OPPOSITION leader Nicos Anastassiades yesterday reiterated his offer for dialogue with all parties, including archrivals AKEL, in the run-up to February’s presidential elections.
“We are extending an arm of co-operation to all political forces… provided there is a convergence on the major and substantive issues of concern to Greek Cypriots,” said the DISY boss.
He was speaking two days after President Tassos Papadopoulos said he was “interested” in seeking a second term.
The incumbent’s announcement has not gone down well with senior coalition partners AKEL, who hinted the decision was taken behind closed doors.
The communist party is said to be toying with the idea of nominating their own Demetris Christofias for the top job.
Adding to AKEL’s discontent, DIKO officials said a Papadopoulos nomination would not require the drafting of an electoral manifesto beforehand – as if to say that Papadopoulos should be given carte blanche.
Still, AKEL has curtly dismissed any collaboration with DISY. Earlier in the week, AKEL spokesman Andros Kyprianou asserted that “no DISY candidate will ever be elected to office with our backing”.
Though Papadopoulos has not officially announced his candidacy, he has received the unconditional support of socialists EDEK. The backing of centrist DIKO, Papadopoulos’ own party, is a foregone conclusion.
In absolute numbers, DIKO and EDEK together should garner about 27 per cent of the popular vote. Assuming the European Party joins, that would bring the total up to 33 per cent – a formidable bloc even without AKEL.
Papadopoulos, 73, came to power back in 2003 after a landslide victory thanks to the support of AKEL, DIKO and EDEK.
The million-dollar question now is whether the three-way coalition has been breached – which would be music to the ears of DISY.
The right wing party is considering backing MEP and former Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides for the presidency, hoping that Kasoulides’ moderate image would appeal to a broad cross-section of the electorate.
DISY’s strategy for the 2008 vote seems to be “Anything But Tassos.” According to the party’s rhetoric, what is at stake in the upcoming elections is the future of the Cyprus problem. Papadopoulos’ policy, says DISY, is inexorably leading to a de facto partition.
Meanwhile former state attorney Akis Papasavvas has announced his candidacy for the presidential elections, joining Andreas Themistocleous of the United Democrats.
