Petition at the click of a mouse

GONE are the days when files full of signatures were wheeled to the front door of government buildings, major industries and media organisations.

In the spirit of a more technological age, a brand new independent Cyprus-based website invites visitors to create online petitions on any subject and for others to add their support at the click of a mouse.

Launched last night by a British internet developer in Paralimni, this new internet democracy has quickly been embraced by the public, with two petitions already clocking up dozens of signatures.

The site called “Cyprus Petitions”, invites the public to create and comment on all manor of subjects.

The site’s creator Steve Durkin told the Cyprus Mail, “It’s a place for people to go if they feel very strongly about a subject, such as starting a petition on title deeds or animal welfare in Cyprus.”

In the first few hours of operations the site is already running petitions on property rights and waste management – and with the percentage of households in Cyprus with internet access now reaching 53 per cent, there is every chance it could prove a popular way for the public’s grumbles to reach the eyes of people in power.

Durkin, who originally come from Leeds, moved to Cyprus earlier this year and is responsible for the popular Eastern Cyprus forums, which now has over 4,500 members in Cyprus and the UK.

“The feedback has been very positive, so I’m encouraged that the site will prove to be popular.”

Unlike many foreign petition sites, the Cyprus version is moderated, so hateful or vindictive petitions have no way of being published.

“We check every petition application; it’s not really a place for frivolous or silly subjects. However, we do accept petitions on virtually every subject for all audiences with the intention of promoting grassroots democracy in Cyprus,” Durkin added.

n The site can be found at http://www.cypruspetitions.com

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.