The Plenary Session of the Parliament unanimously voted in favour of a bill of the Parliamentary Committee on Refugees, which introduces facilities for debtors who own land in the occupied areas. The draft law amends the Civil Procedure Law to render invalid any entries of court decisions concerning debtors' immovable property when it is located in occupied areas. According to the regulation, the relevant registrations will also be withdrawn by the competent District Cadastral Office.
It is recalled that the Legal Service, in an extensive written memorandum, expressed reservations as to the constitutionality of the proposal.
The Chairman of the Refugee Committee, AKEL MP Nikos Kettiros, said that the Parliament must continue to give value to our occupied properties in order to stop desperate people from resorting to the "compensation committee" or to private individuals in the occupied territories. Mr. Kettiros said that the owners of properties with a memo to the banks cannot resort to the Agency for Equal Distribution of Burdens for loans and wondered why properties that have no value for the banks should remain frozen there.
Giorgos Penintaex, Member of Parliament for DIPA, spoke about a sensitive and critical issue and said that properties are relieved of legal burdens by facilitating refugees. He also said that despite the positions of the Legal Service on unconstitutionality, his party will vote in favour of the proposal.
DIKO MP Zacharias Koulias said that the memos on properties are unnecessary and have no value for the banks.
Nikos Georgiou, DISY MP, commented on the unconstitutionality, saying that only for political reasons, his party votes in favour.
