Reforms will only succeed if big parties are shunned

Many of the proposals are already in place and completely ignored.

The public procurement of public projects are an EU obligation procedure and firms which have been found to be violating the law are banned. This should have been implemented but the government itself has violated all of these EU requirements. The public projects/investments are published in such a way that no EU firm have much interest. This has been going from the days when Cyprus joined in 2004 so nothing new. Same people pulling the strings since then.

A lot of the corruption is at the town planing level where there is very little urgency to approve investments unless there is a political intervention and bribe paid. Where is the reform there? Hasikos tried to reform and look where it is now with all the scandals of public land or approvals on EU natural land.

It appears the ambitious plan will remain ambitious like all former proposals for reform or change. There is only one hope. If the political parties of the right and left are decimated at the parliamentary elections and we see a silent revolution in Cyprus like we saw in Moldova and Slovakia. Anti corruption leaders won and yes in both countries the revolution was led by women. The menfolk in Cyprus, given their propensity to corruption, has led to the recent state of affairs.

Thus the reform movement will only succeed if it is bottom up not top to bottom. The latter has been tested and failed everywhere. Cyprus will now have EU prosecutors to monitor the spending of EU funds and it is a good sign that the EU is now taking a greater interest.

If the Cypriots though do not go out and elect new persons and avoid the big three parties there is no hope for reform.

Cop

Our View: Grandiose corruption plans but can they be implemented?