The public confrontation between the Mayor of Kythera Stratos Harhalakis and the faction «Free Kythera» is escalating, with the Mayor coming back through his post in high tones, accusing them of «delirium», «populism» and spreading «extreme misinformation».

This was prompted by recent complaints from the opposition, which raised issues of public money management, overcharging and questioning the usefulness of specific projects and contracts - including for desalination and the biological treatment of the southern part of the island. The direct award procedures were also targeted, with the party criticising waste and lack of transparency.

Instead of limiting himself to a simple and institutional response, Mr.Harchalakis chose a lengthy post with a strong personal tone, explaining in detail the legal framework of direct awards, defending the practice and rejecting any suggestion of opacity. He invoked Article 118 of Law 4412/2016, stating that contracts up to €30,000 (excluding VAT) are perfectly legal, transparent and must be posted on «Diavgeia» and KIMDES.

At the same time, he personally attacked the leaders of «Free Kythera», accusing them of «falling into the bottomless pit of populism» and that they «throw the ball on the podium» to avoid answering their own «relentless questions» - such as why they voted no to the supply of a fire truck or why they abstained from the TESOPP on April 30.

He also made a special reference to two contracts funded by the Solidarity Fund of the Ministry of Migration, totalling €74,400, for the supply of migrant accommodation and mountain rescue equipment. He noted that these assignments are «legitimate» and are not linked to the creation of a hot spot in Kythera, accusing his opponents of «speculation».

The post closed with a threat to take legal action against those who, he said, «make heavy accusations» without evidence.

This attack by the Mayor, although detailed in terms of the formal framework, avoids giving clear answers to the key political issues raised: the scope and frequency of the awards, the selection of contractors, cost evaluation and the absence of competitive procedures to ensure better prices. Moreover, turning the debate into a personal confrontation and the use of pejorative labels lower the level of debate and do not contribute to informing citizens in a meaningful way.

In essence, the controversy over direct assignments in the Municipality of Kythera is not new. It concerns a crucial area of municipal management, where legality is not enough; political accountability is also required. The question that remains is whether the Municipal Authority is prepared to respond with transparency and documentation, instead of frontal clashes that cloud the issue. Here is the statement - post on Facebook by the Mayor of Kythera.

The delirium continues...

It could be a tasteless August lushness prank, but in the end things are much more serious. Yet another Free Cythera (EC) rant, mixing in assignments, Domestic, descaling, organic and a smattering of «waste of public money». In short, a shambles and whatever we catch!
For the false reports of alleged overcharging in the desalination and South Department WWTP projects, I will respond with a separate post. Today I will give a response on direct awards, not to convince the EC - I have no interest in that - but to properly inform citizens, who are often victims of extreme misinformation, logical leaps and misinterpretations by this particular faction that has a single purpose: to «take over» the municipality at any cost.
1. Public expenditure is divided into 3 broad categories: a) works (e.g. roads, buildings, redevelopment, water supply networks, etc.), b) supplies (e.g. (e.g. pipes, pumps, A4 paper, vehicles, spare parts, lamps, stationery, ready-mixed asphalt, waste bins, etc.) and (c) services (e.g. studies, scientific advice, administrative support, accounting, taxation, etc.).
2. In order to award a public body (Municipality, Region, Ministry, Presidency of the Government, NGO) the contract for the execution of a project, a supply or a service, it has 2 exclusive possibilities: if the budget of the award is up to 30.000€ (+ VAT = 37.200€) then this is done by DIRECT CONTRACT, as expressly provided for in Article 118 of Law 4412/2016. If the budget is more than 30.000€ then - and only then - a public ELECTRONIC TENDER is conducted (there are some special cases of exceptions, but they are not the present one).
3. There is nothing hidden or strange about direct award. It is normally posted on Transparency and KEMDES (Central Electronic Register of Public Procurement) like tenders. The contracting authority is obliged to invite only one professional to bid, i.e. the obligation to receive 2 or 3 bids to make the award is no longer (for years) applicable. The contractor selected is the one that the contracting authority considers to be able to carry out the terms of the contract qualitatively and within the specified time frame.
4. The Legislator has provided for the direct award procedure in order to facilitate public services, especially in matters of everyday life that require immediate attention. However, direct delegation is NOT related to urgency, the Law says nothing of the kind.
5. Direct contracting, especially in small municipalities, is REQUIRED: Supplies of materials for water supply, lighting bulbs, ready-mixed concrete for potholes, ongoing infrastructure maintenance, miscellaneous supplies, trash cans, light bulbs, replacement of municipal lighting bulbs, Children's Center food supplies, simple school maintenance, water and sewerage repairs and dozens of other needs of everyday life are covered by this procedure, not only in the Municipality of Kythera, but in all the municipalities of the country and in general in the public sector. Moreover, most of these amounts are returned to the local communities, strengthening the local economy and the local GDP, securing valuable jobs on the island, sustaining small and medium-sized family businesses and ultimately creating multiple local benefits and added value.
6. ALL direct awards, whatever they may be (work, supplies, services) are received by a committee of City officials.
7. For every money order involving a direct award, several people sign: The Mayor, the responsible Deputy Mayor, the responsible Chief, the Receiving Committee, the Chief Financial Officer and the Treasurer.
8. Our Municipal Authority is the one that created for the first time aggregated codes for various expenditures that until 2014 were carried out piecemeal for each Community: damage and infrastructure repairs, rural roads, etc. This brought together in a few entries over 100 Budget codes, for the sake of better management and economy of scale.
So what exactly do the ECs tell us? It's very simple. They are falling into the bottomless pit of populism because this issue «sells»! At the moment they do not give the slightest answer to the relentless questions that are lingering throughout the Kythira community (WHY did they vote YES on the procurement of a fire truck? WHY did they abstain from the TESOPP meeting on 30-04?), they are anxiously looking for a way to throw the ball in the court.
So when the EPs talk about «waste of public money» they imply that all those who sign the direct awards (the Mayor, the responsible Deputy Mayor, the responsible Head, a three-member committee of officials, the Head of Finance and the Treasurer) are hiding something! They imply that the amounts do not correspond to reality, the items are not received and public money (in some invisible way that exists only in the minds of the EC) goes left and right! That's what they are implying and they are not a little ashamed! I make it clear to them: INSINUATIONS ABOUT THE LEGITIMACY AND ETHICS OF THE ADMINISTRATION AND CITY EMPLOYEES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED! ANYONE WHO DARES TO MAKE SUCH SERIOUS ACCUSATIONS AGAINST ME AND MY COLLEAGUES WILL BE CALLED UPON TO PROVE THEM IN COURT (CRIMINAL AND CIVIL).
And a clarification on the 2 assignments of the Solidarity Fund: after the deadly migrant shipwreck in Diakofti, our Municipality requested and received 74.400€ from the Solidarity Fund of the Ministry of Immigration for 2 important supplies: a) items for the short stay of migrants on the island (blankets, thermal bags, etc.) and b) specialised mountain rescue equipment that was not available on the island and private equipment was used to rescue the migrants. These assignments, like all of them, are legitimate and meet all legal requirements. There will be no hot spot in Kythera, nor will we bring in migrants! Let's stop the speculation and populism! I recall that I am the Mayor who has strongly and firmly opposed the prolonged stay of migrants in Kythera, when some sought the exact opposite, especially in 2015-16.
Mr Sophios and his advisors (laymen and non-laymen, God knows...) should be more careful. Let them find answers for the wretchedness of the blank vote on the procurement of the new fire truck, a wretchedness that is not covered no matter what they do, no matter what they say. Let them finally learn the procedures by which public spending is conducted, after all IF they ever «take over» as they so desire (they won't, but «at least» as the mathematicians say), they will do the exact SAME procedures, with absolutely no difference.
The rest will be coming soon...
Good evening «Free Kythera»...