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Monday’s tragedy can only be described as a civil meltdown that threatens the core infrastructure on which this country is based and functions, and raises a plethora of concerns about national security, emergency and rescue relief, responsibility and political maturity.
The tragic loss of lives due to whatever level of incompetence will undoubtedly be blamed on “human error”, a scapegoat used by many to throw society off their scent when in search of the true culprits of major disasters. But incompetence is the result of teamwork when it comes to lack of controls, delayed procedures and a NIMBY mentality of “not in my back yard.”
The resignation of a minister or the army chief alone does not solve anything, when a handful of others should be held accountable for criminal negligence.
The deadly explosion at the naval camp was a result of a chain of events that dates back to when the arms cache found on board a Russian ship was headed from Iran to Syria. The Americans exerted pressure on the Cyprus government to hesitantly arrest the ship and confiscate the cargo, considered as a potential threat to regional security which would allegedly be used by terror groups.
Nothing was done by foreign powers after that to remove or destroy the arms cache and no one was identified as the instigator of the whole shipment, who by any other court would now be wanted for the murder of the personnel at the Evangelos Florakis base.
Red tape in Cyprus also contributed to the problem as the matter remained unresolved or maybe simply confused state officials who did not know what to do so as not to upset the Iranians, Syrians, Russians and Americans.
Then there is the case of military exercises in Cyprus that casts doubts over the competence and ability of the National Guard to respond to any given situation.
And finally, the safeguard of national resources should have been a priority of any past, present and future administration.
The fact that lives were lost, contingency plans did not exist and the island will be exposed to insufficient energy supply and possible frequent power outages throughout summer, affecting all social and economic activity can only suggest that Cyprus is not yet mature enough to undertake such grandiose responsibilities as the EU presidency in about 50 weeks’ time.
Perhaps we should go back to the drawing board and start from scratch to work in harmony for the better of this country and the future generations that will follow. Such tragic moments require leaders to show the courage needed by a wounded nation to follow.
