By Charlie Charalambous
AKEL yesterday extended an olive branch to Diko, saying it would forget past mistakes to ensure joint co-operation for the 1998 elections.
During a press conference in Nicosia, Akel general secretary Demetris Christofias said it was time for Diko to repair the damage it had done by supporting a Disy government for five years, and support his party.
“We appeal to Diko to co-operate in supporting the candidature of Iacovou and take part in the next government which will be formed after Iacovou’s victory,” said Christofias.
He said Akel was ready to make concessions in order to entice other parties to back Iacovou.
The Akel chief slammed the Clerides government for “leading the island to lasting partition” and allowing unemployment to spiral, and said its internal politics lacked democracy.
Former foreign minister George Iacovou is an independent candidate backed by Akel, but there seems little sign of any other party campaigning on his behalf.
Diko leader Spyros Kyprianou was yesterday endorsed by his vice president, Dinos Michaelides, as the only candidate who could unite the party and ensure election victory.
After a meeting with Michaelides, Kyprianou reaffirmed his intention to run for election unless an alternative candidate, who secured wider backing and had the same views on the national issue, could be found.
He said Diko’s agreed election strategy would be approved within a matter of days.
It seems unlikely that Kyprianou would stand down in support of Iacovou.
Disy are also ruling out any joint party co-operation with a candidate other than President Clerides.
Clerides will on Sunday attend the official start of Disy’s election campaign to get himself re-elected.
Government spokesman Manolis Christofias said he expected other individuals and groups to come out in support of the Clerides campaign.
Disy chief Nicos Anastassiades said his party would not sway from its position of supporting Clerides and suggested that any decision by Attorney- general Alecos Markides to throw his name into the hat would be a divisive move.
“It’s time to stop horse trading and respect political life,” said Anastassiades, commenting on rumours that Disy were looking for a third option.
The Disy leader said the question of Markides running for president had not been discussed when he met Clerides yesterday.
Markides has sent thinly veiled signals that he might stand as a candidate, and says he has been pressured from various quarters to do so.
Kyprianou said yesterday his party had not approached Markides on the issue.
