All Together: «Mayor threatens resident who complains about water!»

The municipal faction «All Together - Kythira Antikythera» issued today Saturday a press release accusing the Mayor of Kythira Efstratios Harhalakis for intimidating a citizen who complained about the water. It asks the Mayor a series of crucial questions because «the issue is particularly serious» and calls on him «to immediately withdraw his threats, apologise to the resident and not to repeat it». Read the release below.

PRESS RELEASE

“ALL TOGETHER KYTHIRA-ANTIKYTHERA‘

Once again the Mayor challenges, threatens a resident who complains about the water!

Instead of solving the problem of Kythera's water supply, the outgoing Mayor escalates his provocations against citizens who complain about water supply interruptions and poor quality (cloudy) water.

Our faction has in its possession a personal message from Mr.Harhalakis threatening «legal action» to a resident who «dared» to complain (by posting on a local website) about the problems with the water. He calls on her to retract her comment, although similar comments have rightly been made by all the residents of Kythera and of course our party repeatedly...

He even connects the threat with debts to the municipality of the specific resident and calls on her to settle her debts immediately «in order not to proceed with the procedures of forced confiscation as provided by law».

This is a particularly serious matter and comes as a continuation of the authoritarian behaviour of Mr. Harhalakis who is asked to respond:

1. «Are residents »entitled to speak" about the serious water supply problems or not?;
2. Even if a resident owes money to the municipality for water, does he or she have the right to demand clean water?;
3. This resident publicly complained by posting on a local website. What gives the Mayor the right, instead of responding publicly, to threaten her with a personal message which even contains information that violates her personal data (amount of debt, etc.)?;
4. Is the Municipal Authority only activating the threat of «forced seizure» and «legal action» against those residents who protest? Shouldn't collection proceedings have been initiated against all debtors anyway? Not initiating the proceedings (dereliction of duty?) and using the issue in this way (to withdraw the complaint about the notorious water quality issue) does not indicate an extortion (possibly criminal?)
5. Why has the Mayor so far not ensured that the City collects the money owed for the water supply?;

Our party makes it clear that it is in favour of equality for all citizens. Therefore, everyone must settle their debts to the municipality. There are specific legal provisions for those who are unable to meet these obligations.

But everyone has the right of access to clean drinking water, which the municipality must provide.

Everyone has the right to complain about this year's unacceptable water supply problems. The fact that the desalination plant in Agia Pelagia is still not working, the fact that there have been and still are breakdowns and interruptions in the network, the fact that the water quality is in many cases unacceptable, all this is commonplace for the Kythirians.

Mr. Harhalakis' anxiety about his re-election (which is not apparent...) leads him to extreme actions against residents.

We call on him immediately to retract his threats, apologize to this resident and not to repeat it.

We make it clear that authoritarianism does not pass in Kythera and we warn that we too will take every legal action if it continues to threaten residents!