Our duty is to replace those who failed to serve. Voting decisions should be based on the perception of "Those who serve well stays in power and those who fail to serve should be replaced"
Cyprus EU Association has announced the criteria that should be used in making voting decisions at the forthcoming local and parliamentary elections.
In his statement released on behalf of the Association, President Ali Erel stated that it was wrong for the None Governmental Organizations to express their full support to the candidates visiting them to ask for support within their election campaign. In his statement he stressed that: “since all NGOs accommodate members from all political parties, supporting one candidate only is not right. The right approach would be setting criteria on deciding for relevant positions, and expressing support to those candidates who would fulfill these criteria.” Mr. Erel added that the best move for the electorates would be: “to replace those candidates who had fulfilled the criteria final elections but did not keep their promises and obligations once voted into the office. Our aim is to replace those who failed to serve the electorates. It is proven that they cannot be trusted. This will constitute an example for those to be elected such that, if they do not keep their promises they will be replaced as well.”
The full text of the “criteria” set by the Cyprus EU Association for the forth-coming elections is as follows:
- Cities should contribute to social and economic formation of the community life, together with their sewage systems, infrastructure, roads, traffic system, car parks, public parks and green areas, preserved historical heritage and culture based on a modern town planning concept
- Local administrations should be aligned with EU standards.
- Modern environment polices should be devised and implemented
- Rule of Law should be respected: eg. Mayors having relations with the ruling parties should not be able ask for the dismissal of civil servants who refuse to implement their illegal demands.
- Foreign aid should be spend for the benefit of the community. Those with a potential of doing so should be elected. eg. Those who get elected on such promises should not try to block the adoption of 259 million financial aid of the EU once in power basing their refusal on statements like “we are not beggars Turkeys’ aid was much more than this.” Financial aid regulation was finally adopted unilaterally without Turkish Cypriot approval. This approach resulted in the loss of two valuable years.
- Candidates who support fair trading and transparent procurement procedures and principles should be supported.
- Appropriate people should be employed for appropriate posts, regardless of political stands.
- New crossing points should be opened specially in towns where check points exists. Peace efforts will hence be facilitated. eg. Pedestrian bridge at Lokmacı check point should be dismantled at once. Opening of this crossing point should not be hindered by artificial obstacles. Nobody wants to see this pedestrian bridge as a “monument”.
- Candidates who will provide a continuous service during his/her five years term should be supported, rather than those serving within the final 4-5 months prior to elections.
- Those who spend public money at the eve of elections, unnecessarily and waste it due to lack of planning, should be held accountable for their unnecessary expenditures.
- Those to be elected by our votes and paid by our council rates should spend all their working hours at the Council. Cities’ problems cannot be solved by “part time” Mayors.
- Those to be elected should take into account the views of the Non Governmental Organisations and should cooperate with them.
- Those candidates who cannot put up with the existence of NGOs expressing their free will and design plots to be able to command, consequently hindering the freedom of speech and expression should not be elected.
We have candidates who are currently in the office or served before, together with new faces. It is our wish that our electorates support those candidates who satisfy criteria mentioned above. That is what we will do. Voters should carefully scrutinize all candidates before deciding who will keep his/her words. Those who got elected in the past had made promises and put forward what they would be doing once in the office. Voters should remember promises not kept and should not hesitate to replace those who had deceived them.
It’s useful to conclude with an analogy: A cheque is issued as a payment in return of a purchased service or good. If the relevant bank does not cash the cheque, the cheque issuer is punished and his/her cheque-book is withdrawn so that he cannot carry on deceiving other people as well. Similarly, if one had not met his commitment while in office, s/he should be replaced at the ballot box.
Voting decisions should be based on the perception of “Those who serve well stays in power and those who fail to serve should be replaced”
Ali Erel
President
