By Andreas C Chrysafis
Revolution of the Mind series
The campaign for a new President in Cyprus is underway! Party candidates and “independents” are sharpening their tongues to convince citizens to elect them for the top chair. Should candidates fail to provide transparent answers on how to solve the problems facing the nation, they don’t deserve people’s votes! Yet, someone will get elected as a new president to “govern” the country.
And so the battle for the President’s Chair begins….
CORRUPTION WITHOUT BOUNDS
No one can undo the past; not even God can do that! Since 1960, the elected presidents of the Republic have created a sacred cow that nobody dares to tamper with in case they miss out of a dogmatic culture known as Kommatokratia (politicocracy). This is a socio-political club founded on nepotism and certainly not on transparency or meritocracy; a meritocracy that helps nations to leap forward into new horizons!
Under those conditions a disastrous virus has grown to transform society; institutional corruption! The tangled web of corrupt officials, political parties and community leaders including bankers and others in control of key positions has transformed the island to a state of insecurity. Accustomed to bribery, abuse of law and exploitation, an ungodly dishonesty embedded deep into the very soul of a society, “where there is no Law, there is no wrong!”
In five months’ time, the people will be asked to choose a new president with three main candidates—among ten other independents!
Ironically, those three politicians played a critical role on the policy-making of the worst scandalous government Cyprus has ever known. Throughout its 10- year tenure in office, the Anastasiades government has allowed a culture of greed and a corruption virus to take root—even the President of Vouli (parliament) was caught red-handed on camera involved in the notorious “Cash for Passports” corruption disgrace.
The Auditor General’s recent report paints a grim picture of the Anastasiades government’s implication to corrupt activities by government officials and close associates with the “Cash for Passports” scandal with millions on the table for grabs. If it were not for the dutiful and honourable actions of Odysseas Michaelides (AG) those corrupt piranhas would continue today to dance on the graves of citizens.
Politics are deception not perception! Without a doubt abstention will continue to be the King at the next presidential elections! It will happen because citizens today feel betrayed by a political system that’s been abusing their trust and one that refuses to address serious social issues, issues that matter more to them rather than political power!
If People’s Veto —White Vote— was officially recognized and won by a majority at the ballot box democratically, it should trigger new elections with new candidates!
Yet the electorate are not given the opportunity to express their right to cast a “NO” vote or “None-of-the-Above” at the ballot box but they are required to cast a vote of “YES” only. The excuse: if one does not approve the candidates elected, they can vote them out at the next elections! Meanwhile, corruption remains uncontested and a part of the system!
And so people will have to make a choice: support the political party system in the hope that the new president will act in the interest of the nation or simply wash their hands in abstention and live with the political consequences!
The other option is to vote for one of the other ten “independent candidates”. Yet, none of them (so far) has proposed new radical and revolutionary changes to the status quo but rather remain a part of the current system for political expediency and to gain votes for the presidency.
But as always: everything it’s forever changing… but forever remains the same! And so, active citizens are in a dilemma indeed, if not politically trapped! To vote or not to vote!
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Andreas C Chrysafis is a UK published author of five books and over 450 press articles but also a recognized artist. He is not political affiliated but a strong advocate for Democracy, Transparency, Equality and Human Right and a robust opponent to Corruption. His works are globally available and can be viewed at:
https://www.amazon.com/Andreas-C.-Chrysafis/e/B00478I90O…
