AKEL gives landslide backing to Christofias

AKEL’s 20th congress wrapped up at the weekend with a commitment for a strong showing at the upcoming legislative elections, as party boss Demetris Christofias was re-elected by a landslide vote.

The communist party’s General Secretary is elected by the Central Committee, which comprises 105 members. Out of the 103 votes cast (two were absent), Christofias received 92; four votes were against, and there were seven abstentions.

Christofias also sits on the powerful Central Committee, the top decision-making organ. Other prominent figures elected to the committee included: Yiannakis Colocassides; Andros Kyprianou (party spokesman); Pambis Kiritsis (head of the PEO trade union); Fanis Christodoulou; Toumazos Tsielepis; and Christofias’ wife Elsi.

In closing the proceedings, Christofias outlined AKEL’s priority up until the 2006 parliamentary elections: close co-operation with the coalition parties.

AKEL was founded in 1926 on the Marxist-Leninist ideology. Its full name, for which AKEL is the Greek acronym, is the Progressive Party of the Working People.

At the last legislative elections in 2001, AKEL garnered 34.7 per cent of the popular vote, beating DISY that came in second with 34 percent.

No AKEL member has ever run for President, with the party nominating outsiders or independents, such as George Vassiliou in 1988 or George Iacovou in 1993. As such, it has always shared power with one of the so-called smaller parties, typically centrist DIKO. The cohabitation has not always been easy.

But during last week’s congress, party delegates raised the issue of whether AKEL should finally nominate one of its own for the Presidency.

Christofias’ response was diplomatic and non-committal: though not ruling out the possibility, he urged party members “not to rush for the 2008 elections, as other battles lie ahead us before that”.

It is widely understood that if AKEL were to nominate its own candidate for the top job, Christofias would be the first choice.

However, commentators said Christofias’ cageyness was understandable, because a statement of intention to run for President might be construed as dissatisfaction with the coalition with ruling DIKO.

Christofias is currently also House Speaker, the second highest state official.

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