NICOLAS Papadopoulos yesterday resigned his position as vice-chairman of DIKO, citing his publicly-avowed disagreement with the party’s endorsement of the candidacy of Nicos Anastasiades for president.
In a written statement, the son of former President Tassos Papadopoulos said the move was a “political act of disagreement with the decision to back Mr Anastasiades.”
He went on to clarify that he was not leaving DIKO, noting that he would retain his position as party cadre and MP.
“When last September the Central Committee of the party took its decision on the upcoming presidential elections, I had clearly voiced my disagreement, but I also said that I respected that decision. I also stated that during the election campaign I would act according to my conscience and dignity, without causing my party any trouble.”
In essence, Papadopoulos appeared to be saying he would not sabotage the campaign to elect Anastasiades, but would not support it either.
Responding to the announcement, DIKO said it “respected” Papadopoulos’ decision.
But in a thinly-veiled criticism of the move, it added: “In these critical times, all those who choose to serve other priorities must take responsibility for their actions.
“The content of his letter speaks for itself. The party’s organs shall deal with this,” the DIKO statement said.
DIKO spokesman Fotis Fotiou told newsmen that Papadopoulos’ move “ was neither a bombshell, nor something that we expected.”
In September last year, Papadopoulos made an impassioned plea to DIKO delegates to reject Anastasiades and endorse independent George Lillikas instead.
In his speech, Papadopoulos sought to stoke the fires with a damning indictment of Anastasiades, openly questioning the DISY leader’s patriotic credentials.
And in November he sent an SMS to a number of DIKO cadres who had served as ministers in the administration of his late father.
In the SMS, Papadopoulos berated these DIKO members for joining the effort to elect Anastasiades: “I consider it unseemly, if not obscene, for you, as ministers of Tassos, to exploit for personal profit the man [Anastasiades] who insulted and fought Tassos.”
Papadopoulos is seen as putting distance between himself and the party leadership under Marios Garoyian, which has chosen to throw in its lot with Anastasiades.
A significant portion of DIKO people are said to be unhappy with the decision to join forces with DISY in the elections.
Commentators say Papadopoulos will use this disaffection to run on an anti-Anastasiades plank in contesting the leadership of DIKO, which holds an electoral congress in May.
