COMMUNIST AKEL yesterday set its apparatus in motion with a view to February’s presidential elections, while affirming allegiance to the three-way government coalition.
The party yesterday convened its Central Committee, the top decision-making body, to formulate an initial strategy for the 2008 elections.
According to media reports, the choice confronting AKEL is whether to back their own leader Demetris Christofias or Papadopoulos. The question that needs to be resolved is whether Christofias would stand for AKEL only or as a coalition candidate.
“All options are open,” party spokesman Andros Kyprianou said yesterday.
“But our priority is the continuation of the partnership,” he added.
Kyprianou explained the process by which the party would arrive at its final decision.
First, the Central Committee drafts a document that is sent to the party base. The document makes an assessment of the Papadopoulos administration and outlines the prospects for the next five years.
After getting feedback from the base, the Central Committee will make a recommendation to the party congress that meets in early July.
According to Kyprianou, the opinion of the party base would be taken “seriously into consideration” but was not binding on the leadership.
In essence, the Central Committee is calling the shots.
AKEL face a major dilemma: if they decide to break up the alliance with DIKO and EDEK and go it alone, they risk losing power altogether. On the other hand, there is pressure from AKEL grass roots – many of whom are disenchanted with the Papadopoulos presidency – calling for a standalone Christofias nomination.
Papadopoulos himself has not made matters easy for his senior allies. Last week he revealed to party leaders that he was “interested” in running for the top job again. The news seemed to come as a surprise only to AKEL, who later complained that such decisions should have been made collectively.
More evidence of cracks in the partnership emerged when DIKO said a Papadopoulos candidacy would not require the formulation of an election programme beforehand – as if to suggest Papadopoulos should get a blank cheque.
Analysts are split on whether AKEL would risk a rift with the coalition. There are those who are convinced the communist party prefers to wield power from the sidelines rather than govern.
Others say the leadership cannot ignore their supporters if the latter have decided they’ve had enough with the Papadopoulos administration.
Another argument is that, under the coalition, AKEL’s strength has been sapped over the past four years. In the legislative elections of last May, the communists garnered 31.1 of the popular vote – a 3.6 per cent drop from the previous elections in 2001.
Their loss has been DIKO’s gain. The President’s party gained 3.1 per cent, and EDEK has grown from 6.5 to 8.9 per cent.
If AKEL is to recoup its strength, it may have to exit the coalition.
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