DISY: It’s our duty to offer constructive criticism

THE LEADERS of the two biggest parties on the island yesterday agreed on the need for more dialogue after meeting to try and work out their many differences on the main problems facing the country

Opposition DISY leader Nicos Anastassiades said he had an “honest” discussion with ruling AKEL leader Andros Kyprianou at the DISY offices, noting that it was “useful” and “necessary”, despite their different positions.

There was an “honest discussion on the big problems facing the country…of course, different approaches and evaluations were recorded on many issues,” said Anastassiades.

“I explained to Mr Kyprianou and associates that exercising constructive criticism is a political and institutional obligation for the opposition. At the same time I repeated what I told the president last week with clarity, that we remain ready to offer support on the necessary and correct choices regarding the Cyprus problem, economy and other issues,” he said, adding that a precondition was for the timely and prior consultation with DISY before decisions are taken.

Kyprianou said the two sides “agreed completely” that adequate consultation and exchange of ideas was needed to gain consensus.

“Of course, however much we discuss among ourselves, it is clear that we have differences with DISY on the Cyprus problem…and on the economy,” he said.

The AKEL leader added that he was not asking any party to revise its positions on the main issues but was supporting the idea of consultation on issues like the Cyprus problem and the economy.

“There are critical issues before the Cypriot people and Cyprus which demand the utmost consensus among political parties so they can be faced…We feel that the operation of the subcommittee of the National Council has contributed a lot in this direction,” he said.

The discussion between historic foes left-wing AKEL and right-wing DISY focused on the economy and the Cyprus problem. The DISY delegation comprised of Averof Neophytou, Ionas Nicolaou, Lefteris Christoforou, Nicos Tornaritis and Haris Georgiades, while Kyprianou was accompanied by AKEL parliamentary spokesman Nicos Katsourides and central committee members Venizelos Zannettos and Fanis Christodoulou.

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