DISY President Anita Dimitriou spoke of the government’s “sloppiness” in connection with the submission of the request to extend the term of office of the Deputy Minister for European Affairs, Marilena Raouna, noting at the same time that the House of Representatives cannot be blackmailed and that the Democratic Rally is being unfairly targeted at this time.
“At the end of the day, in my humble opinion, this is not the kind of respectful behavior we wish to uphold in our political rivalry.”
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Ms. Dimitriou, who was responding to journalists’ questions on the matter during a press conference on Friday regarding the party’s parliamentary work, stated that DISY’s position is clear. “I regret that the President of the Republic is attempting to turn his own failure or carelessness into a political attack against the Democratic Rally,” she said.
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“All these years, you know very well how responsibly the Democratic Alarm behaves on all issues it considers beneficial for our country and our region,” she said.
Yesterday, the DISY President explained, “what was voted down was a specific government measure, which was brought before the House of Representatives as a matter of urgency, and, if I may say so, the issue is also institutional in nature.” “Anything else, at least as far as we’re concerned, constitutes a misrepresentation of public opinion and is wrongly being portrayed as such,” she noted.
When asked about reactions expressed by DISY officials and former officials, Ms. Dimitriou said that everyone has the right to express their opinion, but in the House of Representatives and as a parliamentary group, issues are always addressed institutionally; they are never personal, and they can never involve personal political or other agendas.
READ ALSO: Dispute Over Raouna: Fierce Clash Between Government and Opposition Over Extension of Deputy Minister’s Term
“So, with the same sense of responsibility with which we handled, all the issues brought before us in previous years, we felt that the necessary explanations should be provided for such an important undertaking, which was submitted at the last minute, could very well—if the reasons set forth in the explanatory memorandum are indeed valid— have been submitted to the House of Representatives in a timely manner so that the necessary parliamentary scrutiny could be exercised and the House could be convinced,” she added.
When asked whether there would be a plenary session of the House to discuss the issue, Ms. Dimitriou replied in the negative, adding that the bill must follow the standard submission process, first to the relevant parliamentary committee.
READ ALSO: “Sacrifice of strategic objectives”: Letympiotis takes aim at DISY over the “blockade” in Raouna
“The issue is that, with the haste and urgency—and the sloppiness that characterized it—without first conducting the necessary consultation or explanations—especially knowing that it was the last plenary session—you will understand the practical difficulties, but we are there precisely to discuss all the issues at hand,” he added.
He also noted that during the last plenary session, the issue of how last-minute and hastily all matters—not just this specific one—are brought before the body was raised.
“I would expect the same concern to be shown for other bills as well, which were submitted at the last minute and on which the House is called upon to take a position. For example, we had a budget that was submitted for the first time in the country’s history in July, and we’ve had other emergency bills,” she said.
“What we’re saying—not just yesterday, but on previous occasions as well,” she added, “is that the House of Representatives cannot be coerced. Members of Parliament need time to analyze, study, and demand explanations so they can inform the public. This is our approach, and we will proceed in this responsible manner; it is wrong to target the Democratic Alarm at this time.” “At the end of the day, in my humble opinion, this is not the kind of behavior befitting a political rivalry, which is the kind we wish to continue,” he further emphasized.
READ ALSO: “I expected this kind of behavior from AKEL, but I didn’t expect it from DISY”: President’s disappointment after Parliament’s “no” on Raouna
When asked whether the government had not considered Ms. Raouna’s presence to be critical for the next six months and why it had brought this specific proposal forward yesterday as a matter of urgency, Ms. Dimitriou said she had the same question, adding that the government would provide the answer.
“If it were truly that important, it should have been submitted in a timely manner, with the appropriate justification, discussed, and brought to a vote in the House of Representatives. And that is what the House plenary session ruled on yesterday—the urgency—and that is precisely what we opposed, and that is our position,” she added.
When asked to confirm whether DISY is opposed in principle to the permanent creation of a Deputy Ministry, Ms. Dimitriou said that such a matter is not even before them for consideration. “That is why we say that the government must first and foremost clarify exactly what it wants, and then look for scapegoats elsewhere—not in the Democratic Rally.”
