REPRESENTATIVES of the Potato Growers Association yesterday met with political figures in an attempt to gain support for their demands.
But the potato growers received a set back when President Tassos Papadopoulos snubbed a requested meeting.
Despite a majority of the potato growers staying at home yesterday, around seven to 10 demonstrators lazed on the side of the Larnaca-Ayia Napa motorway.
The potato growers have said they would stay put throughout the weekend and would meet again to take more measures if there are no developments within the next few days.
Although the bonfire had been extinguished, the motorway still resembled an abandoned road on the night after a rave. Litter, which included cigarettes, paper bags, bottles and plastic cups, laid scattered on the ground, and police officers mingled among the potato growers, especially in front of the parked ice cream van.
“I’ve been here all night,” said one potato grower. “But I don’t care and I refuse to budge until justice has been served.”
Another farmer said he was sure that they would get what they came for.
“The government has one simple choice, gives us our rights or continue to have your citizens take to the roads. They think they can negotiate with us only to take up one lane but I say we will close more roads. That is the negotiating we know.”
The Head of the Potato Growers Association Nicos Vasilas told the Cyprus Mail that he was disappointed that only deputies of opposition DISY had turned up to see them. Despite invitations going out to deputies of all parties, only Lefteris Christophorou, Zacharias Zachariou, Giorgos Giorgiou and Antonis Karras turned up.
During his brief time there, Christophorou assured the potato growers that if there were no developments on their demands by Monday he would take the matter up with the House of Representatives.
Potato growers’ representatives had meetings yesterday morning with DISY leader Nicos Anastassiades, EDEK leader Yiannakis Omirou, DIKO acting head Nicos Cleanthous and AKEL strongman Nicos Katsourides.
Speaking to reporters after his meeting with the potato growers, Anastassiades said the talks had been positive and that he was hopeful there would soon be a response from the government. He added that the government was not helping the situation by refusing to look at the potato growers’ proposals.
Omirou said the government was obliged to help the potato growers ahead of what is expected to be a very difficult year.
One of the representatives, Andreas Karios, told the party leaders that they would not end there demonstrations unless they got satisfaction of their demands.
In response to President Papadopoulos’ comments that he would not see them and that they would instead have to meet Agriculture Minister Timis Efthymiou, Karios said: “We expressed our opinion and requested from the President to meet him because only in that way would he finally understand the serious problems that we are facing. We insist on this meeting, but obviously the President is entitled to his right of not seeing if that is what he really wants.”
