Greater citizen participation, dialogue, and accountability are the answer to society’s growing sense that citizens’ voices are not being heard, said President of the Republic Nicos Christodoulides at the 7th annual Cyprus Forum.
In his speech at the Cyprus Forum, the President of the Republic he referred to specific policies implemented by the government that encourage citizen participation in initiatives and promote participatory democracy in practice, while noting that in the coming days there will be a special session of the Council of Ministers where young people will assume the roles of ministers.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
At the same time, he referred to the establishment of the “Citizens’ Legislative Initiative,” so that by collecting 5,000 signatures, citizens would gain the right to shape policies, to the reduction of the age requirement for the right to hold office to 21, and that all citizens who reach the age of 17 are automatically registered on the voter rolls and have the right to vote.
In the same context, the President noted that, by leveraging technology, we have created several other digital tools that amplify citizens’ voices in the decision-making process. He mentioned e-consultation for public consultations, “Voice of the Citizen” for advisory votes, the “Ekfrasy,” which provides young people with a platform to submit proposals and suggestions, and the online platform diakivernisi.gov.cy, through which citizens can monitor the progress of government actions and policies at any time.
In addition, President Christodoulides noted that a decision was made in the first year of the administration to, at the beginning of each year, “to outline what we will implement in the coming year so that every citizen knows what we have promised and, at the end of the year—and at any time throughout the year—can verify whether we have fulfilled.”
He also said that in the coming days there will be a special session of the Cabinet where young people will take on the roles of ministers.
“In addition to the many initiatives I have mentioned and the direct contact between members of the Cabinet and organized groups, as well as society at large, in the coming days we will also hold a special meeting of the Cabinet in which young men and women, in my presence, will take on the roles of ministers and present their recommendations and proposals,” he noted.
The President of the Republic said that this initiative, carried out in collaboration with the Commissioner for Citizens’ Rights, will provide young men and women with a real opportunity to submit their recommendations to the executive branch and contribute to the public dialogue.
He expressed his confidence that “through this unique experience of participatory democracy, we as the executive branch will evaluate all submissions and act accordingly.”
He emphasized that this is a process “rich in symbolism but also in substance, precisely because it offers an opportunity to representatives of our country’s younger generation, that creative segment of our society that feels the greatest distance from decision-making centers, to submit specific proposals on issues related to their academic and professional fields. Suggestions that will not merely be heard, but will be studied and acted upon accordingly.”
“I do not believe,” said President Christodoulides, “that despite the problems and challenges, our Republic is in decline, adding that “at the same time, I am by no means ignoring the many challenges it faces.”
“I believe that our Republic is being put to the test. First and foremost—and we must call a spade a spade—it is being tested by the questioning of our institutions and the very relationship between citizens and politics; and, above all, it is being tested by citizens’ growing sense it is a fact that politics is something distant, that it does not adapt sufficiently to the real needs and concerns of society that affect citizens and our society in general,” he pointed out.
In other words, the President continued, “there is a direct link between the quality of democracy and the ability of institutions to adapt, to listen, and to provide solutions. However, our democracy is being tested above all by new technologies and new forms of communication, which directly influence public discourse.”
He emphasized that the major challenge we face today is to ensure that democracy does not merely observe the developments of the digital age, but that it will adapt and harness the opportunities offered by the digital age to further strengthen our democracy.
“And despite the risks and challenges it poses, the digital age offers us new tools and opportunities for more direct and meaningful citizen participation, so that we can bridge this gap between democracy and the people,” he added.
The risks and challenges posed by the digital age, as the President of the Republic emphasized, “should not lead us to adopt a passive stance; on the contrary, we must make use of the tools offered by the digital age to strengthen our democracy.”
“And precisely on the basis of this reasoning, as a government, we encourage dialogue and welcome initiatives such as today’s. I recall that in 2019 we first discussed this idea, when I was Minister of Foreign Affairs, to launch this forum in our country; I encouraged you—it was something our country was missing—and we particularly welcome the fact that this institution has now become a success.This is precisely one of the reasons why I am attending the conference, because I firmly believe that in a European country, free dialogue and the unhindered exchange of ideas are the foundation of democracy; they strengthen our democracy and represent a healthy process of political maturity and social progress.”
President Christodoulides said that “Guided by Social Liberalism—I know that many argue that ideologies no longer exist today, but I completely disagree—which constitutes our ideological and political foundation, we are advocates of free dialogue and seek the exchange of ideas because we believe it is the most appropriate process, and perhaps the only one, for addressing the challenges before us, resolving differences, and advancing policies—always for the benefit of our society and our citizens.”
“I truly believe that greater citizen participation, dialogue, and accountability are the answer to society’s growing—and often justified— perception among the public that citizens’ voices are not being heard and that decisions are made behind closed doors, far removed from them,” he noted.
This, he said, “is the predominant message—if you will—that society is sending, not only in our country but also at the European and international levels, and this is expressed by society through the tools offered by the digital age.”
He congratulated the organizers, conference participants, and speakers, as well as all the volunteers working on the “Oxygen for Democracy” programs. “The policy-making and public democratic dialogue that you have been promoting all these years align beneficially and constructively with the goals of our Government,” she noted.
“For us, the current political leadership of our country, you are partners and fellow travelers, since you work in tandem with the institutions and are a trusted partner in our effort to change and improve the functioning of our country’s democratic institutions. “Because under no circumstances do we believe that these institutions are at a level where they do not require continuous improvement,” he concluded.
