Vasiliko communities to lobby presidential candidates

The nine communities in the Vasiliko area will take their campaign against heavy industry near their homes to candidates in the 2023 presidential elections, the head of their coordinating committee Lefteris Fokas told the Cyprus Mail on Thursday.

They will also seek a meeting with President Nicos Anastasiades.

Fokas said that the committee will meet Akel-backed independent Andreas Mavroyiannis on Monday, and Nikos Christodoulides, the independent candidate and former foreign minister who is close to clinching Diko backing, on Wednesday.

A meeting with presidential hopeful Averof Neophytou, who is president of ruling Disy, is also expected to be scheduled, he said.

The three are considered the front runners in next February’s elections.

Fokas said the committee also wanted to see Anastasiades and if he failed to respond to their request, they would press ahead with continuation of the measures, indefinitely closing the energy hub and staging a march to the presidential palace.

The committee today will send authorization to lawyers so that they can proceed with an investigation of issues of concern to the communities with relevant government departments, he added.

And representatives will also attend Friday’s meeting of the House environment committee.

The communities have long been protesting the presence of heavy industry in their area, they see as a risk to their health and safety,

Vasiliko already hosts the main power station, a cement plant and the energy hub. Authorities also want to relocate two asphalt plants there after protests by Dali and Yeri residents.

It is also the site of a tyre recycling unit where a massive fire broke out two weeks ago.

Ironically, the tyre dump had been moved from Dali after a decision taken in 2017, with residents of Vasiliko having been given assurances there would be no danger to their health.