In a press release issued on Tuesday, June 1, the “People First” municipal coalition”, criticizes the municipal government’s practices regarding the convening of the city council, referring to «the trivialization and discrediting of the city council.».
The announcement also mentions «violation of the regulation», by withholding documents addressed to city council members, while the municipal majority is also being criticized for the fact that meetings are held only in the morning or at midday, with in-person participation remaining off-limits.
In closing, the political faction demands respect, which, as it pointedly notes, is owed to it by the municipal government—which holds a majority of seats solely because of the electoral law.
Read the municipal coalition's full statement:
«Open Letter to the Chairman of the Kythira Board of Directors"
Mr. President.
Because, despite our repeated calls for city council meetings to be held in the afternoon or evening, as provided for in its rules of procedure, you stubbornly insist on scheduling them at midday, which is a burden in every respect for our colleagues who are not yet retired, we abstained from today’s meeting as a sign of protest.
Mr. President.
At the previous city council meeting, citing the expiration of the speaking time, you did not allow follow-up remarks, even though some of us had requested them.
And here we have the following paradox: How is it possible that, given the limited time of one hour allotted for briefings, the Mayor has unlimited time to speak—as you at least told us—while we have only a few minutes? In other words, if the Mayor’s remarks last 50 minutes, will all of us have to share just ten minutes? Or if the Mayor speaks for more than 60 minutes, will there be no time left for the council members?
Mr. President
We are truly surprised by the formalism you have displayed in this particular matter, which, if we may say so, is selective.
Don’t the rules state that, after the meeting begins, the President must announce to the body any document addressed to it? Why aren’t you following them? Why did you withhold the letter from Mr. Orestis Harou, which was addressed to all the city council members?
In our view, this is a major issue that clearly demonstrates how the municipality operates, as well as the attempt by the municipal administration to discredit and trivialize the municipal council.
Of course, the mayor, in his attempt to justify the unjustifiable, told us that the letter would be answered within the time frame prescribed by law. A response that had absolutely nothing to do with the substance of the matter. In other words, if Mr. Haros hadn’t taken the initiative to send it to our email addresses, we would have been completely unaware of its existence. And the mayor considers this normal!!!! Because if that weren’t the case, he would have had to apologize—both for violating the regulation and for the discourtesy he committed by failing to forward our fellow citizen’s letter to its intended recipients.
At the end of the previous council meeting, Mr. Chairman, you asked that we tone down the tone of our discussions and avoid using strong or even offensive language.
We not only agree with this recommendation of yours, but we wholeheartedly endorse it. We firmly believe that meetings should be conducted in an atmosphere of calm and MUTUAL—and we emphasize this—MUTUAL respect, so that they may be effective and productive.
Unfortunately, however, we must say that the municipal government has not shown any such intentions.
- Because respect would have meant that there had not been a one-year period during which meetings were held via email.
- Because respect would mean that procedures had already been put in place so that City Council meetings could be held in person.
- Because respect means that the finance committee should stop holding its meetings via email.
- Because respect means holding our meetings in the afternoon or evening, as stipulated in the rules.
- Because respect means that letters addressed to city council members should not go missing but should be delivered to their recipients, as the regulations also stipulate.
- Because respect means that the mayor’s verbal commitments are put into action and not just left as empty words.
- Because it is a matter of respect—even if not required by the rules—that agenda items not be sent to us at the last minute, for reasons we all understand, but at least 2 to 3 days before the meeting, so that we have the necessary time to review them.
Unfortunately, once again we are forced to repeat—and we will keep repeating it until you understand—that the one-seat majority held by the municipal government is not the one determined by the electorate. It is artificial and imposed by the election law. Show greater respect for the opposition. You owe it to them.
»Because, while you may technically have a majority of seats on the city council, in reality you are in the minority."
For the Municipal Coalition
«People First»
Panagopoulos Dimitris
Stylianos Megalokonomos
Magoulas Nikolaos
John Calligeros
Georgilas Paraskevas
