AS SOON as the votes were counted and the parliamentary seats shared out among the winners, the political parties began the horse-trading with regard to the presidency of the new House. In the ensuing nine days we have heard little else from politicians and the media commentators who have been treating the election of an official to a ceremonial position as an issue of the utmost importance.
The reality is that the identity of the House president would not make the slightest bit of difference to citizens. He or she would have the title of acting president when the head of state is abroad, but would not take any policy decision without first clearing it with the latter. For instance when Demetris Christofias was acting president he gave clearance for US forces fighting in Iraq to use facilities in Cyprus, because this was the decision of the then president Tassos Papadopoulos.
And the Christofias government’s policies would remain unchanged regardless of whether DIKO’s Marios Garoyian, EDEK’S Yiannakis Omirou or the Greens’ Giorgos Perdikis becomes House president. In fact, if DIKO’s maverick deputy Zacharias Koulias had not announced his intention not to vote for Garoyian, there would have been no issue. DIKO and AKEL would have had 28 of the 56 votes and would have eventually elected him – all that would have been required was for one deputy from the other parties to abstain. But Koulias’ defection has complicated matters.
Now, EDEK’s Omirou, backed by EVROKO and in all likelihood DISY and Koulias would be guaranteed the 28 votes, leaving the only deputy of the Greens, Perdikis, with the power to decide the president. Interestingly, the Archbishop has become involved in these shenanigans inviting the criticism of AKEL for interfering in a matter that was not his business. While the criticism is justified, it ignored the fact that Garoyian had also been to see the Archbishop to ask him to persuade Koulias to back his candidacy.
Omirou had also been to see Chrysostomos, with promises of setting up a coalition that supported a Cyprus settlement approved of by the Archbishop, who is vehemently opposed to the current peace procedure. Interestingly, Garoyian could still become House president, if he denounced DIKO’s alliance with AKEL and asked for the backing of DISY; in such an event Koulias would also return to the DIKO fold. This could still happen, as DISY has not yet made a commitment to backing Omirou.
It is this unpredictability and the non-stop wheeler-dealing which has generated so much interest in the election of a top official with no real powers.Our View: Race for House president only noteworthy for backroom deals
AS SOON as the votes were counted and the parliamentary seats shared out among the winners, the political parties began the horse-trading with regard to the presidency of the new House. In the ensuing nine days we have heard little else from politicians and the media commentators who have been treating the election of an official to a ceremonial position as an issue of the utmost importance.
The reality is that the identity of the House president would not make the slightest bit of difference to citizens. He or she would have the title of acting president when the head of state is abroad, but would not take any policy decision without first clearing it with the latter. For instance when Demetris Christofias was acting president he gave clearance for US forces fighting in Iraq to use facilities in Cyprus, because this was the decision of the then president Tassos Papadopoulos.
And the Christofias government’s policies would remain unchanged regardless of whether DIKO’s Marios Garoyian, EDEK’S Yiannakis Omirou or the Greens’ Giorgos Perdikis becomes House president. In fact, if DIKO’s maverick deputy Zacharias Koulias had not announced his intention not to vote for Garoyian, there would have been no issue. DIKO and AKEL would have had 28 of the 56 votes and would have eventually elected him – all that would have been required was for one deputy from the other parties to abstain. But Koulias’ defection has complicated matters.
Now, EDEK’s Omirou, backed by EVROKO and in all likelihood DISY and Koulias would be guaranteed the 28 votes, leaving the only deputy of the Greens, Perdikis, with the power to decide the president. Interestingly, the Archbishop has become involved in these shenanigans inviting the criticism of AKEL for interfering in a matter that was not his business. While the criticism is justified, it ignored the fact that Garoyian had also been to see the Archbishop to ask him to persuade Koulias to back his candidacy.
Omirou had also been to see Chrysostomos, with promises of setting up a coalition that supported a Cyprus settlement approved of by the Archbishop, who is vehemently opposed to the current peace procedure. Interestingly, Garoyian could still become House president, if he denounced DIKO’s alliance with AKEL and asked for the backing of DISY; in such an event Koulias would also return to the DIKO fold. This could still happen, as DISY has not yet made a commitment to backing Omirou.
It is this unpredictability and the non-stop wheeler-dealing which has generated so much interest in the election of a top official with no real powers.
