Municipalities of Thessaloniki are taking back the dowry they gave for free to EYATH in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, after the 100% public water company was founded, in view of the privatization threat. Their networks, pumping stations and tanks built by the municipalities and paid by the citizens, had been donated to their organization of Thessaloniki Water Supply (OUTH), which then became EYATH.
“From next Monday, the municipal councils of the 11 municipalities of Thessaloniki, which are supplied water from EYATH will begin to take decisions revoking the old decisions which ceded completed and ready to fuction facilities and networks to OUTH” said Simos Daniilidis, mayor of Naples – Sykeon and president of the Regional Association of Municipalities of Central Macedonia (PAE KM) yesterday, while visiting the Board of HRADF.
“The municipalities gave these facilities in a state water company to serve their citizens. Since the company ceases to be under state control, we will not bestow on any individual installations made with money of our citizens, “said to ‘Eleytherotypia’ S. Daniilidis.
The Bureau of PAE KM, along with the “Movement 136” and the Association of Workers in EYATH handed over TO the management of HRADF the outcome of the referendum of Thessaloniki where an overwhelming 98% voted against the privatization of EYATH and the committee demanded that the popular verdict of the Thessalonians must be respected .
The President of HRADF, Giannis Emiris, argued that the sale of EYATh is a political decision and that HRADF is just an executive body, while attempting to challenge the referendum. “The referendum and its outcome is beyond dispute,” says S. Daniilidis and calls on the Government and HRADF to take in serious consideration the results of the referendum, but also the Council of State’s decision for EYDAP the Athens water company, which in essence affects also EYATH. The organizers of the referendum against the privatization of EYATH are in Athens to deliver the result of the referendum to the President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias, the Prime Minister, the President of the Greek Parliament and all political leaders.
Today they had a meeting with the Secretary General of the Communist Party of Greece, Dimitris Koutsoubas, and tomorrow they will meet the president of SYRIZA, Alexis Tsipras. In their plans there are also meetings with the members of the European Parliament and the European Commission, the European and the World Union of Municipalities. At the same time, PAE KM is preparing to file another appeal to the CoS FOR regarding the decision to privatize EYATH.
A new appeal is also prepared by the Association of Workers EYATH and the coordinating committee “SOSte to nero,” says the association’s president and a member of the “SOSte to nero” George Archontopoulos. A legal team which includes MEP of SYRIZA, Costas Chrysogonos is already being set up, which will deposit a revocation claim to the competent inter-ministerial committee regarding the decision of the sale EYATh, based on the Council of State latest ruling for EYDAP.
According to the lawyer, member of the Ecological Movement of Thessaloniki, and head of the municipal traffic “Neighborhoods in Action” Eleanna Ioannidou, if the request is not respected, then, under the law, there can be filed a new appeal against the decision for the sale of EYATH. The “SOSte to nero” will be addressing a call to the citizens receiving EYATH services to come forward and cosign the request to the inter-ministerial committee.
report source: enet Sakis Apostolakis
translation: savegreekwater translation team
