RESIDENTS of the Akamas peninsula have called off a hunger strike they were to hold outside the Presidential Palace yesterday.
The communities of Polis, Ineia, Latsi and Neo Chorio have long been up in arms against the government’s failure to establish a management plan for the area that would allow some form of tourism expansion. The Akamas was originally earmarked as a protected nature resort, but continuous disagreements in Parliament have led to successive postponements, which have angered residents of the villages concerned.
Ineia Community Leader Sofoclis Pittokopitis told the Cyprus Mail that a last-ditch effort by deputies in Paphos had prevented a hunger strike protest outside the Presidential Palace in Nicosia yesterday.
“We had stated that we would go to the Presidential Palace and hold a hunger strike, but the four deputies here in Paphos told us to wait until they set up a meeting with two Ministers in Nicosia. At the last minute they managed to secure a meeting for Thursday and we will wait until then to see what will be the outcome of the meeting.”
He added that the postponement was not the end of the problem and warned the government that tougher measures would be taken should the matter not be resolved in the near future.
“Just because we have temporarily postponed the strike, it doesn’t mean that the problems has been solved. If nothing comes out of the meeting on Thursday then our measures will be fully reinstated and we will hold our hunger strikes and demonstrations. From what I know so far, the Ministers that will be present will be the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Commerce and Industry.”
Meanwhile Green Party Deputy George Perdikis has also called on the government to stop delaying the management plan for the area.
“The government has got to stop delaying the matter of the Akamas because the residents are quite rightly angry. Also we are concerned about the welfare of the area and I don’t believe that neglecting to do anything about it is a good way of protecting the area.”
The Akamas Peninsula is an area of outstanding natural habitat, deep gorges, wild landscape and wide sandy bays. Known as a landmass of great biodiversity and ecological significance, it is also home to 530 different plant species.
