THE government does not consider the row between DISY and its rebels regarding the Euro elections in any way cause for concern, the Government Spokesman said yesterday.
The problem appeared after former DISY (Democratic Rally) deputies and rebel supporters decided to form their own party and name it Rally for Europe.
DISY took the case to court, arguing the rebels were usurping the name ‘Rally’, but the hearing was postponed for today, just 10 days before the elections.
On Tuesday, Chief Returning Officer Lazaros Savvides warned that the printing of the ballot papers could be delayed due to the ongoing legal battle.
He warned that time was running out and revealed he had asked the legal service to rule on several alternative options should the issue was not settled by the courts in time.
Yesterday, Kypros Chrysostomides played down the concerns and dismissed suggestions that the situation was paradoxical and dangerous.
“Everything is ready, the printers are ready to start printing immediately, the Chief Returning Officer has asked the Attorney-general for a ruling on what he should do if the issue is not cleared in court, something that could possibly happen,” the spokesman said.
In that case, Savvides will make a decision on the form of the ballot papers, based on the legal facts before him, Chrysostomides added.
The two sides yesterday continued to battle it out on the airwaves.
DISY’s legal adviser Christos Triantafyllides suggested that Savvides should decide whether it was proper to use a name that could create confusion for voters.
He said it was not a coincidence that the rebel deputies chose that word and accused them of attempting to mislead the electorate.
“It’s not a coincidence; it’s because they want to pass a misleading and confusing message among voters: that they supposedly represent DISY,” Triantafyllides said.
“This is a decision for the Chief Returning Officer, irrespective of any court procedure,” he added.
Triantafyllides suggested that Savvides had complicated things unnecessarily and wondered what he would have done if there was no court procedure.
His Rally for Europe counterpart Christodoulos Taramountas maintained that his party’s name was absolutely legal and it should be used on the ballot paper.
“The use of the word is absolutely legal and we will continue to use it,” Taramountas said.
But things turned ugly during a morning radio show, with the two men exchanging bitter words concerning their individual contribution to DISY.
Taramountas accused Triantafyllides of not being part of DISY when he and others helped found it.
Triantafyllides countered that he was abroad studying when DISY was founded in 1976 and Taramountas, 19, at the time, was not even doing that.
“At least I’m still there (in DISY) while others left and are trying to divide the party,” Triantafyllides added.
Taramountas: “If DISY counts on you for its unity I’m absolutely sure that it would not get over zero per cent.”
He went on to accuse Triantafyllides of inheriting party chief Nicos Anastassiades’ temper, adding that the grassroots members did not forget who the leadership was and who represented DISY.
Triantafyllides retorted that the grassroots members would not forget who was trying to divide the party.
