Wednesday, 16 January 2019

To: Print and Electronic Mass Media

Subject: Huge Turnout at the Municipality-Wide Rally of the Citizens’ Initiative Group for the Preservation of the Municipality of Geroskipou

Press Release

The municipality-wide rally organised by the Citizens’ Initiative Group for the Preservation of the Municipality of Geroskipou was a resounding success today, 16/1/2019.

In the hall of the 2nd Primary School, packed with crowds and passion, 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 without a local referendum being held beforehand. The gathering gave a resounding “yes” to preserving the administrative autonomy of the Municipality of Geroskipou and a resounding “no” to turning Geroskipou into a parish or district of the Municipality of Paphos.

The gathering was addressed by a representative of the Citizens’ Initiative Group, representatives of the political parties and movements that support the preservation of the administrative autonomy of the Municipality of Geroskipou (AKEL, DIKO, K.S. EDEK, the “Movement for the Salvation of Paphos”), and a representative of the Geroskipou expatriates, while a message of support from Turkish Cypriot residents of Geroskipou was read out. In his speech, the Mayor of Geroskipou, Michalis Pavlides, stated, among other things, that the Municipality of Geroskipou rejects the merger with the Municipality of Paphos and proposes the creation of a cluster of local authorities or a municipality, in cooperation with the neighbouring communities and the communities of eastern Paphos.

Finally, the following resolution was approved at the gathering: “We, the residents of Geroskipou, support the preservation of the administrative entity of the Municipality of Geroskipou and make clear in every direction that we will not accept its arbitrary merger/dissolution in the context of implementing a reform of Local Government. We call on the Government, the Ministry of the Interior, the House of Representatives and the parliamentary parties to respect the democratic institutions (the establishment of the Municipality of Geroskipou came about through a local referendum), the political and administrative autonomy of the Municipality of Geroskipou, the fundamental principles of Local Government, as well as the European Charter of Local Self-Government, which the Republic of Cyprus has signed and ratified.”

The event also included a musical programme by the composer Aristos Moschovakis and his associates.

From the Citizens’ Initiative Group for the Preservation of the Municipality of Geroskipou

The Municipality of Geroskipou is proceeding with general and partial resurfacing of road surfaces that are in urgent
need, following the signing of the contracts with the
company Charalambides Petros & Bros Ltd, which was the successful tenderer
in the relevant tender. The contracts were signed today at the Geroskipou Municipal
Hall, by Mayor Michalis Pavlidis and a representative of the company and
concern an amount of approximately 550,000 Euros, for general and partial resurfacing
within the administrative boundaries of the Municipality of Geroskipou, which will be completed by the
end of 2019.

Municipality of Geroskipou,
27 December 2018