Christodoulides’ apology ‘not enough’, Annita says

President Nikos Christodoulides’ televised apology for the government’s response to the wildfires which tore through the Limassol district and killed two people last week was “not enough”, House president Annita Demetriou said late on Sunday night.

In a post on social media, she described his words as “delayed and obligatory”, but stressed that “an apology in such cases is not enough”.

“There are political responsibilities which should have already been assigned and taken. Communication management cannot erase the tragic mistakes, the delay, and the lack of coordination, for which explanations are required,” she said.

Flanked by local mukhtars, Christodoulides had said in a televised address that “improvements are required to the weaknesses of the system and the relevant mechanisms to be able to respond to such critical incidents”.

Those weaknesses, he said, came about “despite the fact that, among other things, we proceeded with an increase in the number of firefighters, secured the maximum number of aircraft, tightened the penalties, and transferred the aircraft to the national guard”.

“Therefore, we need to see what did not work, why it did not work, and make any necessary corrective actions. As a state, we must identify all the gaps and omissions and acknowledge that, at a critical moment like this, we did not respond as we should have. On behalf of the state, I apologise,” he said.

He also listed 12 “support measures” the government would offer to those impacted by the fire.

Demetriou said Disy is “ready to support them and strengthen them when needed”, and also ready to “ensure that they are implemented immediately and do not get stuck in the gears of bureaucracy”.

“The people who have been impacted do not need words. They need support, care and security, as well as the guarantee that they will not relive such a nightmare,” she said.

Akel leader Stefanos Stefanou said governmental responsibility for its response to the fire had been “left hanging”, and that the government had been “unable to understand the magnitude of its responsibility for the disaster”.

His party will “closely and continuously monitor the restoration of area impacted by the catastrophe”.

“The president asks us to judge him strictly. So far, he and his government have proven that they do not want and cannot withstand criticism.”

Disy and Akel have led the charge in demanding answers from the government over its handling of the wildfire, with the former last week having said that the government had “obviously failed”.

It described the government’s handling of the fire as a “criminal failure” and said that its causes “must be investigated immediately”.

Stefanou had said last week that the fire had “pulverised the government’s statements and revealed its incompetence, which it has tried to hide under communication tricks”.

Presidential press officer Victor Papadopoulos then responded to Stefanou, saying he was “rushing to compete with Disy and Elam in populism”.

Meanwhile, Christodoulides’ Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis found himself the subject of some people’s ire after telling journalists on Friday that “we had absolutely no loss of life” in the wildfire, except for the two people who did die.

He also said the government got “top marks” in its handling of the fire.

Later that day, he rushed to clarify what he had said, stressing that his words were “in no way intended to diminish the value of human life”.

The Green party were also less than impressed by Christodoulides’ address, saying on Monday afternoon that “accountability for the devastating fires in the Limassol district does not end with a public apology”.

“Relentless questions are raised, which demand specific answers,” the party said, before going on to ask, “what was the basis for the government’s assurances that we started the summer at the ‘highest operational readiness in recent years’?”.

“How does this statement reconcile with the tragic reality which unfolded in Limassol? Who evaluated the plan and who approved it? Will there be a check for any omissions or incorrect estimates?”

Diko, meanwhile, was more sympathetic, saying the package of 12 measures announced by Christodoulides were “essentially in the right direction, both in terms of philosophy and in terms of content”.

“In a tragedy with human losses, major material damage, environmental destruction and serious social impact, the government responded in a way which provided immediate relief to those affected and practical support to local communities,” the party said.

They added, “we recognise that in such critical moments, political unity and social cohesion are the foundations for addressing the consequences of the disaster”.

Dipa was also largely supportive of the government, saying that while there were “omissions, inadequacies, and failures, as well as a lack of coordination” in its response to the fire, Christodoulides’ public apology and package of measures were “actions in the right direction”.

“We believe that from today, the review and reshaping of the entire system of prevention, public information, and operational response to any fire in the future must begin,” it said.

It called for an independent inquiry to be conducted by experts to “provide answers to all the various questions which have been justifiably raised”.

“According to these findings, we expect responsibilities to be assigned… wherever they are needed. We expect what is Caesar’s to be rendered unto Caesar,” the party said.