Symbolic ΄occupation΄ of DEYAK offices by Mayor Giorgos Mahimaris
CORFU. Giorgos Mahimaris: "We΄ve been fighting for four whole years for the obvious - to establish our own Municipal Water and Sewerage Company."
North Corfu Municipality authority carried out a symbolic 'occupation' of the offices of DEYAK early in the morning, denouncing what they characterise as provocative contracts for projects of the Inter-Municipal Water and Sewerage Company which took place shortly before the outgoing administration handed over to the new one.
The protest, initiated by North Corfu Mayor, Giorgos Mahimaris, involved municipal councillors, community presidents and representatives of local organisations in the area who demand that the DEYAK administration revoke contracts for projects worth tens of thousands of Euros, which would encumber the new municipal authority. According to Mr. Mahimaris, these contracts pertain to both maintenance of water projects and interventions in the four wastewater treatment plants (Sidari, Acharavi, Kassiopi and Agios Stefanos, Sinies), which exceed 150,000 Euros.
"We carried out a symbolic occupation of DEYAK's offices for two serious and significant reasons," said the Mayor. "One reason is that recently, without us having any information, they informed us that they are ready to sign contracts for the next few years, jeopardising the future and autonomous operation of the Municipality of North Corfu and the entities it will create for the water supply issue, with tens of thousands of Euros. Moreover, historically, they have been undermining all the projects and maintenance in Corfu for many years - sometimes with the issue of the pre-determined expression of interest, sometimes with the issue of urgency. In our case, we found that four contracts were ready, totaling over 150,000 Euros, for the four wastewater treatment plants of our Municipality."
He said that, despite requesting immediate information from the DEYAK administration, no one has responded for the past three days. "We are requesting that the signatures, which would bind the North Corfu Municipality, not proceed. We remind you that they did the same thing in 2019 with our newly-established Municipalities resulting from the administrative division."
Autonomous DEYAK
The demand for an independent and autonomous DEYAK for North Corfu remains one of the municipality's main demands. "We have been carrying on an unwavering struggle for four whole years for the obvious: to establish our own organisation and Municipal Water and Sewerage Company," said Mr. Mahimaris. "Unfortunately, bureaucracy, the Ministry of Interior, and, as it was later revealed, some officials from Corfu have hindered and continue to hinder our independent operation."
He said that, although the municipal authority received a relevant decision in 2019 after the administrative division of the Municipality into three, obstruction from the Decentralised Administration and the Ministry of Interior has been observed regarding the division of DIADEYADK. The Mayor is even prepared to resort to every legal means, including European Courts, for the obvious, which is still being contested by seven newly-established Municipalities in the country, including the Municipality of North Corfu. 'We are not illegitimate children of self-governance. Neither the Minister nor the political leadership of the Ministry of Interior should play games with the people of North Corfu or the people of the newly-established Municipalities. It hows a lack of democracy,' Giorgos Mahimaris concluded.
MARIA BAZDRIYIANNI
