By Charlie Charalambous
AT 61, and with an illustrious career behind him, pundits should think twice before writing off Dinos Michaelides as a political has-been.
In his eve-of-resignation statement, Michaelides made it clear he was not going to leave the political cauldron with his tail between his legs.
“I have conscientiously served my country and its people. I shall, however, remain active in the political arena.”
As a politician who served as Interior Minister for nearly ten years, on and off over three decades, Michaelides will not waste time in wielding his power and influence to carve out a new niche.
Using his analytical lawyer’s mind, the minister will have surveyed the ground before taking his decision, making sure he took the leap before the situation spiralled out of control and turned him into a political pariah.
Affectionately known by his adversaries as “the teflon minister”, Michaelides has his sights set on forming his own party and remaining one of the island’s best movers and shakers.
He started his political life as a career diplomat, gaining a post at the Cyprus embassy in Athens form 1962 to 1968.
From there, Michaelides was appointed as advisor to the Cypriot ambassador in Cairo between 1973 and 78.
Michaelides reached the rank of ambassador (without an embassy) before becoming presidential minister in the Kyprianou government in 1982.
And it was during the “economic miracle” years of the Kyprianou reign that Michaelides rose to power as his right-hand man, enjoying his first stint as Interior Minister from 1985 to 1988.
Once Kyprianou was ousted by George Vassiliou, Michaelides bided his time as an elected Diko deputy in the House.
He regained his favoured ministerial seat (1993-97) again when Diko threw its lot in with Disy and a triumphant President Clerides.
During the acrimonious split in the coalition, Michaelides was reluctant to leave government but showed his true colours when he broke Diko ranks to jump on the Clerides re-election bandwagon.
Although for so many years a close ally of Spyros Kyprianou, Michaelides clearly judged that Kyprianou’s star was fading, as last year’s presidential election results proved.
Clerides rewarded Michaelides’ loyalty with ‘his’ interior ministry, but the cosy arrangement was shattered last year when a brave Christos Pourgourides stood up and charged Michaelides with unlawful enrichment in office.
Michaelides seemed to have weathered the storm, but the allegations would not go away and in the end he had to bend to resounding calls for him to go.
He’s out for now, but we are unlikely to have seen the last of the archetypal Mr-Fix-It.
