal distracts from the substance of the issue which should be the participation of the seven candidates in Friday’s televised debate: that should be the ‘debate of the people’, A. Demetriades stressed and urged Mr Neophytou and the other two ‘main’ candidates to take a public stand in support of open debates and to abandon the cartel of interests.
Nicosia, 2 February, 2023
