OPPOSITION DEPUTIES in the House Education Committee yesterday decided to withdraw the legal proposal freezing supplementary funds for the establishment of a Medical School by the University of Cyprus (UCY).
Ruling AKEL welcomed the move but called it a “disorderly retreat” of the opposition groups after trying to put the whole project in the freezer.
Speaking after a committee meeting, Education Minister Giorgos Demosthenous welcomed the decision by DISY, DIKO and EVROKO to withdraw the proposal, expressing his great satisfaction that the ministry’s plans can proceed as planned.
The medical school is expected to welcome its first students in September 2013, he said, adding that the ministry will monitor closely developments regarding the new school’s staffing, and other issues related to its operation.
The fund-freezing proposal was tabled two weeks ago by Committee Chairman, DISY’s Nicos Tornaritis, along with DIKO MP Athena Kyriakidou and EVROKO’s Demetris Syllouris.
Tornaritis at the time questioned how the school expected to open the necessary positions, choose and hire academics in time to welcome the school’s first 40 students next September.
In an effort to explain the move, he argued that parliament needed to ensure that every euro spent of the Cypriot taxpayers was fully justified.
Ruling AKEL’s response was to accuse the three parties of hypocrisy for voicing concern about meeting the target date while at the same time setting further obstacles to make sure that date is missed.
Justifying his turnaround yesterday, Tornaritis said his party decided to withdraw the proposal to avoid being blamed for delays in the school’s establishment.
The main opposition party wants to see the school up and running but based on qualitative and academic criteria, “not some flash in the pan decision by AKEL simply so it can tell people ‘look we made a medical school’,” said the DISY MP,
He questioned how the state would be able to come up with the budget earmarked for the school, noting that DISY also has doubts as to whether the school will begin operations next September as planned, given the way the government has handled it so far, said Tornaritis.
“Unfortunately, given the way the government has handled things from a purely communications perspective, I’m afraid the Medical School will not operate in September 2013,” he said, accusing the present government of “inconsistency”.
The committee chairman called on the education minister and UCY Rector Costas Christofides to examine all alternative options before them “to ensure the first 40 students and their families do not become victims of the government’s actions and omissions”.
While welcoming the bill’s withdrawal, AKEL deputy Giorgos Loucaides described it a “disorderly retreat” by DISY and other co-sponsors of the legal proposal.
The whole problem was created by DISY for a sum of €15,000 the university needs to invite the school’s first academic, argued Loucaides.
“The aim of DISY and those who co-signed the proposal was to put the medical school in a plaster cast so it won’t operate in 2013,” he said.
Christofides also welcomed the opposition MP’s decision, noting however that the university would have to move at a faster pace to accomplish the goal of welcoming the medical school’s first students next September.