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.

Geroskipou is treated unfairly by the Ministry of the Interior’s Local Government Reform Study

Following an initial reading of the Techno-Economic Study on Local Government Reform, prepared on behalf of the Ministry of the Interior, the Municipality of Geroskipou wishes to make the following statement:

1. In general, the study raises questions with its formalistic fixation on figures (some of them incorrect), indicators and percentages, and the absence of the process by which the true objective of such a reform is to be achieved, namely the quality of the services provided and better service to residents.

2. The study is puzzling in its stance towards the Municipality of Geroskipou, as it uses a number of incorrect figures, evaluates various indicators arbitrarily, downplays or suppresses positive findings, while overstating those it considers negative through misguided comments.

3. Scenario A of the Techno-Economic Study on Local Government Reform (the compulsory merger of the Municipality of Geroskipou with the Municipality of Paphos) does not have the support of our local community and is categorically rejected.

4. As is evident from the study itself, there is an alternative and, in our view, better and more beneficial option for the area, namely the merger of the Municipality of Geroskipou with neighbouring communities (Scenario B).

5. In the merger scenarios, not all of the criteria that the study itself regards as fundamental for determining mergers were taken into account, resulting in distortions.

6. Nevertheless, an objective analysis of the population, geographic, economic and administrative criteria and the indicators assessing the economic and administrative viability set out in the study demonstrates the capacity of the Municipality of Geroskipou to meet the requirements of Scenario B.

7. The reality, in other words, is there and reveals that the municipality resulting from Scenario B (the merger of Geroskipou with neighbouring communities) is a viable and self-sufficient municipality, both economically and administratively. It will improve the region’s economies of scale and generate annual savings of more than one million euros.

The Municipality of Geroskipou will make all necessary representations and take all necessary steps to convince the decision-making bodies of the correctness of choosing Scenario B of the Ministry of the Interior’s study (the Municipality of Geroskipou and neighbouring communities).

The Municipality of Geroskipou calls on the residents of Geroskipou to turn out in force at the Municipality-Wide Protest, which will take place on Wednesday 23 October at 6.00 p.m., in front of the town hall, in order to send a resounding message to the decision-making centres in view of the discussion on the reform of Local Government and the reduction in the number of municipalities.

Geroskipou categorically rejects the arbitrary abolition of the municipality from the map of Local Government and its conversion into a municipal district of the Municipality of Pafos, given that there is another, and in our view better, alternative option (the merger of the Municipality of Geroskipou with neighbouring communities).

Starting 25 October