Greek Cypriot leader , Nikos Christodoulides, in a televised address on Sunday evening, following the devastating fires in Limassol, apologised on behalf of the state, saying that at a critical moment like this, the government did not respond as it should have, announcing 12 immediate actions by the Government to support those affected.
He said that we need to examine what did not work, why it did not work, and take any necessary corrective measures, noting that he has already given instructions for all involved Departments to submit full assessment reports of their role and involvement in managing the fires by the end of the week. He added that these reports, in the interest of transparency, will be made public, and based on them, subsequent steps will be decided.
In his address Christodoulides said he held a meeting at the Presidential residence in Troodos with the Presidents of the community councils directly impacted by the fires, in the presence of the relevant Ministers and the Commissioner for the Development of Mountain Communities.
During the meeting, after listening to their own assessments and personal testimonies about what happened and where weaknesses were identified, he said “we agreed on the immediate actions of the government to support those affected. We will be by everyone’s side. Together we will get through this ordeal,” he underlined
He urged the people to judge the government strictly, as befits a democracy that aims to and can become better, but at the same time spoke about unity so that we can progress and make improvements.
In his speech, he said, “I am communicating directly with you in a difficult moment for our homeland, after the ordeal we experienced — the devastating fires in the mountainous region of Limassol, which resulted in the tragic loss of two fellow citizens, injuries, destruction of property, arable land, livestock facilities, loss of animals, and serious environmental impacts”.
Expressing his deepest sorrow for citizens who were so tragically lost and his sincere condolences to their loved ones, he said that he personally witnessed “from the very first moment the extraordinary efforts, under the most difficult conditions, of professionals and volunteers to confront the raging inferno, to prevent further spread, with the primary concern of saving human lives. That is why I want to thank all those who went above and beyond, the firefighters, forestry firefighters, community leaders, volunteers, police, state and other services, members of the National Guard, Civil Defence, but also the people within the communities, for addressing the many fronts, in many cases putting their own lives at risk,” he said.
At the same time, he noted, “the outcome requires improvement of the system’s weaknesses and the relevant mechanisms so that we can respond to such critical incidents. And this, despite the fact that, among other things, we proceeded to increase the personnel of firefighters and forestry firefighters, secured the maximum number of aerial assets, made penalties stricter and transferred the aerial assets to the National Guard. So we need to see what didn’t work, why it didn’t work, and make any necessary corrective moves”.
As a state, he said, “we must identify all the gaps, omissions, and acknowledge that, in a critical moment like this, we did not respond as we should have. On behalf of the state, I apologise”, he stressed.
( Source: CNA )
