Diko head and presidential candidate Nicolas Papadopoulos pledged on Tuesday to bring the pride and prosperity of Cypriots back, at the inauguration of his campaign headquarters in Nicosia.
Surrounded by his supporters – among them officials of Edek, the Solidarity Movement and of the Citizens’ Movement – Papadopoulos said that in February, after the presidential elections, he would bring back to the Cypriots their “credibility, prosperity and pride”.
In his address, Papadopoulos said that to the collapse of the economy led to the failure of institutions such as the President of the Republic, the Central Bank, the local government, and the Attorney-general’s office.
“Instead of serving citizens, they served their own personal, financial and or petty political interests,” Papadopoulos said.
The Diko chairman gave an account of the policies he aims at introducing if elected.
He said that he would create an agency to which part of non-performing loans would be transferred aiming at writing off loans or part of loans to force banks to treat more leniently households and cases concerning primary residences. He added that during his first 100 days in office he would re-evaluate and review all consolidation measures, but in line with budgetary targets.
Papadopoulos said that Cyprus could become an economy based on knowledge, technology and research, and that it could adopt successful examples of other countries.
As to the Cyprus problem, Papadopoulos warned against the intentions of incumbent Nicos Anastasiades, who if re-elected, he said, is ready to pick up the settlement talks from where they left off.
Citing the new letter Anastasiades said he could send to the United Nations Secretary-General, Papadopoulos said that Anastasiades will continue discussing at the negotiation table about rotating presidency, and the rights of users of Greek Cypriot property in the north, as well as on settlers from Turkey.
In the face of Anastasiades, Papadopoulos said, one sees the personification of the unreliability of the entire political system.
Papadopoulos also slammed main opposition Akel for acting the past four and a half years as Anastasiades’ advocate.
Commenting on Akel-backed presidential candidate Stavros Malas’ criticism of Tassos Papadopoulos’ administration, he said that it is clear that if Malas is elected, he will apply the policies of Demetris Christofias as regards the economy and those of Anastasiades on the Cyprus problem.
