The Plenary Session of the Municipal Council of the Municipality of Famagusta, re-discussed the issue of Local Government Reform, in view of the dialogue that has resumed and mainly due to the various scenarios heard about the mergers of the free Municipalities and Communities of the province of Famagusta.
The Municipality of Famagusta, reiterates once again its strong disagreement with the possibility of creating a single Municipality which will include all the existing entities of the free province of Famagusta. The creation of such a super-Municipality entails political dangers, while our political problem remains unresolved and the metropolis of our province remains under occupation. The city of Famagusta can in no case be replaced, as the metropolis of the province, by any other Municipality or other entity. Today, when Famagusta is under threat, and Turkey is relentlessly pursuing its illegal plans and unilaterally changing the status quo in our city, we consider it unacceptable for a debate to develop that will either imply or de facto lead to a formation that will replace the metropolitan role of the Municipality of Famagusta.
Local Government Reform must focus on improving the quality of life of citizens, prosperity and development throughout the region. At the same time, however, in the case of the province of Famagusta, one cannot ignore the particularity of the political problem, a fact that will inevitably be affected by the creation of a geographically and demographically huge Municipality in the free part of the province.
In no case It is not our role to get involved in the debate about the form and the new formations that will eventually be created in the context of the Reform. However, we consider it our obligation to express our strong disagreement with the creation of such a formation, as well as with the use of a name that will refer to the history of Famagusta.
We call on all stakeholders and political parties that at the end of the day will be called upon to make decisions, as well as to take these arguments seriously, maintaining in the occupied Municipality of Famagusta the important political role it plays today.
