AKEL, the Progressive Party of the Working People, held its found-ing Congress on 14th April 1941, successor to the Communist Partyof Cyprus CPC established in 1926.

The CPC was born out of the historical necessity of the times andsocial conditions. The CPC as the political party of the working classbased on Marxist–Leninist principles fought heroically in illegalityand despite brutal persecution led the struggle for the liberation fromthe British colonial yoke, for the working people’s social, politicaland economic demands.

On the CPC’s call, 60 Cypriot anti-fascists fought in the Spanish CivilWar against Franco fascism, 15 of them sacrificing their lives.

Foundation

AKEL’s formation in April 1941 expressed the need for the mass legalexpression of the Cypriot people’s struggle on all fronts. Following anappeal issued in 1943 thousands of AKEL members and antifascistsjoined the fight against Hitler fascism. All through its 88 years of strug-gles AKEL has been a class party uniting all the Cypriot working class,

Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Maronites, Armenians and Latins.  It played a leading role in the establishment of the first class tradeunions and in the development of the broader People’s Movement ofthe Left, thus forging solid links between the working people andAKEL.

The Party of the Cypriot working class 

AKEL in brief

Since its foundation, AKEL has been and remains a staunch fighteragainst nationalism and chauvinism, for friendship, cooperation, mu-tual understanding and respect among all Cypriots.  It has alwaysstressed the necessity of a common anti-imperialist front of struggle.Many GC and TC comrades were murdered and persecuted bychauvinists from both communities. 

Since 1974 AKEL has been working with consistency for the rap-prochement of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, considering itas indispensible for the implementation of a future solution of theCyprus problem. Today rapprochement is a movement embracingbroad masses of Cypriots.

AKEL disagreed with the armed struggle of the nation-alist EOKA organization 1955-59, supporting instead amass and organized political struggle in a joint anti-im-perialist front of Greek and Turkish Cypriots. Many GCand TC comrades were murdered by the ultra-right inthe attempt to crush the Left and enforce the imperialistpolicy of “divide and rule”.

Following the 1960 declaration of a shackled Cyprusindependence, AKEL struggled to defend democracy,the independence and territorial integrity of the Repub-lic of Cyprus from constant foreign conspiracies and interventionsthat culminated in July 1974, with the CIA-engineered fascist coupd’état of the Greek Junta and the fascist terrorist organization EOKAB’ and the subsequent Turkish invasion and occupation of 40% of theterritory of the Cyprus Republic.  Many AKEL members and support-

ers sacrificed their lives defending democracy andCyprus independence.  Since 1974 AKEL has beenstruggling to bring about the end of the Turkish oc-cupation and the reunification of Cyprus and ourpeople.

AKEL is fighting for a peaceful, lasting and viablesolution based on International Law, the UN Res-olutions and the High-level Agreements, within theframework of the UN; for a united state in a bizonalbicommunal federation, with a single sovereignty,

a single international personality, and a single citizenship, with the fun-damental human rights and freedoms of all Cypriots guaranteed.

AKEL supports the dismantling of the foreign bases in Cyprus andthe demilitarization of the island, though the primary objective nowis the end of the occupation. 

AKEL and the Cyprus Problem 

Rapprochement between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots 

“All armies out of Cyprus- independent island!”“The enemy is imperialism”

Greek Cypriots - Turkish CypriotsCommon struggle - Common country

Taking into account Cyprus’ concrete conditions, current stage ofstruggle, the principal duty and pressing need for a solution, AKELhas always followed a policy of forging broad alliances with patrioticand  democratic  forces  on  short  and  middle  term  objectives.Whether supporting or participating in coalition governments butalso when in opposition, AKEL’s main goal has been its decisive con-tribution to the solution of the Cyprus problem based on principlesand safeguarding and promoting working people’s democratic andsocio-economic rights and gains.  

AKEL believes its broader policy of alliances does not contradictits ideological character and ultimate goal -the socialist transfor-mation of Cypriot society. On the contrary, it brings this perspec-tive nearer. 

The election of Demetris Christofias to the Presidency of the Republicof Cyprus. In 2007 AKEL took the historic decision for the first timesince 1960 independence to support its own candidate, its GeneralSecretary at the time, Demetris Christofias, in the 2008 PresidentialElections  His election with 53,3% of the vote in the 2nd round wasof historical importance for the Party. The principal and overridingobjective was the promotion of a just solution of the Cyprus problembased on principles. 

Furthermore, AKEL also sought the promotion a more just society,implementing a broader progressive political program. Significantachievements were made on the Cyprus problem with the conver-gences recorded in the talks and in the implementation of a multifac-eted foreign policy, along with a broad pro-people socio-economicpolicy. For the first time privileges and ruling interests were threatened.Consequently,  a  fierce  all-out  attack  on  all  levels  began  againstChristofias and AKEL.

The policy of political alliances

The election of Demetris Christofias to the Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus

AKEL succeeds in rejuvenating itself,modernizing its political and ideologi-cal approaches and broadening evenfurther inner-party democracy, whilstpreserving its Marxist-Leninist charac-ter and identity, without ever abandon-ing fundamental principles and values.

A mass national political force

International Department of the C.C. of AKEL  |  July 2016

E-mail: interbureau@akel.org.cy   |   Tel: (+357)22817346    |    Fax: (+357)22767144Website:  www.akel.org.cy/en    |   Facebook page: @AKEL.International    |    Instagram: akel1926

In an adverse political and economic climate characterized by the de-liberate daily cultivation by specific circles of apathy, de-politicalisa-tion, absence of real political debate on positions and proposals, aswell as rampant anti-AKEL and anti-communist frenzy,   comparedto the 2011 elections, there was a substantial increase of 12% in theabstention rate.

AKEL’s percentage fell to 25.67% (-7.1%) and won 16 seats (-3) outof 56.  It  remains a  leading and powerful political  force and  is  thebiggest opposition party. In addition, new small parties have enteredParliament making it an 8-party Parliament, including for the first time

an extreme-right nationalist fascist party, which undoubtedly is a verynegative development.

The C.C. of AKEL, following the open and frank discussion held inthe Party Base Organizations, and in a spirit of criticism and self-crit-icism, has convened in lengthy plenary sessions to analyze in detailthe result, study its causes and chart the way forward. Numerous de-cisions have been approved to make AKEL more effective at all levels,to strengthen the Party and address longstanding mistakes, shortcom-ings and weaknesses, both objective and subjective, as well as its mass,organized and militant intervention at all levels of Cypriot society. 

AKEL and May 2016 Parliamentary Elections 

AKEL and the Christofias government did not shift the burden of thecrisis on working people’s backs, unlike other governments and the newRight  wing  government  elected  in  2013.  Whereas  AKEL  andChristofias resisted privatizations, deregulation of labour relations, abo-lition of workers’ rights and gains, savage cuts in social policy, wages andbenefits the Right wing government is imposing them. Fully in line withthe Troika and EU dictates, the Right began by imposing an unprece-dented “bail-in” on bank deposits. 

Although the Right is “celebrating” Cyprus’ formal exit from the Mem-orandum the truth is that the vicious Memoranda austerity policies ofcuts, privatizations and deregulations have by far not ended; quite onthe contrary they are continuing with greater intensity and additionaldevastating socio-economic consequences. AKEL and the People’sMovement of the Left are playing the leading role in the mobilizationand militant defense of workers’ rights and social gains that are underfierce attack from the Troika-Anastasiades government’s decisions. 

The consequences of the capitalist crisis and election of the right wing government in 2013