IN WHAT could be seen as the unofficial announcement of the kick-off of President Nicos Anastasiades’ bid for secure a second term in February’s presidential election, the cabinet met at a special session in Troodos on Saturday followed by remarks with a focus on economy and energy-related ‘wins’ for the government.
President Nicos Anastasiades has been coy on announcing a 2018 bid but he has pledged to make his intentions known on the prospect of seeking re-election in September. It is understood he will be battling Akel nominee Stavros Malas, Diko leader Nicolas Papadopoulos, and the Citizens’ Alliance chief Yiorgos Lillikas, as well as some lesser-known candidates, for a second term.
Speaking after Saturday’s cabinet meeting, which appeared to be more than just the usual summer sojourn at the Presidential mountain residence, deputy government spokesman Victoras Papadopoulos announced that the ministers had commenced an overview of the government’s achievements since coming to power in 2013.
“The regular session was followed by an unofficial one, in which the government’s work all these years has been overviewed,” Papadopoulos said. “It is great work, in both depth and width, with many reforms”. Anastasiades and his ministers exchanged views and commenced planning and decision-making on the policies to be pursued in future, he added.
“Almost all targets have been met with great success, beyond any expectation,” Papadopoulos said.
Asked to comment on how long into the future the new policies might span, given the burgeoning campaign for February’s presidential election, the deputy spokesman said that “the state doesn’t stop for elections, the state moves on”.
“Popular demand for reforms, for more prudent fiscal policy and economic growth is there,” he said.
“After laying the foundation and have achieved so much, reforms must continue. So the government plans for the country’s future.” In addition to ongoing policies, Papadopoulos added, the government is planning policies to be followed in the years to come, “so that all that we have achieved is maintained and the economy does even better”.
In line with the implied kick-off of Anastasiades’ campaign for re-election, Papadopoulos’ announcement of the cabinet’s “overview and planning” session was followed by lengthy remarks by several ministers on the government’s successes.
In a nod to the government’s successful handling of the 2013 economic disaster, Finance Minister Harris Georgiades went first, saying public finances are fully in check and within the targets set in the 2017 government budget.
The minister said he “presented to the cabinet the half-year fiscal report, as the law stipulates”.
“Public finances are fully within targets, [and] in check,” he said.
“The targets set in the 2017 government budget, as well as to the European Commission, are being met in a way that allows us to continue promoting new policies and new projects without deviating from the clear goal of a balanced budget, and of course without the need to take measures.”
This success, Georgiades added, is the result of the strong recovery Cyprus’ economy has managed, which reflects positively on the state’s revenues, with a “steady stream of revenues that safeguards that we can safely continue to implement our policy for economic recovery and growth”.
Asked whether the various projects announced recently by Anastasiades have been budgeted for, and commenting on opposition criticism, the minister said “this is the result of the prudent economic policy we have followed”.
“This is the debunking of talk of austerity policies, precisely because through this policy, and without any deviation at all from our targets, we can implement such new policies and finance such new projects,” he argued.
“This is our response to those protesting today, and this is the difference between today’s economic policy and that followed in the past, which was the policy of deficits, debt, taxes, and dead-end roads.”
Asked whether the economy’s growth rate will reach 3.5 per cent, exceeding the ministry’s own estimate, Georgiades said “our forecast was more conservative, around 2.9 per cent”.
“We have exceeded our goal this year, too,” he said.
“The real economy is moving. It’s not figures, it’s not impersonal numbers. This is the economy’s true performance.”
Tourism, services, and other productive sectors have “recovered strongly”, the minister added.
“Yes, the growth rate will be higher than we forecast, around 3.5 per cent,” he said.
“This seems to be the unfolding picture, and this is why we believe continuing this effort is very important. The effort is paying off and bringing results, we are in good shape. But there is some way to go, so we will continue the effort.”
Next, Transport minister Marios Demetriades announced a cabinet decision to operate more citizens’ service centres.
“We had made the decision to turn the Road Transport Departments operating in each district into citizens’ service centres, thereby improving citizens’ service substantially by offering even more locations,” he said.
“It was a policy adopted by the government from the beginning, to operate as many citizens’ service centres as possible.”
Demetriades reminded that post offices were also turned into citizens’ service centres, while construction is underway of three rural locations in Lefkara, Kakopetria and Agros.
“This way, the public can be served from several locations throughout Cyprus,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Energy Minister Yiorgos Lakkotrypis said the cabinet approved a proposal for the owners of defunct hotels to maintain the properties’ building coefficients, provided they demolish the old units within 12 months and obtain all required licences for the construction of new units within five years.
“This was a measure all districts we visited had requested, so that defunct units are removed,” he said.
Asked to comment on the ongoing drilling by French giants Total in block 11 of Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone, Lakkotrypis said the company might be “slightly ahead of schedule” and results are expected by mid-September.
“But when [the results] might be announced, we will decide with the company,” he cautioned.
The minister noted that Italian company ENI, which has applied for drilling permits for blocks 3, 6 and 8, is awaiting the results before deciding if and where to drill.
Pundits have long surmised that Anastasiades’ recent ratcheting up of hardline rhetoric on the Cyprus problem, after years of conciliatory language, as well as uncharacteristically many public appearances coupled with project announcements, are not unrelated to his decision to run again.
His chief negotiator Andreas Mavroyiannis said last weekend that conditions should be in place by September for the Cyprus talks to resume as soon as possible and certainly before the election.
