PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES for next year’s elections are firmly in the starting blocks waiting for the pistol to fire after EDEK put its support behind independent Giorgos Lillikas yesterday while DIKO chose to forge a path with main opposition party DISY.
EDEK’s central committee decided in favour of Lillikas’ candidacy yesterday by an overwhelming majority of 90 votes in favour, four against and nine abstentions.
“We believe that Giorgos Lillikas adequately meets the requirements set for a presidential candidate,” said EDEK leader Yiannakis Omirou.
Lillikas’ positions on the Cyprus issue, on the necessary reforms of the political system, the economy and society are similar to those of EDEK, he said.
He argued that the proposal of EDEK’s political office to support Lillikas was “not a proposal of necessity but of political choice”.
Meanwhile, DIKO’s central committee yesterday adopted the proposal of its secretariat to continue consultations with main opposition party DISY and the parties of the “in-between space” to form a new power bloc.
DISY leader Nicos Anastasiades, the party’s candidate for next February’s elections, will be happy to hear that earlier collaboration between DISY and DIKO during the Nicosia mayoral elections appears to have paid off.
DISY is also in negotiations with EVROKO, believed to be split between support for Anastasiades and Lillikas.
DIKO spokesman Fotis Fotiou said the leadership got the go-ahead to continue dialogue with DISY, EVROKO and the Greens to form a coalition “based on the strategy of national consensus and unity”.
The decision was taken with 90 votes in favour of the secretariat’s proposal, eight against and three abstentions.
Speaking earlier to the central committee, party leader Marios Garoyian said the secretariat had ruled out any collaboration with AKEL, thereby rejecting the candidacy of health minister Stavros Malas.
Lillikas’ candidacy leads to further fragmentation of political forces and goes counter to the goal of pursuing a broad and powerful coalition of forces, he argued, accusing Lillikas of “opportunism”.
As a result, the decision was taken to pursue dialogue and a common election manifesto with DISY based on national unity and salvation. “Dialogue must conclude at the latest by early September,” he said.
If the two parties fail to reach agreement, then DIKO has the choice of going it alone, added Garoyian.
Commenting on EDEK’s decision, Lillikas thanked the socialist movement, saying EDEK has proved that it places the country’s interests above party considerations.
“EDEK’s decision increases my responsibilities and obligations,” said Lillikas.
In a dig at Garoyian, the former minister said of his new relationship with EDEK: “Our cooperation is not based on hidden agendas or anachronistic exchanges. It is based on shared political positions and goals.”
Lillikas further questioned how to reconcile those DIKO members who are against an Annan-type peace plan for Cyprus with the positions of Anastasiades who voted in favour of the Annan plan in 2004.
AKEL leader Andros Kyprianou said yesterday his party’s candidate Malas “has proved in a short period of time at the health ministry that he is an extremely good and capable politician”, adding that he has “radical approaches on how the country can move forward”.
Speaking on the same subject, Malas said he was confident the support of the centre left forces would get him through to the second round of elections next February.
On the economic crisis facing the country, he said certain measures would have to be taken to secure a short-term loan but that austerity measures alone will not solve Cyprus’ problems.
“We’ll need to find solutions for economic growth, and a country like Cyprus with a small economy and many possibilities for economic growth needs to pursue those choices and not lead the country to complete economic stagnation with the measures currently being discussed,” he said.