There is no political basis for participation in a Government of broad cooperation, clarified to the President of the Republic Nikos Anastasiadis, the General Secretary of AKEL Andros Kyprianou, as he stated after the meeting they had on Monday morning, at the Presidential Palace.
Mr. Kyprianou stated that the proposal of President Anastasiadis for the possibility of cooperation in a Government of wide acceptance was discussed.
"I made it clear that in order for this to happen, there needs to be a political basis, the political background on which this cooperation is based, and it is obvious that as far as we are concerned, we do not have political positions that are related to or even adjacent to "positions supported by the Democratic Alarm on many issues", he said.
He added that the issues of reforms and the Fund for Recovery and Resilience were discussed and clarified that AKEL determines as its most important priority how the interests of many are better served. He added that he told the President that wherever the proposals for reforms that are coming serve the citizens, AKEL will support them and has no suspensions because they come from the Government of DISY.
At the same time, he clarified that if the Government really wants to act consensually, the competent Ministers should listen to all views, take them into account in formulating their proposals in order to achieve the greatest possible consensus. He said that AKEL will seek this both inside and outside Parliament.
Regarding the Fund for Recovery and Resilience, he stated that he told the President of the Republic that AKEL participated in all the relevant meetings that took place by submitting specific proposals, which, however, as he said, have not been accepted. He added that AKEL does not even know which proposal was sent to the EU and that it is ready to see the proposals and in a constructive spirit to present the opinion on how these actions could be taken, in order to serve the citizens.
"So we are ready to listen, to propose, to suggest, to work constructively, always with a focus on how we can make the life of the common man better," he said.
Asked about the possible ministerial appointment of the former Speaker of Parliament Adamos Adamos, Mr. Kyprianou stated that since they are not discussing participation in a widely accepted Government, President Anastasiadis did not name him. He added that Mr. Adamou has cooperated for many years with AKEL and they had a very good cooperation, and that beyond that if he thinks that after so many years of cooperation with AKEL he can easily switch to the DISY Government, he will judge world.
Asked whether he told the President if he would bother to address specific figures of the Left, Mr. Kyprianou said that AKEL does not participate in a widely accepted Government and clarified to the President that he would bother them if and when he addresses these people.
"Beyond that, the decisions belong to the President of the Republic and I repeat each one, depending on what he decides, the people will judge him, as he judges us all," he said.
Asked if there are issues on the reform agenda that AKEL finds the exact opposite, he said that everything can be regulated as long as there is a willingness on the part of the Government to work consensually. He added that consensus means that you consult, you hear different views, you try where and where there is room to take them into account by including them in the final proposals that you will submit to Parliament. If the government, he added, considers that consensus is to submit its own proposals and we have to vote, this thing is not going to work. He noted that AKEL's stance will be based on how the Government itself will operate.
Asked if he feels cheated by what preceded the election of the Speaker of Parliament, he said that this issue is a thing of the past, that they should look ahead and that he does not feel cheated at all.