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Kasoulides gets backing from two groupsPresidential hopeful ends
successful Athens trip
By Andreas Hadjipapas
AFTER a successful trip to Athens, Ioannis Kasoulides received a strong boost to his presidential ambitions this week with strong support coming from two political groups, making him a front runner in February’s elections.
Meanwhile the three-party ruling alliance is striving to stay in one piece, after signs of a big chasm that could get deeper in the months ahead, if there is no swift action to mend it.
Kasoulides, a former Foreign Minister, and now presidential candidate, rounded up his talks in Athens with a one hour meeting with Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, with whom he discussed the Cyprus problem, the situation in Turkey, EU matters and the “common challenges that Greece and Cyprus face in the EU and our region.”
He also met President Carolos Papoulias, former President Costis Stephanopoulos, former Prime Minister Costas Simitis, Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyanni and Socialist Pasok leader George Papandreou.
Protracted
In remarks at the end of his tour, Kasoulides stressed the need for close and constant cooperation and coordination between Athens and Nicosia.
Both the right-wing Opposition Disy and the Free Citizens movement announced full support for Kasoulides while launching strong attacks on President Papadopoulos’s administration.
They hailed Kasoulides as the man that could bring Cyprus out of the protracted stalemate.
Kasoulides, an MEP, has emerged as the politician that could achieve a Cyprus settlement during his term of office if elected President in February.
He wants to advance “aggressive diplomacy,” seeking international alliances and taking initiatives in order to “bend Turkish intransigence.”
He told a Disy gathering on Wednesday evening he would be willing to meet Mehmet Ali Talat the Turkish Cypriot leader, and any other, in order to promote a settlement.
Political mentor
To enthusiastic applause, he used a slogan from his political mentor, former President and Disy founder Glafkos Clerides that: “When I have right on my side I am not afraid to talk even to the devil, in order to claim that right.”
Disy leader Nicos Anatassiades accused the Papadopoulos government of lacking courage, vision and a strategy to promote a Cyprus settlement.
“It cannot guarantee the present and the future of the country, because it belongs to the past.”
The party’s supreme council unanimously voted to back Kasoulides in the coming elections.
Another harsh attack against Tassos came from his former Agriculture Minister Timis Efthymiou, who heads the small Free Citizens movement.
The party’s supreme council also voted unanimously to break away from the coalition “which has led the country into deadlocks,” and give their backing to Kasoulides, running as independent.
Efthymiou, clearly holding a personal grudge against Papadopoulos for dropping him from the cabinet “without any prior consultation,” told Sigma TV that “President Papadopoulos did not show any respect to us, as partners in the coalition.”
The President held discussions with the other three parties in the alliance, his own centrist Diko, Communist Akel and socialist Edek “but he ignored us completely, after we worked together for four years.”
The interviewer pointed out the “paradox” - the Free Citizens had strongly denounced the Annan Plan in the 2004 referendum, while now it moved to support a politician that had taken a stand in favour of the UN blueprint.
Alienated
“We should look at the present and the future, not the past. The government failed to manage properly the ‘No’ vote.
The stalemate on Cyprus has been dragging on, while Cyprus has been isolated and we have alienated our partners in the European Union,” he replied.
When it was pointed out that his was a small group that carried negligible weight in local political developments, Efthymiou insisted that the Movement had been growing and its strength had risen from 1.3% of the electorate in last year’s elections to 2%. “We will play an important role in both the first and second rounds of voting,” he added.
President Papadopoulos, who is seriously considering standing for re-election, had separate meetings this week with the leaders of the three parties in the alliance - Demetris Christofias of Akel, Yannakis Omirou, of Edek and Diko’s Marios Garoyian.
The Government Spokesman said these were “part of regular contacts,” but could not give further details.
Displeasure
Reports say the President briefed them on his plan to announce a social benefits package “in the next few weeks,” aimed at supporting those in need.
But Christofias did not bother to discuss the new package, pointing out that it was coming too late.
Akel had been pressing the government to announce such a package last year, following pressure from various social groups.
The Akel chief even showed displeasure, since the package to be announced by Tassos could be linked to his intention to seek re-election next February.
The Government Spokesman said the President did not drop plans to hold a joint meeting with the three leaders, but this has been put off repeatedly.
Phileleftheros newspaper reported that an opinion poll conducted on behalf of the Presidential Palace showed Tassos to be in the lead, and therefore moving to the second round. Kasoulides followed, also getting into the run-off.
Akel people, in secret voting during the past weeks, gave the go ahead to Christofias to run for President, thus breaking away from the alliance.
Some 80% of Akel rank and file were in favour of such a move.
Talat said that he would prefer Christofias to win the presidential contest, and that Tassos’ failure to be re-elected would be a “positive” development. The remark drew angry response from all Greek Cypriot political parties which stressed that the Turkish Cypriot leader should stop meddling in this matter.