We stay here: The redevelopment of the River and two issues of democracy

In a press release issued by the municipal faction «Kythera - Antikythera, We Live Here», placed in the the approval of the River's redevelopment study by the Economic Committee, based on the proposal of the municipal authority. A proposal, which the combination considers fragmentary, as is limited to «modernisation of the main roads in the shopping centre» and excludes iconic buildings and infrastructure of the settlement.

It also becomes clear that the entire opposition has joined the councillor's proposal, Nicholas Mugula, which it voted for, and which proposes to carry out architectural competition, rather than direct award of the project, as adopted by the municipal majority and ultimately, voted by the Economic Committee.

For the faction «Kythira - Antikythera, We Live Here», the objective of the regeneration should be part of a a broader participatory process, which will involve citizens and social actors, who, in any case, have expressed concerns similar to those of the opposition in recent times, the statement said.

This is where the first of the two objections of the minority is based, on an observed - as it claims - democratic poverty that characterises both the rhetoric and the practices that the municipal authority has recently followed on the issue. And which is concretised by the municipality's «extreme attack» on the recently positions expressed by Andreas Mariatos.

The second objection concerns the choice of e-mail as a means of conducting the vote on the issue, instead of the teleconference, which the minority apparently considers more democratic as a procedure.

The Communication concludes by the need for society to participate in decisions affecting it, while not failing to insult the mayor, Efstratios Harhalakis, for the attacks on personnel, unleashed over the internet and for a more general attitude of «Ludovism» that distinguishes him, as he states.

The following is the press release of the municipal combination and the position of the Finance Committee on the issue of redevelopment in the River.

The redevelopment of the River and two issues of democracy...

It took 1248 words in a press release of the Municipality of Kythera to announce the approval of the studies for the redevelopment of Potamos by the Economic Committee, of which 946 were used up in the attack against a citizen...

1) Regarding the issue of the redevelopment:

The two opposition factions submitted their own well-founded proposals, as they should have done, which contributed to the proposal for an architectural competition. In fact, we voted in favour of the proposal of our colleague Nik. In fact, we voted in favour of the proposal of Nik Nikos Magoulas, considering it to be the best in terms of its purpose and wanting to limit the fragmentary studies that measure quantities and disregard the qualitative result. We pointed out that the recommendation of the Chairman of the Economic Committee presents, instead of a plan for a study for the overall regeneration of the settlement, a fragmentary proposal for the modernisation of the main roads of the shopping centre. We proposed the exploration of the overall redevelopment of the settlement including iconic buildings such as the Urban School, neighbourhoods such as the Lower Village and the Holy Trinity, and infrastructure such as the stadiums and the open-air theatre. We have agreed that the Islands Network, which has the expertise and experience in these processes, should carry out this tender. We noted that the river regeneration project is certainly necessary and useful, subject to integration into an overall planning process. Something that unfortunately does not exist in the proposal voted by the municipal majority in the Economic Committee.

Our municipal faction pointed out that “the realization of such a goal (regeneration) is pursued with participation procedures that, apart from the powers of local government, include as far as possible the active participation of citizens and social actors in the formulation of choices, and in monitoring their implementation“. Many active citizens expressed their views on the issue in the way they chose to do so. The vast majority of them expressed concerns similar to those contained in our text, our proposal.

2) In our view, however, two issues of major democratic importance have arisen:

-One is that we are back to voting by e-mail (with the usual mail). We don't understand why the technologically easy solution of live teleconferencing is not followed? We do not understand why at the same time we can watch the Greek Parliament sitting in the physical presence of Members of Parliament, but we cannot watch it with a zoom?

-The second is our painful surprise when we found that the press release of the Municipality of Kythera was reduced to a an extreme attack on a citizen because of views expressed publicly and in writing!

It is clear that the public discourse in Kythera, with the personal responsibility of the Mayor, is far from helping democratic consultation, the involvement of society, and in particular those with specific expertise, in order to arrive at the best final decisions. We argue that society must be involved (always on the condition of decent positions) in decisions on issues that concern it. The personal attacks that the Mayor constantly launches via the internet do not fit the institution he serves, nor the style and ethos of authority that the country needs. No one can appear as a «Louis»; all those who hold public office must accept the right of citizens to criticize. Authoritarianism points to other times which have definitely passed.

“Kythera Antikythera - We live here“

Position of Emmanuel Trifyllis at the meeting of 17/3/2021

Topic 2.
The urgent need to regenerate the settlement of Potamos Kythera has been expressed for decades. Such a regeneration must include a comprehensive proposal for the whole settlement and the promotion of the public space, the architectural and historical elements of the area.

The realisation of such an objective is pursued through participation procedures which, in addition to the competences of local government, include, as far as possible, the active participation of citizens and social actors in the formulation of choices and in the monitoring of their implementation.

Today's presentation by the Chairman of the Finance Committee presents a piecemeal proposal for the modernization of the main streets of the shopping center instead of a plan for a comprehensive redevelopment study.

A project that is certainly necessary and useful, provided that it is part of a comprehensive plan, which does not exist.

We consider this prioritisation of the municipal authority to be problematic and contrary to the principles of sustainable development of the area. We already have the failure of similar interventions in other settlements on the island and, in addition, the absence, due to the pandemic, of a meaningful dialogue between the members of the committee that would allow such a policy to be modified.

We consider a crucial element to be the need for public works to acquire quality both in their design and in their implementation, elements of which are not adequately reflected in the current proposal despite the individual improvements that have been brought to our attention.

Our party will submit a proposal within the new 2022 budget for an architectural competition of ideas for the exploration of the overall redevelopment of the settlement, including iconic buildings such as the Urban School, neighborhoods such as the Lower Village and Agia Triada and infrastructure such as the stadiums and the open theater.

The Islands Network, which has the appropriate expertise and experience in these procedures, can undertake the implementation of this tender.

Consequently, because the proposal for a programme contract submitted by my colleague Nikolaos Magoulas comes closer to securing a satisfactory Results  through  Open Architectural Competition to be organised by the Islands Network, we vote in favour of its proposal.

On the other items on the agenda, I am voting in favour.

After honor