Tassos welcomes EVROKO support

THE GOVERNMENT yesterday welcomed the open support for the re-election of President Tassos Papadopoulos from the European Party (EVROKO).

Spokesman Vassilis Palmas said EVROKO was a party with some electoral force, which was represented in Parliament, and accounted for a significant proportion of the voting population.

The central committee of EVROKO, headed by Demetris Syllouris voted on Wednesday to support Papadopoulos. The party’s general assembly will meet next Wednesday to take a final decision.

Reports suggested that during a number of recent meetings with Papadopoulos, Syllouris had managed to secure promises that the party would not only be a ‘silent supporter’ but a fully-fledged member of the coalition, making it once again tripartite.

Palmas said he didn’t know what had transpired in the meetings between Papadopoulos and Syllouris.

Palmas also said Papadopoulos would be announcing his own candidacy shortly. It is expected on Monday.

Communist AKEL, the largest member of the Papadopoulos coalition, withdrew more than a week ago to endorse its own leader Demetris Christofias as presidential candidate. Four AKEL ministers subsequently resigned.

Christofias yesterday slammed Syllouris for “playing with words” over his comment on Wednesday that each candidate should make clear his position on the Cyprus issue in an attempt to cast doubts on the AKEL leader’s position on the Annan plan.

The party’s position, Christofias said, was that the Cyprus problem should be solved on the basis of a bizonal, bicommunal federation.

“This solution is also the one accepted by the President of the Republic,” said Christofias.

“Mr Syllouris should be the one to clarify whether he accepts this or not.”

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