The residents of Geroskipou turned out in force at the Municipality-wide Protest held a short while ago in front of the Geroskipou Town Hall, sending a resounding message to the decision-making centres ahead of the discussion taking place within the framework of the Local Government reform.

Hundreds of residents made clear their strong opposition to any plan that would provide for the merger of the Municipality of Geroskipou with the Municipality of Paphos, and moreover without a local referendum being held first. The gathering resoundingly voiced a big “yes” to the creation of a strong municipality in eastern Paphos and a big “no” to turning Geroskipou into a “district” of the Municipality of Paphos.

In his address, the Mayor of Geroskipou, Mr Michalis Pavlides, stressed, among other things, that “Geroskipou categorically rejects the arbitrary removal of the municipality from the map of Local Government and its conversion into a ‘district’ of the Municipality of Paphos, when there is another, more beneficial alternative for the area, namely the merger of the Municipality of Geroskipou with neighbouring communities”. Noting that “the Techno-economic Study of the Ministry of the Interior raises many questions”, the Mayor of Geroskipou added that “the analysis of the demographic, geographical, economic and administrative criteria and indicators assessing the economic and administrative viability of the study demonstrates the capacity of the Municipality of Geroskipou to meet the scenario of a merger with neighbouring communities”. “The reality is there,” said the Mayor of Geroskipou, “and it shows that the municipality resulting from the merger of Geroskipou with neighbouring communities is self-sufficient, both economically and administratively. Indeed, this new municipality improves the economies of scale of the area and yields annual savings of more than one million euros.” He also stressed that “the municipality we are proposing guarantees the most democratic representation of the local authorities to be merged within the new administrative structure and its decision-making bodies”.

On behalf of the Residents’ Initiative Group for the Preservation of the Municipality of Geroskipou, Mr Andreas Siikkis delivered a greeting, stating, among other things, that the struggle of the residents will continue until final vindication.

Those attending the protest event included, among others, the four Members of Parliament for the district of Paphos, the Mayor of Peyia and representatives of political parties.