Great discussion and strong reactions caused our publication for the poor state of the facilities of the port of Diakofti. No one questioned the current situation as captured by Kythera News. As is always the case, many were consumed in an attempt to find the “culprit”. In our country we are never to blame, it is always someone else's fault.. The truth is that many from the comfort of Athens and without confronting the bureaucracy, believe that with “fatwas” and obsessions they will solve issues. We will follow it closely and shed light on all sides by communicating and raising our questions to all those involved..

However quick reflexes (we have to acknowledge it) demonstrated the mayor of Kythera, Mr.Stratos Harhalakis, who in a post on his personal account tries to enlighten us on the issue of the port of Diakofti. As he states, in his own submission, as chairman of the Committee on Islands and Cohesion Policy, intervened in the Board of the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece (KEDE) on the draft law promoted by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy and entitled “Integrated Maritime Policy for Islands and other provisions”. The Board of the KEDE decide unanimously Adopting the proposals of the Committee on the draft law, which may resolve a number of issues such as that of forest maps, of financing of port infrastructure and to amend other provisions leading to a more favourable framework for maritime policy.

The record of the decision communicated by the mayor (also published here in detail) is of particular interest. Of course, there is still a long way to go before the draft law is passed in Parliament. Even then, the issue of ports is not automatically and definitively resolved. It opens the way in that direction, but the question remains whether the municipality will soon be able to complete the legalisation of the ports, when the official argument is that «we have no staff to run the procedures, the bureaucracy is labyrinthine, it's not our fault’.

In his publication the mayor of Kythera attacks, implicitly but clearly, to former Environment Minister Socrates Famellos under the SYRIZA government, accusing him of suspicion on the issue of ports and forest maps, while commenting that the maps were literally made “on the foot” with the well-known consequences on the legalisation of ports. We recall that with the posting of forest maps in Kythera the port of Diakoftium was classified as a forest, resulting in «blowing up» the (anyway delayed) effort for its legalization as claimed by the Municipal Authority. But we wonder, which office submitted the proposal for the public infrastructure and the land of Enchoria in the posting of the forest maps to the National Land Registry?; By whom was this process commissioned?; Did the proposal exclude public infrastructure or did it greenwash it in the filing? Of course Kythera.News will further investigate the matter and will address all parties involved for to seek answers. And of course any information from Mr. Harhalakis himself is welcome and highly desirable.

Finally, the mayor's intention to publish data that will expose «enemies and friends» is interesting». The “enemies” we understand, after all, the Mayor's political affiliation is well known. But to which «friends» is he referring; Because the port was not built after 2015 and its problems existed before, it will be very interesting to watch the revelations announced by the Mayor. Reported by in previous governments? To previous ministers; We hope next time it is more informative unless he reconsiders...

For our part, we have to comment that we are following the matter and informing the Tsirigotiko People, without any inclination for either friendship or enmity, if this would be an accusation against us. The truth of the facts is hard, citizens have a right to know and politicians are judged by their ability to deal with it, whether they are blue, red or green..

‘As our readers have already realised Kythera.News is not a «bulletin board» for politicians to post their newsletters. Kythera.News is investigating and will investigate the every word and every item and will be addressed to first to the readers of. Also Kythera.News, has both opinion and judgment, hosts opinions and will always transmit them unbiasedly, because opinion and criticism are the quintessence of democracy.

The following is the publication of Mayor Harhalakis.

THE WETHERS ON THE SIDE OF THE MUNICIPALITIES

On November 23rd I had the honour to participate in the Board of the Central Union of Greek Municipalities (KEDE) and to present as Chairman of the Islands and Cohesion Policy Committee the draft law of the Ministry of Shipping entitled “Integrated maritime policy for islands and other provisions“.

It was preceded by enlarged meeting of the Islands Committee with a teleconference during which many fellow island mayors expressed their views on the S/N as well as on specific issues of island policy.

The Board of the KEDE decided unanimously adopting our proposals. Within these, he accepted my proposal on the necessity of solving the huge problem they have created in the process of legalising ports. the forest maps, which were literally made “on the foot”, without any planning, without taking into account previous decisions of the administration, without any common sense. The posting of the forest maps was rather «punitive» without anyone knowing why. The main thing, however, is that the forest maps show public and public infrastructure such as ports, roads, water supply infrastructure (tanks, pumping stations, etc.) and sewage management, etc., with the designation “PP” (always of forest character), creating huge problems in all the municipalities of the country.

We have been trying in vain for years to convince the Minister responsible, Mr. Famelos, that public and public utility infrastructures should be exempted from the posting. He as well as the whole Administration at the time treated us with suspicion, because - by hook or by crook - we were asking for the port of Diakofti to be declassified as a forest so that we could complete the legalization process!

I will come back to the subject with too much evidence to expose “enemies and friends”.