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In the weeks prior to the last presidential elections, contested by AKEL for the first time and won by its then-General Secretary, representatives of the communist party and their spin doctors were desperately trying to convince the foreign media that Cyprus was not about to be gulped by the Big Red Monster.
Some 14 months have passed and President Christofias still struggles to persuade his peers at international fora that Cyprus is not becoming a socialist state and that all contacts with the revolutionaries in Havana or in Tehran and the uncontrollable Hugo Chavez are harmless.
The ruling party’s insistence to reject any talk of a casino industry is placing Cyprus in the same category as some ‘dry’ states or sheikdoms, where, for example, drink and entertainment is prohibited by the law, often dominated by religion.
This blur is causing some major corporations to hesitate from setting up shop at the technology park that is still in its infancy, despite the declarations that leading names such as Microsoft and Google were keen to get here.
Attracting foreign direct investments is also encouraged or discouraged by foreign governments, whereby the current slow-down in the intercommunal peace talks could compound efforts to bring in international investors.
The present administration, hampered by the anticipated after-effects of the world financial crisis, already has its hands full but it still cannot persuade outsiders that Cyprus is a safe place to invest and not necessarily a ‘safe haven’, as it had been deemed in the past.
It is clear that Christofias and his cabinet should review some of their policies and perhaps adapt them to suit the current needs of this economy. They should not fall in the same trap that entangled Glafcos Clerides into a mess, whereby his dedication to help resolve the Cyprus problem came at the high cost of his administration ignoring other core issues.
Cyprus needs to embark on a grand-scale marketing campaign to persuade world public opinion of the advantages offered here, either for international business or tourism, and to make clear in the present standoff with Turkey of who is the culprit and who is the victim.
Selling the Cyprus brand as “the safe place to be” should become the key to this administration’s promotional effort, that in turn will help determine the policy changes that need to be implemented immediately. Keeping an eye on workers’ rights and sticking to social principles is good, but these are being overshadowed by the efforts of others to perceive Cyprus as being on the verge of a total communist takeover, like a virus that could spread to the rest of the EU.
Mr. Christofias, you need to come up with your own version of “Yes, we can” to give out a good international image, while not ignoring your own following.
