DISY chief Nicos Anastassiades yesterday announced he was planning to withdraw his formal complaint to the European Parliament regarding the manner in which campaigning had been carried out in the run-up to the April 24 referendum.
Anastassiades accused President Tassos Papadopoulos and his associates of media meddling and using the government apparatus to turn public servants against a solution.
His formal complaint earned the DISY leader widespread opprobrium as a “traitor” tarring the reputation of the Republic overseas.
Last week, an ultra-nationalist group claimed responsibility for a grenade attack on his home in Limassol, adding further threats against him, his family, and anyone else who had voted ‘yes’ to the Annan plan.
Speaking before DISY’s supreme council yesterday, Anastassiades said he was withdrawing the complaint as an act of responsibility, considering the problems faced by the country.
The outspoken DISY chief said he had not been affected “by the bombers nor the proclamations of any illegal organisation or anyone’s verbal abuse”.
He said his action should be seen as a decision to write off anything that could divide the people.
“I think that, within the framework of terminating a divisive effort, this complaint, which gave some people the excuse to charge me with everything under the sun from morning to night, should also be terminated,” Anastassiades said.
The DISY chief also announced the start of a national campaign to give back DISY its lost prestige and power.
“We will do everything possible so that all together, from door to door, home to home, in workplaces and social gatherings, to give back hope and future, not only to DISY supporters but to Cypriot Hellenism as a whole,” Anastassiades said.
He stressed his party’s position was not to return the Annan plan to referendum as is, since that would show disrespect to the people’s verdict.
Anastassiades charged the government with inaction on the Cyprus problem, adding that DISY would embark on an international information campaign aimed at explaining the rejection of the plan and avoiding measures that might create irreversible obstacles to reunification.
