By Angelos Anastasiou
EFFORTS by political parties to converge in support of a single candidate in January’s Paphos mayoral by-election appeared to falter on Thursday, as opposition party spokesmen abandoned conciliatory wording and spoke of the possibility of each supporting their own candidate.
In a news conference, DISY leader Averof Neophytou called on authorities to pursue the investigation of all cases of corruption and mismanagement.
“We also feel that Paphos needs tranquillity and that citizens, proper management and purging the municipality of corruption should come before partisan interests, which is why we call on all sides to keep their party swords in their party sheaths,” said Neophytou.
He added that his party will decline to participate in behind-the-scenes negotiations to agree on a candidate, but called for a “public discussion about respected, honest and able individuals who might be willing to serve for an interim two-year period in the interest of achieving the national goal of ‘Paphos 2017’ European cultural capital.”
AKEL MP Andreas Fakontis said his party does not view cooperation with other parties as an end in itself.
“Our top priority is Paphos, which is why we will seek a candidacy that combines integrity and the ability to lead the municipality away from corruption, as well as its efforts relating to the 2017 cultural capital,” he said. “We will have some meetings with political parties, but cooperation is not an end in itself. If cooperation is not possible, AKEL retains the option of supporting its own candidate.”
DIKO’s Christos Patsalides, chairman of the ‘Paphos 2017’ committee and perceived by many as the most appropriate candidate for the widest possible cooperation across party lines, has said he would only be interested if that were, in fact, the case.
“I would not be interested in the mayoral race if that meant maintaining the confrontational atmosphere that can only hurt our efforts for Paphos to move forward,” he said. “In such a case, I would rather stay away.”
EDEK, whose municipal councilman and acting mayor Makis Rousis was one of the first to express an interest in running, said the municipality is “badly hurt, and now is not the time for personal ambition or party politics.”
According to its leader Yiannakis Omirou, in order for the municipality’s credibility to be restored, “wide cooperation and crossing party lines” are necessary.
“What the Paphos municipality and its citizens need right now is a conciliatory solution, and as EDEK we will make every effort to achieve it,” he said.
The Greens were most critical of suggestions of partisan deliberations to agree on a common candidate.
Spokeswoman Eleni Chrysostomou said the party is “strongly opposed” to behind-the-scenes agreements by parties.
“Parties have a responsibility for what has happened at the Paphos municipality,” she said.
The party repeated its call for the resignation of the entire municipal council, arguing it had been complacent to the scandals.
“A cancerous situation cannot be allowed to go on,” the Greens said.
Following the resignation of Savvas Vergas earlier this week, candidacies for the January 11 mayoral by-election must be submitted by December 30.
The first official candidacy was announced on Wednesday by Yioula Papaeti-Koutsoftidi, the former wife of EDEK deputy – and himself a former Paphos mayor – Fidias Sarikas.
“I was born and raised, and I fought and worked, in my city, and for my city,” she said in a statement. “My love, but more than that, my conscience, do not allow me to stand by during Paphos’ difficult time.”
“So, I announce my independent candidacy for Paphos mayor. My aim and goal is to restore appeal, dignity and prosperity to Cyprus’ erstwhile capital city.”
