Alassa residents protest community leader court decision

Alassa residents cut off the Limassol – Platres road on Sunday as a sign of protest against a court decision to nullifying the election of Savvas Savva as community leader.

The decision was taken on October 9, citing that Savva is not a resident of the Alassa community.

Residents reacted to the decision after Savvas’ rival took the case to court. Savva received 54.55 per cent of the votes.

Some 60 to 70 villages blocked the road at 11am for 15 minutes, handing out leaflets to drivers who were stuck.

The residents held banners which read “We will not allow the arbitrary imposition of another community leader than the legally elected one” and “Respect for the people’s vote”, while they shouted the slogan “One community leader, Savvas or none.”

At the end of the protest, police patrols arrived in the area, with residents then resuming another roadblock for five minutes.

Protestors apologised to the drivers, and said they do not accept the court’s decision.

They decried it as “unacceptable” underlining he is on the Alassa electoral roll, “with the right to vote and be elected, like all other fellow residents, and has been voting continuously for 48 years in the community where he was born.”

Savva served as community leader between 2002 and 2010; and head of of the Union of Cyprus Communities in the period 2007-2010.

Protestors called on the interior minister and electoral commissioner to proceed with an appeal and not to accept the court’s decision.

During a press conference on Friday, Savva called on parliament to make changes to the law, citing a decision that sets a precedent for new objections against elected officials, since a large percentage of community leaders and community council members do not reside permanently in the communities where they were elected.