DISY chief Nicos Anastassiades yesterday lashed back at president Tassos Papadopoulos’ comment that some people were dragging their country through the mud for a handful of votes.
Anastassiades countered it was those that led their country to international isolation and into conflict with the UN and the EU who were humiliating and denigrating their country.
The spat erupted after Anastassiades wrote a letter to the President of the European Parliament Pat Cox, denouncing “the conditions under which the President of the Republic Mr Tassos Papadopoulos, as leader of the Greek Cypriot community, is organising the referendum”.
“These conditions are undemocratic, unacceptable and biased,” Anastassiades said in his letter.
The government reacted by accusing the DISY chief of dragging the country through the mud.
Anastassiades said he had sent his letter on Wednesday afternoon, after the European Parliament debate at which Enlargement Commissioner Gunter Verheugen said he had been cheated by the Cypriot government.
Anastassiades said Verheugen’s comments, as well as those of other European officials, came after the Commissioner had been deprived of the opportunity to address the Cypriot people about the EU’s views on the Annan plan.
And he also blamed the deliberate misinformation on the plan by the president and his associates for Cyprus’ humiliation, adding this was not only DISY’s view but also that of other political forces, including AKEL.
Anastassiades’ letter prompted Cox to ask the European Committee on Civil Liberties to examine the implications in terms of Cyprus’ compliance with the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The DISY chief noted that in any case the embassies of EU member states monitored the situation in Cyprus and transmitted the goings on to their governments.
“Those who really care about Cyprus and respect the rules of democracy should not reward with their tolerance practices that are reminiscent of past eras and decades,” Anastassiades said.
He added: “The dignity of a country is rescued when some people dare to deny arbitrariness.”
