ODDBALL presidential candidate Costas Kyriakou, aka Outopos, was on a roll on Wednesday, using the ‘F’ word while telling Cypriots why they should vote for him.
But for the bad language, he’ll be getting off scot-free, it seems.
Donning his trademark bandana – which he says is to prevent headaches – the 54-year-old career candidate appeared on Sigma’s noon news show urging the public to support him en masse.
This was to ensure against electoral fraud, he said.
Outopos claims that in the last three presidential elections he has consistently received around 70 per cent of the popular vote, but has been ‘cheated’ of victory.
The real results, he says, were concealed in a massive cover-up perpetrated by the political system working in cahoots with a corrupt media.
Official election data show he has never gained more than 1 per cent of the vote.
Outopos called on voters to be extra vigilant this time round: “Don’t vote for me like a**holes,” he declared.
A bewildered news anchor promptly asked him to be more careful with the language.
Outopos next explained why he was running for the top job: “I want to become a dictator. I wish to rule as dictator to bring order to the chaos. I’m a dictator-in-waiting.”
Later in the day, he pulled a similar caper during a live programme on the state broadcaster showcasing the so-called ‘minor’ candidates.
Revisiting the issue of election fraud, Outopos called on citizens to rise up in revolt should the results be tampered with on February 17.
Clenching his fist, Outopos demanded from his public: “Gamate tous ta kerata.”
From Greek, the expression literally translates as “F*** their horns,” but really means “give them hell!”
Again, the host urged the presidential hopeful to be more civil, to which Outopos reacted with a sheepish smile.
A self-professed communist, Outopos’ ideology is a mix of Marxism, Aristotelian philosophy and – one suspects – selected ideas from the ‘Zeitgeist’ movie.
The farmer-author studied philosophy in Thessaloniki.
But is he in hot water for the vulgarity? It doesn’t look like it.
For his remarks on CyBC, there is little the Broadcasting Authority can do. That’s because, due to a legal foul-up, the body currently has no authority over the CyBC, except when it comes to commercials.
What of the comments on Sigma? Head of Broadcasting Authority Andreas Petrides told the Mail that they would look into them.
“Using a swear word does not automatically lead to a fine against a channel. It depends on the circumstances. When it’s a live show, we tend to be more flexible,” Petrides said.
According to Petrides, this is hardly the first time the ‘F’ word has been heard on Cypriot television.
So in this respect at least, Outopos is no trailblazer.