Local politics will get worse, warns Galanos

By Charlie Charalambous

CONTROVERSY over political parties involved in shady deals during Louis’ private placement offer compelled Alexis Galanos to quit politics after 23 years of distinguished service.”We seem to have lost our sense of proportion. We consider things to be normal which can never be normal,” Galanos said in an exclusive interview with The Sunday Mail.Ruling party Disy and Galanos’ former Diko party reportedly obtained £150,000 each of Louis Cruise Line shares on the private placement scheme in July.This type of ‘back door’ share buying has raised ethical concerns and conflict of interest jibes over the behaviour of the parties.The 59-year-old Galanos walked out on politics two weeks ago saying he had become tired and disillusioned.And in his “warts and all” he holds out little hope for the future of local politics. “Don’t be too sure we’ve reached the lowest rung on the ladder of evil… things will get worse,” Galanos warns.The one-time Diko deputy and House of Representatives president says the current crop of dyed-in-the- wool political leaders will spurn a new generation in their lacklustre image: “Dinosaurs give birth to baby dinosaurs.”Although Galanos says that during his years as a career politician he feels he made a positive contribution to the country, he is relieved to have stepped off the patronage treadmill.”Every week it was 15-20 weddings all over Cyprus. And how many funerals and memorial services and christenings!” lamented Galanos about the downside of being a mover and shaker.But the round of public appearances a local politician must clock up is an endless, strength- sapping cycle.”How many exhibitions opened, and insipid ceremonies, and how many speeches to listen to at anniversaries, 25 different people saying the same things over and over again for the past 30 years!”That, to a large extent, is a politician’s life.”Not any longer for Alexis Galanos, who can now devote his newly found spare time to football, backgammon and his impressive collection of detective books.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.