Cyprus will not accept a partial solution to the Cyprus problem, Disy leader Annita Demetriou said on Friday.
Speaking during a Kyrenia district council meeting discussing the ongoing consequences of the Turkish invasion, and the displacement of Kyrenia residents, Demetriou stressed that her party remained ready to support efforts to resume substantive negotiations.
She said the Cyprus problem should not be used for “narrow party interests” or “competitive displays of patriotism”.
Demetriou set out Disy’s position regarding refugees, saying the party would continue pushing legislative proposals aimed at securing fairer treatment.
“We will not back down. We will not give up until our proposal for the fund for the loss of use of occupied properties is passed by parliament,” she said.
Disy submitted a bill in July last year to establish the fund on a national basis, which is presently being assessed by the House refugee committee.
Under the bill, the fund would be financed through a levy of 0.4 per cent on property transactions, state grants, donations and income from assets, and would be overseen by a committee chaired by the finance ministry’s permanent secretary.
The government is preparing a separate support scheme through the equal burden distribution agency, which would also draw on the same 0.4 per cent property levy, currently generating around €20 million a year.
The finance ministry has told MPs that owners who have applied to the Immovable Property Commission in the occupied north would not qualify for assistance under its proposed scheme.
Click here to change your cookie preferences