DIKO plays down charges of nepotism

CENTRIST DIKO party yesterday sought to play down a newspaper report suggesting its leader, Marios Garoyian, engaged in nepotism.
Daily Phileleftheros published copies of faxes sent from Garoyian’s office, when he was House president, with the personal details of people and the service the party allegedly did for them.
The lists were sent to DIKO MPs ahead of the May 2011 general elections and their task was to secure the vote of the people named on the list.
Under the heading “cases with a positive outcome” the documents listed what the issue was and what action had been undertaken.
They mainly concluded with the phrase “OK, done.”
In response to yesterday’s allegations, DIKO issued a written statement saying “the support for a just request or resolution of a problem that causes a citizen distress does not constitute rusfeti (as nepotism is known in Cyprus) when it is done on the basis of the principles of equality.”
The party said it is well known that politicians are frequently the recipients of complaints and requests about various matters.
DIKO said the report made interpretations and created impressions that did not correspond with reality and suggested that its aim was to cause damage ahead of the presidential elections.
DIKO is officially backing main opposition DISY leader Nicos Anastassiades in February’s poll but some party officials have disagreed with the alliance.
The party said certain facts in the report did not even concern the time when Garoyian was House president.
“Neither do they present any evidence, which leads to the conclusion that satisfying a just request had inflicted injustice on anyone else,” DIKO said.
One of the cases on the documents, which only concern the Limassol district, is of someone who wanted a permanent position at the state broadcaster CyBC.
“We spoke to M.P (name not disclosed by newspaper) OK, he got the position. I informed him. Very satisfied,” said the comments on the lists.
Another case concerned a temporary employee at the Limassol District Administration. “He wants to be a permanent supervisor. We have arranged an appointment with Votsis. For us the matter is closed.”
It can only be assumed that the comment referred to DIKO MP Angelos Votsis.
It is not the first time such information has become public, nor will it come as a surprise as it is well known that clientelism is a major component of Cypriot political life.
In 2010, AKEL leader Andros Kyprianou’s secretary accidentally sent the media an email containing requests the party for favours.
Kyprianou rejected criticism, saying every day piles of demands arrived at his and other politicians’ offices without exception.
“The issue is not what demands reach your office; the issue is what you do from then on,” Kyprianou said at the time. “The Cypriot people can judge us for the things we do.”