THE GLOVES are off in the ongoing tug of war between Archbishop Chrysostomos and AKEL, with the communists accusing the Prelate of being President Papadopoulos’ agent for the upcoming elections.
For AKEL, the straw that broke the camel’s back were Chrysostomos’ loaded comments during a speech he gave at Tuesday’s conference of POMAK, the ultra-patriotic overseas Cypriot organisation.
After outlining the Church’s – or his own – views on the Cyprus issue, the Archbishop proceeded to slam “all those foreigners”, as he said, “who do not like President Papadopoulos and would like his removal.”
This was understood to refer to a recent report released by International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based think tank.
The report slammed Papadopoulos as an obstacle to a solution.
“The President should be shielded,” Chrysostomos urged his audience.
The outspoken Prelate went on:
“We were all saddened by the reference that, because certain foreigners, rightly or wrongly, do not like the President, we should have him replaced by another who will seek a solution. But if certain people do not want our President, it’s not because they have something personal against him, it is because of his positions. And perhaps this should convince us that we are on the right path. A so-called ‘Solution President’ would be tantamount to accepting the terms and conditions of the conqueror.”
This was seen as an unmistakable dig at AKEL boss Demetris Christofias, who a few weeks ago made the comment about certain foreigners’ feelings toward the President.
But if there were any doubts left that the Archbishop was attacking AKEL, these evaporated with his following statement:
“On the eve of the elections, it is not right suddenly to discover [political] differences that are aimed solely at promoting personal interests,” said Chrysostomos.
Again, this has been precisely the government camp’s criticism of Christofias’ candidacy.
Chrysostomos also seemed to be taking a swipe at AKEL’s Cyprus views:
“Using the banner of a bi-zonal, bicommunal federation, which lacks any concrete content, we arm the Turks and give ammunition to those who are bent on dividing us,” he claimed.
And he suggested that behind the calls for a bizonal federation “lies the redoubling of efforts by some to bring back the Annan plan”.
AKEL certainly did not miss the point. The party yesterday deployed parliamentary spokesman Nikos Katsourides to launch a fierce onslaught on the Prelate.
Expressing “regret” over the Archbishop’s comments, Katsourides said:
“As the head of the Church, instead of giving out a message of unity, the Archbishop has unleashed aphorisms, brutally attacking all those who have different views to his own.
Essentially, His Holiness is attacking all the candidates who disagree with him, either by saying that they serve the interests of foreigners or by suggesting that they are driven by personal ambition.
“The Archbishop is claiming the role of Ethnarch [national leader],” added Katsourides.
“The debate on the bizonal bicommunal settlement has been repeatedly clarified by the international community. That the Archbishop has decided to bring this issue to the fore shows that he has decided to wear the mantle of politician.”
Katsourides went on to wonder whether Chrysostomos had discovered the “magic potion” that would allow Greek Cypriots to change their stance on the Cyprus problem overnight.
No stranger to controversy, Chrysostomos has been making enemies left and right since his consecration last year. Last weekend he called daily Politis a “Turkish newspaper,” only to be dismissed as a “Taleban” by the paper.
Politis had claimed that not only was Chrysostomos meddling in the 2008 election campaign on behalf of the incumbent Papadopoulos, but moreover that he was authorised to say things which the President himself would not dare say in public.
