By Charlie Charalambous
DIKO heavyweight Alexis Galanos broke ranks yesterday and announced his presidential candidacy in a public show of dissent against his party’s decision to side with Akel.
Unhappy that Diko will back independent George Iacovou in 1998, Galanos said he risked exile from the party so voters would have an alternative to “old-fashioned” politics.
The Diko deputy said his leader Spyros Kyprianou should have stood because “it is not right for a party with the history and tradition of Diko not to fight the election with its own candidate.”
He said that Diko would pay a heavy price if Iacovou did not succeed in the first round.
The presidential hopeful understood the political cost of defying his party’s decision, but said his conscience was clear.
“If they wish to expel me from the party, it is their right, but my heart beats soundly.”
Galanos slammed Kyprianou for “mishandling” behind-the-scenes negotiations and for turning a deaf ear to his pleas that he should stand.
Galanos stressed he was a party man through and through, but added: “I will not withdraw my candidature.”
Kyprianou was less than pleased with his former right-hand man and suggested Galanos would not remain a party member for long.
“Galanos can’t be an independent candidate and be part of Diko,” Kyprianou told a press conference yesterday.
The Diko leader said Galanos was “subscribing to disaster” as he could take votes from Diko and hand them to Disy.
Predictably Disy, Diko’s spurned bedfellows, turned on Kyprianou and his decision to jump on the Akel bandwagon.
“The choices of Kyprianou were made on a purely personal level and were a result of his own personal bitterness,” said Disy leader Nicos Anastassiades after a crisis meeting with President Clerides yesterday.
“His behaviour is not what one would expect in political life,” Anastassiades said of Kyprianou’s role in the horse-trading of recent months.
Among the array of barbed comments, Anastassiades confidently declared that many Diko supporters would abandon the Iacovou ship and plump for Clerides.
“I’m not saying this to embarrass the party, but because they (Diko members) clearly disagree with the decision.”
Akel, meanwhile, were confidently predicting victory thanks to Diko’s help.
“With the force established by the support of the two parties for George Iacovou, he will certainly become president on the first Sunday,” said Akel chief Demetris Christofias.
Liberal Party candidate and leader Nicos Rolandis observed that Kyprianou could emerge as the “Super President” if reports that he had secured seven ministries for his Iacovou endorsement were to be believed.
Former president and 1998 contender George Vassiliou wondered if the Diko- Akel marriage would produce results as both parties “never agreed” on the national problem.
“The huge question remains: which policy will Iacovou follow, that of Kyprianou or that of Akel?”
