RULING DIKO, the Greens and new-kids-on-the-block European Democrats staged their separate party congresses over the weekend, as the proceedings offered up few surprises.
All three parties had their leaders re-elected unopposed. And despite rumors that Tassos Papadopoulos’ leadership of DIKO might be contested by acting party chairman Nicos Cleanthous, nothing of the sort materialised.
In fact, the President, who has not indicated any intention of stepping down as party chairman any time soon, showed who was boss by rebuking the conventioneers. Party officers and members were told off for fostering nepotism and political favours since coming to power last year, with Papadopoulos warning that he would not tolerate such behaviour.
“And if some people out there think I don’t know what’s happening, well, they’re greatly mistaken: I know everything that goes on,” Papadopoulos sternly cautioned in his address,
He accused certain quarters of doing nothing else than handing out political favours, adding DIKO should instead focus on producing political ideology,
Papadopoulos next warned about DISY’s “encroachment” on centrist voters, saying the Centre was traditionally DIKO’s domain and should remain so.
Meanwhile the European Democrats, a DISY splinter group, elected Nicosia deputy Prodromos Prodromou as their chairman, with Rikkos Erotocritou alternate chairman and Christodoulos Taramoundas vice-chairman. At the congress, the party laid out its political philosophy, pledged support for the President’s efforts at the upcoming EU summit, and advocated vetoing Turkey’s EU bid if Ankara did not recognise the Republic of Cyprus.
It came as no shock that no DISY representative attended the congress, contrary to local political etiquette. Overall, turnout was lower than expected.
And George Perdikis was re-elected general secretary of the Greens; he had resigned back in June, following the party’s annihilation (his words) in the Euro elections, saying then that his decision was irrevocable. The Greens, who have been slowly drifting apart from the coalition government on domestic and economic issues, still offered the President their support on foreign policy.
