The institutional racism that has been revealed in the most tragic way just recently has shamed Cyprus internationally.

Cyprus received yet another slap in the face from the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) of the Council of Europe. In a report it published, the Committee notes that the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) has not “the office has not carried out any activities aimed at supporting vulnerable groups or communication activities, and has not issued any publications or reports, including annual reports, or recommendations on discrimination issues since 2016.”

In its initial, the Commissioner, instead of at least trying to keep up the pretenses, instead of showing a willingness to study the Report, to look deeply into weaknesses and shortcomings, rejected the Committee’s findings. Even worse, she tried to present some actions by simply revealing that she was unaware of the different laws and responsibilities of her Office.

The failure and the grim picture characterising numerous institutions in Cyprus are the result of the way in which Mr. Anastasiades and DISY choose to govern by appointing cronies who do not meet the necessary criteria in important positions. In doing so, they are delivering important institutions in to the hands of people who are unworthy simply to gain political and electoral support. Unfortunately, it is the whole of society and Cyprus, which is being exposed internationally, that is paying the price for this disastrous state of affairs of this rotten and petty-party mentality.

Statement by the General Secretary of AKEL Andros Kyprianou on the Report of the European Committee against Racism and Intolerance of the Council of Europe