The cost of random strategic scheming – Article by Eleni Mavrou, AKEL Political Bureau member

 

 

16 October 2022, “Haravgi’ newspaper

I don’t know whether presidential candidate Nikos Christodoulides agreed with the political parties supporting him to establish a Mechanism to resolve disputes/differences between them in the event he manages to be elected President in February or someone had just… revealed the sham or if all this was indeed said “in passing”.

What is clear is that his candidacy is surrounded by… random strategic scheming by forces that have neither common positions, nor a common programme.

By forces who disagree on the Cyprus problem, given that some of them accept and others reject bizonal, bicommunal federation as the basis for a solution, whilst some consider the Guterres framework acceptable and others do not.

By forces who disagree on corruption issues, since some consider (or used to consider) the current government as the most corrupt in the country’s history and others…not so much.

By forces who disagree on the National Health Scheme (GESY), on educational issues, on state budgets…

Other than that, DIKO leader Nicolas Papadopoulos, EDEL leader Marinos Sizopoulos, DYPA leader Marios Karoyan, ‘Solidarity’ leader Eleni Theocharous (and others) want to co-govern!

I am not saying that in a given government, forces with different positions on one issue or another cannot meet. It has happened in the past and I am sure it will happen in the future. But it was done on the basis of a transparent programme. Voters knew where there was an identification of views, where there were convergences, even if they started from different starting points, and where differences remained.

Particularly during a difficult period, politically, economically, socially, the last thing the country needs is non-transparent agreements and a President of the Republic who has to convene…the Dispute Settlement Mechanism to take decisions.

Christodoulides was asked many times if elected what policy he would implement. He was asked many times about his agreement (18 points, remember) with the Democratic Party DIKO, his “agreement in principle on certain principles” with the social democratic party EDEK, his “convergences” with the United Cyprus Hunters Movement and his understanding with DIPA party. No substantive answers were ever given, but only pretentious and vague rhetoric that convinces only those who are looking for excuses to convince themselves.

I have the impression that what is true is the first and perhaps the only clear statement made by Christodoulides when he defended the Nicos Anastasiades-DISY government, of which he was a member, saying that as a government it has produced very positive results and that in no way is he an opposition candidate.

Besides, Averof Neophytou and Nikos Christodoulides were in or on the side of the Anastasiades government for ten years, without either of them being bothered about the unprecedented growth in corruption, without either of them expressing the slightest difference with the economic crimes that were committed against the country or surrounding the deadlocks that have been accumulated on the Cyprus problem and foreign policy pursued.

Things are quite clear: there are three main candidates, but one dilemma before us.

Either we have a third DISY party term in power, or there will be change and a new page for the country.

Either the Anastasiades government will continue, or we will achieve progressive change with Andreas Mavroyiannis.