Culling process continues at Diko

The culling process continues at Diko of people who either supported other candidacies or undermined, according to the party, the chairman’s candidacy in the presidential elections.

Reports said the party’s secretariat discussed the issue of six more members who were among those supporting the candidacies of incumbent Nicos Anastasiades and Akel-backed Stavros Malas.

The secretariat considers the individuals as good as gone and expects the executive board to ratify the decision.

The secretariat also discussed the names of eight other people from across Cyprus who are expected to be referred to the disciplinary board.

On Monday, Diko ejected 12 members, including former chairman Marios Garoyian, and former MP and MEP Antigoni Papadopoulou.

The expulsions started immediately after the presidential elections, which saw Diko chairman Nicolas Papadopoulos thoroughly defeated.

Papadopoulos failed to reach the runoff, subsequently blaming defectors and people who engaged in so-called strategic voting – voting for Malas in the first round to ensure Papadopoulos didn’t make it through.

Observers point out however, that the four parties supporting him – Diko, Edek, Greens, and Solidarity, had failed to reach the numbers they got in the 2016 parliamentary elections.

In the meantime, the party has been split into two camps with one accusing Papadopoulos of acting as a dictator in booting out historical members.

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