Cyprus Editorial: Yet another round of voter apathy

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Last Sunday’s municipal election results have shown that voter apathy cannot be ignored and that political party leaders have not realised that they are widely to blame. With voter turnout dropping from one election to the next, it is clear that the public is fed up with the mainstream parties and chose outsiders and independents in many towns. Some even said they wouldn’t bother with local administration as these were corrupt bodies, and preferred to cast their vote only in the next presidential elections, where their ballot would make a difference.

 
Allegations of corruption and mismanagement were the main focus of most campaigns, with the Paphos incumbent opening a Pandora’s box that is hard to sweep under the carpet. Of course, his revelations started long ago and involved crooks at all levels of local administration, some even in neighbouring towns.
But these allegations are not only limited to Paphos and Larnaca, two towns whose previous mayors are now in jail serving sentences on corruption charges.
A new scandal may soon blow up in the capital, not over the delays and backhanders in the much-delayed Eleftheria Square project, but more to do with the land-grabbing plans of prominent persons in a certain neigbourhood, casting serious doubt about who truly controls the town’s leadership.
Naturally, political parties would be at the forefront of such allegations, as they often seek to promote or appoint persons with few skills or interest in the goings on of the town, as long as the interests of other people are pushed through.
All parties claimed victory, but have failed to admit that voter turnout was lower than ever before, making one wonder what is there to gloat about.
New councilors will be judged on their ability to bring issues into the public domain and raise arguments where they may have doubts about the culpability of their own mayors or municipal officers.
And mayors had better start looking after the interests of their citizens and not the business investments of election financiers.