Sir Stelios Hadji-Ioannou is not interested in running for any political office in any country, he said in a statement on Tuesday, dismissing persistent rumours that he was mulling an offer to run for president of Cyprus with communist Akel.
The scenario featured in Tuesday’s Kathimerini, which likened Hadji-Ioannou to former president Yiorgos Vasiliou, a successful businessman with moderate politics, whom the party had propelled from political obscurity to the presidency in 1988.
The story quickly erupted to a furore of debate on social media, which did not abate even after Akel spokesman Stefanos Stefanou denied the party had even contemplated Sir Stelios as an option.
The persistent rumour prompted a public denial by Hadji-Ioannou, famous for his hugely successful ‘easy’ line of brands and his extensive philanthropic projects, as well as his efforts to foster bicommunal cooperation among Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities on the divided island.
“The text in question is completely false and baseless,” Hadji-Ioannou said.
“I am not interested in participating in any political post in any country.”
He noted that the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation’s work in Cyprus, where it has funded 75 bicommunal business efforts annually with €10.000 each, is philanthropic, not political.
The foundation’s focus on strengthening bicommunal social and entrepreneurial cohesion was probably what lent credence to the rumour, as Akel has traditionally been the party most consistently dedicated to bicommunal rapprochement.
Recent developments in Cyprus’ political front have seen President Nicos Anastasiades gearing up for re-election in next year’s presidential election, supported by right-wing Disy, most so-called ‘centre’ parties rallying behind Diko leader Nicolas Papadopoulos, and the Citizens’ Alliance Yiorgos Lillikas likely mounting an independent bid.
Akel is unlikely to align itself with any of the options available thus far and is in the process of selecting a candidate, who it has decided should appeal to a broader base than traditional party voters – Akel-speak for ‘not a party official’ – that would not alienate undecideds and protest voters in a run-off election.
Political commentators put forward various theories for the reasons behind the tabling of Hadji-Ioannou’s name, with some claiming it was one of the names thrown around during one of the party’s brainstorming sessions where no final decisions had been made, and others speculating the party had merely been floating a trial balloon to gauge reaction on a candidate with similar characteristics.
