Papadopoulos resignation stuns DIKO

RULING DIKO yesterday tried to stay poker-faced in the wake of Tassos Papadopoulos’ resignation as party chief.

Papadopoulos dropped the bombshell on Tuesday during a session of the party’s Executive Bureau convened to discuss strategy ahead of December’s municipal elections.

Apparently top party cadres were not even expecting the President to show up – but Papadopoulos had another surprise in store for them, laconically announcing halfway through the meeting that he was stepping down.

Escorted by his bodyguards, Papadopoulos then stepped out of the room, reportedly leaving his party cohorts in disarray.

Now, on top of mobilising for the municipal elections, the party is saddled with paving the way for an electoral congress to nominate a new leader.

Papadopoulos, 72, took over DIKO’s presidency from the party founder Spyros Kyprianou in 2000.

The move has caused a storm of speculation on Papadopoulos’ motives. Though it has been officially denied, some believe he is laying the groundwork to run for a second term as President.

That would give Papadopoulos almost a year-and-a-half – just enough time – to forge his image as an independent candidate for the 2008 Presidential elections.

Aside from DIKO, he might also depend on the backing of socialists EDEK and the newly formed European Party. That would give him a solid base, even without AKEL’s support.

“No, there is no hidden agenda. And I don’t think the timing is suspicious either,” offered party secretary Vasilis Palmas.

“It’s true we didn’t anticipate this,” said Palmas of Papadopoulos’ decision to step down.

“Sometimes the President just follows his own tactics,” he added.

Palmas said that so far only acting DIKO head Nicos Cleanthous had expressed interest in the top party job.

Other names being touted in the media are Marcos Kyprianou, son of the late founder, ex-presidential spokesman Marios Karoyian and former Finance Minister Makis Keravnos.

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