DIKO split grows as second minister backs Kasoulides

THE split in centre-right DIKO widened yesterday when a second government minister opted to support the party’s rival, DISY candidate Ioannis Kasoulides.

Health Minister Costas Kadis said he would be supporting Kasoulides and not the party’s choice, AKEL candidate Demetris Christofias.

Kadis was the second DIKO minister to go against the party line. Commerce Minister Antonis Michaelides on Thursday announced his support for Kasoulides in a written statement.

Three other ministers, Interior’s Christos Patsalides, Education’s Akis Cleanthous and Agriculture’s Fotis Fotiou have come out with their strong support for Christofias.

Thanking President Tassos Papadopoulos for appointing him Health Minister for the past several months, Kadis said yesterday he had taken his decision after studying the positions of the two candidates.

“I took my decision on the basis of the ideological and political philosophy of each candidate, his position concerning the EU and the international community,” said Kadis.

“All of this led me to choose Ioannis Kasoulides as the political leader that expresses the need for our country to move forward, to strengthen its European prospects and to further modernise its institutions.”

The DIKO central committee had to take a vote last week when considering who to back in the election. A secret ballot chose Christofias 112 votes to 50, revealing a significant split within the part of President Tassos Papadopoulos.

Yesterday, DIKO leader Marios Karoyan again urged the party’s supporters to vote for Christofias and toe the party line.

He expressed sorrow that some DIKO members “at this critical time” oppose the party’s decision. “The actions of these people will be examined shortly,” Karoyan said.

Karoyan also slammed those who had been making phone calls pretending to call DIKO supporters on behalf of the party leadership, telling them DIKO had changed its mind and that they should now vote for Kasoulides.

DIKO supporters abroad were also being harassed by text messages and emails to prevent them from coming to Cyprus to vote tomorrow. All of these “sordid” actions had been reported to the police, he said.

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