FORMER DISY chief Yiannakis Matsis yesterday announced he would be contesting the European elections with his own list, and urged those who had voted ‘no’ in the April 24 referendum to join him.
On Tuesday, Matsis declined to lead the DISY list after the party’s chief Nicos Anastassiades refused to consider a list that would have included expelled dissidents Prodromos Prodromou and Rikkos Erotokritou.
Asked whether he would co-operate with Prodromou and Erotokritou, Matsis said he would, since they shared his views.
In a written statement issued yesterday afternoon, Prodromou saluted Matsis’ decision, adding that a joint list would be drafted in accordance with the direction given by the base of the party at the referendum.
DISY spokesman Tasos Mitsoupoulos yesterday urged DISY voters to ignore the rebels.
“Mr Matsis has made his choice,” he said.
“We urge the DISY people to remain indifferent to the sirens of division.”
Despite the party congress’ decision to support the ‘yes’ vote in the referendum, DISY voters in their overwhelming majority rejected the Annan plan.
Prodromou yesterday said it was important to give DISY voters a way out through a proposal on European strategy.
Matsis said his decision to run for MEP stemmed from the certainty that the negative climate in the EU could be reversed.
He urged the Turkish Cypriots to realise the Greek Cypriot’s sincerity and determination to live with them and discuss the issues behind closed doors and away from the influence of foreign interests.
Matsis said he was not on the DISY list because the party had two ways of thinking and approaches.
“The majority of my party’s voters was against the Annan plan.
“I could not be a DISY candidate and support the view adopted by the party congress, which supported the acceptance of the Annan plan,” he said.
He said his presence expressed the other view, which was the free democratic right of DISY voters to have an alternative approach.
Matsis said he was sure this approach would satisfy the DISY masses and after June 13 the party would emerge stronger.
He reiterated that he would have no objection to being included in the DISY list if the party leadership was ready to accept the offer, disengage from the position of supporting the Annan plan and join the majority of DISY and the Cypriot people who voted ‘no’.
