Each candidate may have their own proposals, said Savia Orfanidou, Vice President of the Democratic Rally, speaking on the Alpha Kalimera program while commenting on Averof Neophytou’s call to President Christodoulides to raise the issue of lifting sanctions against Russia with the aim of lowering fuel prices. At the same time, AKEL MP Andreas Pasiourtides supports this position.
“Everyone has the right to submit recommendations and proposals, and we continue to uphold the Democratic Rally’s long-standing position, especially on these sensitive issues, which also concern the European and Western orientation that we should and must have,” Ms. Orfanidou stated.
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“Beyond our established policy, which is this, it is very important to note that I personally do not believe that sanctions against Russia will change anything, since we were not importing oil from Russia on such a large scale anyway,” emphasizes Ms. Orfanidou, noting that prices have risen because the Strait of Hormuz was closed following the war in Iran and for no other reason.
“We do not believe that this will have any significant positive impact on us in any case. But the issue is real—the issue of rising fuel prices and the significant and adverse effects on citizens is very real.”
“Everyone can make their own proposals as a candidate; we are expressing our long-standing position,” adds Ms. Orfanidou, and when asked what would happen if she received the DISY nomination, she states that others who receive nominations from other parties may also hold differing views on certain issues.
“This is the Democratic Rally’s consistent and clear position. It is the position of the European People’s Party. We do not change our positions on specific issues, especially on such important matters. Anything related to this issue should be coordinated with Greece, and there should be a consistent stance and approach toward the European People’s Party within the framework of the European Union. No one has raised such an issue. Let us not forget two other points. The fact that we have compared Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to Turkey’s invasion of Cyprus—and we have been saying this for four years now— that the European Union should have responded in a similar manner as it did regarding the Russian invasion, but we haven’t seen that. And secondly. We’ve been through a lot with these issues in the past—many years ago—before we managed to fix everything following the economic crisis: money laundering, shell companies, and all those matters involving Russia. I don’t think now is the time to bring up such issues. And that is the position of the Democratic Rally.”
Commenting on Averof’s proposal, AKEL MP Andreas Pasiourtides argues that opening the market will lower prices and cites the example of Germany, which allowed the import, for its own purposes, natural gas from Russia because it prioritized its economic survival above all else.
“I think it’s ironic that the president of the Democratic Rally for 10 years—and a candidate for its nomination, a true product of the party—should hold a completely different view from his own party. It’s as if I were to come out today and say something completely different from what AKEL stands for, even though I’m a member and an executive of AKEL. Let them work it out among themselves.”
When asked if he agrees with Mr. Neophytou’s position, Mr. Pasiourtides replied that they agree with the position that, whenever and if what someone proposes is in the best interest of our people and our country, action should be taken.
“Obviously, we do not overlook the fact that we are part of a Union that, in many cases, makes its own decisions as a whole. However, that does not mean we will sit idly by and be dictated to forever by one or two countries that may not be in the same difficult position as our country is in a specific sector at a specific moment, so we must certainly stand our ground. And I believe that at the end of the day, if what benefits Cyprus is precisely to move forward and discuss this issue, then that is what must be done.”
He clarifies that for many years now, AKEL has been bringing this discussion into the equation.
