By Jean Christou
FORMER Interior Minister Dinos Michaelides wants his new political party to be represented on the National Council, the top advisory body to the government on the Cyprus problem.
Michaelides, a former Diko deputy who jumped ship to support Clerides’ re- election bid but was later forced to resign his ministry under a cloud of scandal, made his bid for National Council participation yesterday.
Speaking after a meeting with Clerides, Michaelides told reporters that the President had been reluctant to give him an answer.
Michaelides complained that his party, Adik, had not been informed about the reshuffle and said current criteria appeared different to those that had followed the previous reshuffle.
“Then everyone who helped President Clerides’ election took part in the National Council, while now it seems it is only the two parties who are in the government,” Michaelides was quoted as saying.
All the parties that are represented in parliament have a seat on the National Council, while the New Horizons party of Nicos Koutsou is allowed to attend meetings as an observer.
Government spokesman Michalis Papapetrou said yesterday a final decision would be taken on who was allowed to participate at tomorrow’s meeting of the National Council.
Former President George Vassiliou, leader of junior coalition party the United Democrats, also met Clerides yesterday but refused to be drawn on the issue.
He said his party would put forward its stance at tomorrow’s meeting.
“After President Clerides was elected, he called New Horizons to participate — on his own initiative. There have been discussions in the meantime, and we know there have been letters seeking cooperation with the National Council from the ecologists’ party and the party of Dinos Michaelides and perhaps even from others,” Vassiliou said.
A statement by New Horizons yesterday said Vassiliou was “twisting the truth” and that the party has been sitting in on the national council since May 1997, before Clerides’ re-election.
Ruling Disy deputy Tassos Mitsopopoulos denied reports that party leader Nicos Anastassiades had interfered in the issue of who should be on the National Council.
“I would like categorically to deny this particular information. The president of Disy has never interfered or tried to block A or B from taking part in the National Council,” he said.
It has been decided that only permanent members of the council will participate in the decision-making meeting tomorrow in order to avoid outside influences.
Communist party Akel said in an announcement yesterday that the National Council should continue under its present format.
