AKEL will translate its strong mandate in Parliament into policies
AKEL sought a strong mandate in Parliament, secured it, and will translate this strong mandate into policies, first and foremost for Cyprus, said the Party’s General Secretary Stefanos Stefanou in a speech at an AKEL-Left-Social Alliance public rally held tonight at the Deryneia Municipality Amphitheatre.
“AKEL’s election upward growth, both in terms of percentage and number the number of voters cast, represents a major success for the party given the difficulties and contradictory developments that were developing both in society and on the electoral map,” said St. Stefanou.
The General Secretary of AKEL noted that “a sense of disillusionment and the levelling of political forces prevails among a large section of society, which negatively affects AKEL as well, while for the first time we had such a large number of parties and candidates participating in the elections. “This created additional challenges regarding the Party’s effort to achieve its electoral goal, which was to increase its share of the vote compared to 2021,” he said.
As St. Stefanou pointed out, “when the decision was made to set this electoral goal, AKEL did not have all the election facts at its disposal—namely, the large number of participating political parties and candidates—which made the effort even more difficult. Nevertheless, the goal that was set was surpassed; AKEL’s electoral rise marked the end of the party’s 15-year decline, and this sparked an outpouring of joy among AKEL’s supporters, who view the future with great optimism.”
“This future,” he continued, “is becoming even more promising for AKEL, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, given that, according to data from exit poll analysis, our Party came first among voters aged 18 to 24. So AKEL is not only a party with a glorious and rich past, but a Party with a present and a future.”
In his speech, St. Stefanou also noted that “we had asked voters to give us a stronger mandate in Parliament so that we could defend society even more vigorously and effectively, as it faces very serious problems, starting with the current high cost of living, expensiveness, the housing and energy crises, entanglement, corruption, and a host of other issues.”
“AKEL took on this mandate,” he continued, “and from its very first day in Parliament, both inside and outside its walls, the party will implement everything it promised the people and everything the people would like to see addressed regarding the difficulties they face in their daily lives and, more broadly, in their lives in this country.”
As St. Stefanou said, “AKEL will translate this strong mandate into policies, first and foremost for Cyprus; that is, it will continue to press for and prioritize a solution to the Cyprus problem. It is our conviction that without a solution to the Cyprus problem, there can be no secure future in this country, beyond the fact that the absence of a solution to the Cyprus problem and the continuation of the occupation deprive our country of significant opportunities and prospects.”
The General Secretary of AKEL also noted that “AKEL will continue to raise issues related to addressing expensiveness and the high cost of living. During the pre-election period, AKEL submitted specific proposals for implementation that will have an immediate impact on the desired goal. AKEL will strive, through the House of Representatives, to promote the adoption and implementation of these objectives.”
Furthermore, Stefanos Stefanou continued, “AKEL will seek to create a rallying pole of progressive forces, both of the broader Left and more broadly of a progressive spectrum that wants progressive change in the country. The Party will pursue this through its efforts to implement the progressive agenda it has set for itself,” he said.
In his speech, the General Secretary of AKEL thanked the thousands of volunteers who worked extremely hard throughout the election campaign.
At the same time, St.Stefanou thanked “the Party’s candidates, especially those on the Famagusta candidate list, who waged a very dignified and selfless campaign,” and noted that “the Party’s vote share in the Famagusta district increased significantly despite the difficulties, which demonstrates both the quality and the scale of the work that was done.”
Finally, the General Secretary of AKEL said that “AKEL will continue to be the strong pole of the opposition against a government that cannot meet the needs of society and Cyprus, cannot satisfy society’s sense that there is a government that does not put society first. This is also evident from the various polls that are constantly being conducted,” he concluded.
