OPPOSITION DISY remained tight lipped for a fourth day yesterday as former Minister and Central Bank Governor Christodoulos Christodoulou continued his personal attack on party leader Nicos Anastassiades.
Yesterday’s offensive, which took place on Lazaros Mavros’ Radio Proto morning show, accused Anastassiades, 62, of “not even being a member of the EOKA cubs” when he was at primary school at the height of the struggle against British colonial rule in the 1950s.
The implication was that he was not fit to lead the right-wing party. Indeed, Christodoulou has said several times over the past four days that Anastassaides was nothing more than a blow-in, whereas he himself was one of the founding members of the party in 1976 with former President Glafcos Clerides and eight others.
This has neither been confirmed, not denied by anyone, while Christodoulou is insistent.
Observers think the onslaught is designed to lay the groundwork for a challenge to Anastassiades’ leadership, if not by Christodoulou himself, then by another senior party official or officials.
Christodoulou’s onslaught might just be the first shot in public from within the ranks.
The offensive against the tough-talking DISY leader began on Sunday with an op-ed column in right-wing newspaper Simerini, in which Christodoulou slammed Anastassiades’ conciliatory positions on the Cyprus issue.
He called the DISY leader an “ardent enthusiast, lawyer and leader of the apologists for AKEL”, the left-wing ruling party of Demetris Christofias.
He questioned whether DISY was really the party of the EOKA heroes who fought the British. “This is really a pathetic outcome [for the party],” wrote Christodoulou in Sunday’s Simerini.
On yesterday’s Lazaros Mavros show, Christodoulou referred to an article in Alithia newspaper about his statements. He said the article revealed the “insecurity of Mr Anastassiades” that he himself would challenge the party leadership.
“Really, Mr Mavros I have no such ambitions,” Christodoulou told his radio host.
Alithia said the attacks aimed at causing a rift within the party that would undermine its supportive stance on the Cyprus talks.
Party insiders were cagey yesterday about the whole situation. “It’s better not to say anything,” said one party official who could not even confirm whether Christodoulou was or wasn’t a registered party member. Neither would he be drawn on whether the former Clerides minister was a founding member of the party. “Who says he might not have been?” said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
He did say there were differing views within the party on the Cyprus issue. “Christodoulou was always hard line,” said the official. “This is nothing new.” The official said the whole thing was probably “just a storm in a teacup”.
It is well known that there are a number of DISY supporters who have ‘hard line’ views on the Cyprus issue.
During polls leading up to the February elections this year, it emerged that in a second round between Christofias and Tassos Papadopoulos, some 23 per cent of DISY supporters would opt for the latter and another nine per cent would vote blank.
But another politician who had been close to the party in the past said yesterday that what was going on had little to do with the Cyprus issue, which was just a pretext. “Someone most probably wants to challenge the leadership and they are trying to stir the feelings of the patriots in DISY to turn against Anastassiades,” he said.
