DISY leader says LNG scandal could only go unpunished here
ONLY IN Cyprus could a scandal of epic proportions take place without heads rolling, opposition leader Nicos Anastassiades said yesterday.
He was speaking in the wake of a report by the Auditor-general, which found that the government’s handling of the LNG affair was rife with inconsistencies, inefficiency and unnecessary delays.
Cyprus must introduce natural gas by 2009 in line with its EU obligations for the introduction of cleaner forms of energy.
Power stations in Cyprus rely on heavy fuel oil, which emits large quantities of carbon dioxide, a gas blamed for causing climate change.
The government stands accused of dragging its feet, resulting in consumers footing the bill for the far more expensive oil that currently feeds the island’s power plants.
Initial decisions taken by the Papadopoulos administration provided for an onshore unit ready by the year 2010.
That date has now been pushed back to 2015, with the best-case scenario being 2009 for a floating terminal.
“We are talking about hundreds of millions of pounds lost due to mismanagement. I’m positive that in any other country, with so much evidence out there, we would have had resignations,” asserted Anastassiades.
The DISY chief promised to make further revelations in parliament on Monday about how the government mishandled the LNG issue.
“Of course we shall pursue this… we cannot let it slide,” he added.
Last June, the Cabinet decided to move forward with a land-based facility, but said it would continue exploring offshore technology as an interim solution.
The Auditor-general’s report notes, among other things, that government officials exaggerated the cost of not expediting a floating LNG unit.
That has given opposition politicians extra ammunition to suspect the government’s motives, especially after it emerged that a foreign company specialising in floating storage solutions was in communication with the President’s law office.
Anastassiades was also livid that President Papadopoulos backed up Trade Minister Antonis Michaelides, who cast doubt on the Auditor-general’s authority and expertise.
“Is this how an EU head of state treats his Auditor-general?” Anastassiades mused.
On his arrival from abroad, Papadopoulos had said Michaelides was entitled to an opinion on the report.
And AKEL spokesman Andros Kyprianou charged Michaelides of undermining the Auditor-general with “innuendo and characterisations.”
It is one of the rare occasions where AKEL and DISY have been in sync.
Government spokesman Vasilis Palmas said critics were dragging things too far.
“The issue of LNG will be discussed all the way to the elections,” he said. “It seems this benefits certain quarters, who think they can earn votes.
“It is one thing to disagree with the Auditor-general, and quite another to undermine the institution. If anything, this administration has bolstered the institution of the Auditor-general,” added Palmas.
??
??
??
??
