By Constantinos Psillides
EMBATTLED Paphos mayor Savvas Vergas is expected to announce on Friday he is stepping down, reports late on Thursday night said.
Vergas’ party DIKO neither confirmed nor denied the reports.
“We shall await developments (on Friday) before making any comments on the subject,” party spokesperson Christiana Erotokritou told the Mail.
News outlet Sigmalive said pressure was now being brought to bear on Vergas straight from the top – his party boss Nicholas Papadopoulos.
For DIKO, the report said, the straw that broke the camel’s back were the latest revelations – and investigations – concerning the tennis court Vergas had built adjacent to his Paphos home.
Following a string of alleged improprieties implicating the mayor, earlier in the day ruling party DISY joined those asking for Vergas’ resignation, with the DISY municipal councillors announcing that they would refuse to sit in any more meetings with Vergas at the chair.
Vergas suspended his participation in municipal affairs on October 23 but has not officially quit.
DISY’s call for Vergas’ resignation followed that of socialist party EDEK and the Greens.
Vergas himself is a prominent member of DIKO, having helped current party leader Papadopoulos secure a victory over his opponent, Marios Garoyian, in last December’s party leadership election.
DIKO hasn’t yet asked for Vergas’ resignation but the leadership suspended him from taking part in any party activity.
It is said that Papadopoulos cannot afford to stay silent for much longer.
DIKO members have already made their displeasure known, with Aglantzia municipal councillor Marinos Kleanthous issuing a statement yesterday demanding that his party strikes Vergas off the party register and demand his resignation.
“Every man is of course innocent until proven guilty. But aren’t his exploits enough to enrage any one of us involved in local government? The way he carried himself, perpetuating the “the municipality c’ est moi” mentality, isn’t that alone enough for the party leadership to kick Vergas off the party? What more is there to be proven? Hasn’t Savvas Vergas offended us enough?” read Kleanthous’ statement.
Interior Minister Socratis Hasikos told the press in October that he sent a letter to Vergas asking him to resign his post, so the police investigation can go on unobstructed.
