Filenews 21 January 2022 - by Vassos Vassiliou
The vote will ultimately determine whether the new municipalities will be 14 as suggested by DIPA, 17 as preferred by DISY or 20 as supported by AKEL and other parties, or whether a consensus will emerge at the last minute for another intermediate number.
However, the Ecologists, through their MP Alexandra Attalidou, support the creation of an Akamas Municipality, with the Municipality of Peyia assuming the primary role.
Regarding the issue of referendums, the chairman of the Interior Committee, Aristos Damianou, stated at the end of yesterday's session that "there is a proposal to hold a local referendum, but there are also objections to this proposal". But it will be finally decided next Thursday, Mr Damianou added. As is well known, the Government favours the holding of a single referendum for the whole of Cyprus.
Mr Damianou referred to a "very creative discussion in the Commission" and to "attempts to find convergences on a number of issues" We touched, he said, on the thorny issue concerning the mergers of municipalities and the various scenarios around them.
Regarding the amendments, he said that they exceed 85 and added that it was decided that "next Thursday the members of the Interior Committee will vote exhaustively, so that Amendments that are approved will be incorporated in the texts of the Bills, while those that are not approved will ultimately be decided by the Parliamentary groups whether they will insist and whether they will put them before the Plenum of the House".
He explained that any amendments that obtain a majority will be incorporated into the texts, while the rest may be brought before the plenary for a final decision.
On the number of municipalities, he said there are several scenarios for 14, for 17 but also for 20 municipalities.
As everything indicates, the three bills of the reform are expected to be adopted in February.
Disy MP Nikos Sykas expressed the assessment that although the positions of the parties on the number of municipalities are maintained, there is scope for consensus.
Ecologist MP Alexandra Attalidou said the Movement has supported the creation of an Akamas Municipality, with the Municipality of Pegeia taking on the primary role.
DIPA MP Marinos Mousiouttas said that in a spirit of consensus another step was taken towards the completion of the efforts to approve the bills in February.
