by Panagiotis Chatziapostolou
According to the data submitted by the Compensation Committee of the occupied areas, at the closed-doors session of the Committee on Refugees that was held, the selling price of the properties is ranging around 9% of the actual value. So far, 5.600 applications were received and only 500 of them were examined.
Suggestions from MPs
During the meeting of the committee, the chairman, Skevi Koukouma proposed a series of measures to break off this bad situation. Mrs Koukouma recommended the expansion of housing loans while freezing debts to the public, for people who own property in the occupied areas and are in a difficult financial position. She also proposed to make a request to the European Union for support of the refugees and inform people about the consequences of selling off their property.
On his part, the Deputy President of DHSY Lefteris Christoforou recommended, as we are informed, the conversion of the equitable burden allotment vector to a refugee’s bank, as well as the specification of the urban development zones in the occupied area, to demonstrate the real value of the property. At the same time, he recommended the disposal of state land to refugees who have real need.
Continuing, the MP of EDEK George Barnabas suggested that the Compensation Committee is operating outside the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations and the laws of the Republic. He recommended asking for advice from the Legal Office in order to denounce the decision of the European Court of Human Rights.
‘Timebomb in the foundations of Cyprus’
After the end of the session, the MPs from all parliamentary parties in their statements, talked about the tragic consequences in selling the property in the occupied territories.
The chairman of the Committee of Refugees Skevi Koukouma talked about the tragedy of evolution and its implications in Cyprus.
The Deputy President of DHSY Lefteris Christoforou indicated the sellout of properties as a timebomb in the foundations of Cyprus.
The MP of EDEK George Barnabas pointed out that the Compensation Committee operates outside the provisions of the United Nations Charter and the laws of the Republic. He recommended asking for advice from the Legal Office to denounce the decision of the European Court of Human Rights.
The Citizens Alliance MP Nikos Koutsou pointed out that our policy has failed. He asked for the engraving of a new policy based on reality and not on wishful thinking.
The MP of the Green Party, George Perdikes requested for the national council to be convoked. He referred to cases in which Turkish Cypriots are pushing Greek Cypriots into selling out their properties.
