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By Makis Georghiou
Famagustans go to the polls on Sunday to elect a new mayor to complete the term truncated by the sudden death of Alexis Galanos, who left behind him a legacy that any successor will find very difficult to follow.
The election comes at a crucial time for the refugees of the island’s once-bustling cosmopolitan town, full of life, lined with high-rises and luxury hotels that in turn attracted celebrities to spend their vacations there.
There have been several attempts in the past to get the ghost town ‘fenced off’ neighbourhood of Varosha rebuilt and re-opened, under some form of autonomy under the watchful eyes of the United Nations, an experiment that, if successful, could have paved the way for a blueprint for larger solution to the island’s 45-year division.
On many occasions, volunteers and civic organisations from both sides overcame their differences, got together and drafted plans that included the reconstruction of the residential part, the primary infrastructure needs, developing the tourist strip and funding the entire venture, locally and from international donors.
But all these efforts have been futile, as the keys to the city, literally, are in the hands of Turkey and its military outpost on the island.
As part of the cat-and-mouse strategy deployed by Ankara, to get what it wants (a share of all the island’s offshore natural gas wealth, allegedly in the name of the ‘isolated’ Turkish Cypriots), Varosha has once again been used as a tool to achieve these aims.
Turkish Cypriot politicians, with the blessing of Turkey President Erdogan and in a ploy to undermine Mustafa Akinci’s efforts to rekindle the Cyprus talks, have challenged the sentiments of all those wishing to reunite both communities on the island by saying they will re-open the ghost town and develop it, thus closing yet another door in the face of refugees dreaming they will someday return.
Sunday’s election is not just a matter of choosing a leader for the Famagusta refugees, but also a gamble. Of the nearly 32,000 registered, the turnout will determine if Famagustans care for their city or not.
Galanos revived the city council and raised it to a higher level and into the international spotlight, by utilising his diplomatic skills and dedication to the cause, by remaining above politics.
The candidates have been campaigning whether this should be a political affair or not, whether the mainstream political parties and their ideologies should continue to meddle in the town’s affairs and how this is projected in the international sphere.
The excuse that the timing is not right, that it’s summer and that it’s hot is simply blustering. Only weeks ago, communities in and around Larnaca were subjected to the daily bombardment of calls, leaflets and knocks on their doors, with campaigners pushing for one of the candidates to take the throne at the Kition Bishopric.
Why, then, did the political parties and the five candidates not mobilise Famagustans, who have been demoted to boring radio interviews and debates on social media to choose the refugee town’s next mayor?
For those wishing to cast their vote, there will be 44 polling stations in all town towns. Ballots open at 7 am and close at 6 pm when the next mayor of Famagusta will be announced.
To find out if you’re eligible to vote and where your polling station is it, send an SMS to 1199, by writing ‘wtv’, your identity number and date of birth (e.g. wtv 999000 01/06/2000). Alternatively, you can call the electoral service on 77772212 on the day.
Hopefully, there will be a better turnout than in the presidential, parliamentary and euro-elections, where general apathy ruled, and look where that got us.
The writer is a regular columnist on energy, geopolitical and maritime affairs
