The Parliament approved the amendment to the legislation on Fiscal Responsibility, paving the way for the construction of new desalination plants with express procedures through bypasses. In essence, it voted to amend the Fiscal Responsibility and the Financial Framework Law, in order to grant a limited and time-determined derogation from the requirements and procedures provided for in this legislation exclusively for desalination projects that will be implemented within the current year. The decision came after a long discussion with MPs strongly criticizing the Minister of Agriculture, Maria Panagiotou, talking about mistakes and incompetence and calling for her resignation.
During the debate in the Plenary Session of the Parliament, Irini Charalambidou stated that "despite the fact that it is a proposal of the Ministry of Finance, it concerns the Ministry of Agriculture, which did not even appear in the Committee during the discussion. Instead of the Minister of Agriculture seeing the serious problems that are water scarcity and taking her measures in time, we come at the last minute to bypass the studies. Therefore, once again the Ministry of Agriculture exposes us as a state to dangers because once again the minister did not do her job. Mrs. Panagiotou is constantly starring. It did not solve the issue of desalination and did not work in time for the studies to be carried out properly. Millions of costs for the taxpayer are going away and we cannot constantly bypass the mistakes of any minister in this way."
"We are talking about an incompetent minister whose incompetence has been repeatedly judged and as long as the PtD does not dismiss her for pre-election purposes to strengthen coalition parties or other reasons, she is burdened with her huge failure," he said. "Mrs. Panagiotou was judged by the citizens as an incompetent minister. Last year he destroyed half of Cyprus and now he will leave it thirsty and we have a problem because we are asking for its resignation," he added.
Alexandra Attalidou wondered "how much more this parliament has to tolerate from the Ministry of Agriculture. They destroyed Akamas, four surveys did not give them to us, a problem of water scarcity, dams that are breaking, sections that have been illegal since 2017 with permits for the Kourris River, Saittas was emptied, which is the only water storage facility in the event of a fire in Troodos and no one is responsible. Now we have foot-and-mouth disease. It's a shame what they did. He should have already resigned. It should have already been changed by the fire and it didn't. I do not accept any deviation. When the PtD decides to make a cabinet that will solve the problems, then we will also vote for their legislation."
Charalambos Theopemptou said that he will support the bill but considers it misguided.
Andreas Themistocleous said that he was the first to find that "the Minister of Agriculture would sooner or later mess up", because - as he said - "in positions of high demands and responsibilities when they are occupied by people who do not have the appropriate qualifications, we are led to dead ends". "Ms. Attalidou hinted that if this legislation is passed, the gates of various possible illegal actions will open. This is the main reason why I am voting against the legislation," he continued. Furthermore, he said that Cyprus is in danger of being filled with foot-and-mouth disease from Akrotiri tou Apostolos Andreas to Akamas.
Pavlos Mylonas stressed that Mrs. Panagiotou is not to blame for the drought. It is done exceptionally so that we have water and not be surprised in the summer.
Stavros Papadouris referred to the pre-election period, saying that "we also asked for the dismissal of the Minister of Agriculture with two announcements, but in order to have water because the economic viability studies take time, we will wait months to have the desalination plants". "If someone wants to put obstacles in order to play in the pre-election campaign, let him do it without our participation," he stressed.
Christiana Erotokritou noted that she understands the enthusiasm that exists due to the election campaign, "but we must not let it lead us astray into not exercising our judgment properly. Here we have a bill with which the only thing the Government is asking for is the exemption from the preparation of a report on economic viability because in addition to the very long time it takes to do so, it was explicitly stated that this project must be completed within 2026." "What is the alternative option for this place to have water?", he asked. "I cannot understand how at the mercy of an election campaign we can distort even logic itself," he concluded.
Stefanos Stefanou said that "the reason we are discussing this amendment is the incompetence of this Government. Because if it did what it should have done, there would be no need to see how to speed up the procedures to have additional desalination plants that we did not take care to have before, while we knew the needs. The Government placed its hopes in the providence of Agia Eleni to solve the water issue. This Government has not yet said which Saint it will place its hopes in to deal with foot-and-mouth disease. Instead of making its self-criticism, it puts the parliament in front of an irrefutable dilemma. The Government has proven its incompetence. AKEL will vote for abstention, on the one hand recognizing the need, but on the other hand we do not have confidence in this Government and we do not want this precedent to be created."
Kyriakos Hatzigiannis noted that "we cannot play with the issue of desalination". Why the big noise and involve the incompetences of ministers or the Government. I am the first to have asked for the resignations of ministers and this particular minister," he stressed.
Onoufrios Koulla said that "when we warned and asked for timely measures, the minister and the Government reassured the people. There is no doubt that the minister's failures are at almost all levels. Both in fires and in aquatic and foot-and-mouth disease. Failure in prevention, spread and overall management. There is no other way than the resignation of the minister. And not to be attacked as DISY by someone who has been paid for years by the people to make these attacks mainly on the DISY," he said, obviously referring to Victor Papadopoulos with whom there was a confrontation yesterday.
Averoff Neophytou characteristically said that "drought is from God but water scarcity is from the clumsiness of people".
The bill was passed into law with 23 votes in favour, 2 against (A. Themistocleous and Chr. Orphanidis) and 14 abstentions.
