There will be four municipalities in Limassol as per the draft law to be submitted to parliament shortly on the context of the package of local government reform. The choice of Polemidia remaining an autonomous municipality and merging with the Pano Polemidia community, ultimately prevailed over an earlier scenario envisaging incorporation of Kato Polemidia to municipalities of either Limassol or Ypsonas.
Significantly, based on a study by the Ministry of the Interior, it appears that the Polemidia municipality is close to country-wide average in almost all the parameters under consideration, which will be further improved by the mergers. It should be noted that, according to current data, the Municipality is the seventh largest in Cyprus population-wise. Previously, objections to a possible merger with Polemidia had also been raised by the municipality of Ypsonas, which is promoting the creation of the greater municipality of Curium, which will include, as per the recommendation of a relevant study, the communities of Kolossi, Trachoni, Erimi, Akrotiri, Asomatos, Kantu and Episkopi.
In Eastern Limassol, the current Yermasogia and Agios Athanasios will merge, along with the communities of Agios Tychonas, Mouttagiaka, Akrounta, Finikaria and Armenochori, the new municipality arising therefrom kilely to be names after the Amathos river. Finally, the small but significant community of Tserkez Tsiflik withh merge with the Limassol Municipality, the latter also absorbing the present Mesa Yitonia municipality.
Following the submission of the proposal on the number of new municipalities, the bill will be forwarded directly to the Council of Ministers and shortly thereafter to the Interior Committee for elaboration ahead of being voted on by the entire House of Representatives. The text is subject to legal review by the office of the Attorney General, the latter also reviewing a proposal by the Interior Ministry, to extend the term of office of the existing municipal councils for another two years, in order to complete the process of transition to the new era.
