•Averof’s “bite”—the President votes
•Crucial polls are coming up
•Christodoulides shows two sides in one day
•Lawmakers who raised the “amane” high
Good morning. Once again this week, the spotlight is on the fallout from the—in any case—problematic process within the Democratic Rally. And I say problematic because every time they try to plug one hole, they end up opening three more. And despite the President’s strict instructions, there are those who simply won’t do her the… favor of keeping quiet.
• Today I’m going to tell you a story that was recounted to me a long time ago and which explains much of what is happening today in DISY. Five or six decades ago, a family was eating their fish at a seaside tavern. A boy around 10 years old was serving them. At one point, the father strikes up a conversation with the child and asks what he’d like to be when he grows up. And the boy replies, without a moment’s hesitation, “President of Cyprus”! Everyone was surprised, and after the child had left, the father turned to his daughter and said, “Did you see the lofty goals that child has set for himself?” And, indeed, that child never stopped wanting to become President. Dalaras “saw fires in his sleep”; the little boy in our story saw the Presidency.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Where is Haris Georgiadis headed?
Christofidis on “25 Minutes”: “We can reach an agreement with ALMA”
• The truth is that all of us wanted to be something when we were little. Soccer players, doctors, lawyers, engineers… Personally, I don’t remember any of my peers back then wanting to become President. It’s what psychologists say: that childhood shapes us forever.
• Moving on to the events of the past week. What you saw with Averoff’s boxes and the supporters he gathered when submitting his candidacy is very little compared to what he himself had planned. A close associate of his told me that they ultimately reined him in to what we actually saw—which was no small feat.
• On the other hand, Pamporidis played it modest and measured—until he came out to declare that “if I am the DISY candidate, there’s no way I won’t make it to the second round and win the election.” Which, when translated, means that if Averof gets the nomination, he won’t even make it to the second round, let alone win the election. George, tone it down a bit, because I hear that polls are coming out that will contradict what you’re saying. Otherwise, the party remains united and will fight to win the election.
• This Averof-Pamporidis showdown, however, is not leaving the presidency unaffected. Quite the contrary, in fact, since they’ve practically set up a ballot box on the Hill. A reliable source tells me that President Christodoulides is firmly backing Averof and is even reprimanding some of his aides who, due to personal ties with Pamporidis, are expressing afor him. A minister was the first to hear this, and it’s not out of the question that others will face the music if the President finds they’re straying from his line.
• Since we’ve mentioned the President, what’s the deal with the sudden change in his behavior? On Tuesday, the day of his meeting with Erhurman, he left the Presidential Palace making a slew of statements about what he himself had proposed during the talks and what the Turkish Cypriot leader had rejected. Two hours later, upon returning to the presidential palace, he put on a different face and asked the reporters to respect his wish to say nothing more than “it was a good and constructive meeting.” Mr. President, please get your act together a bit so that even these poor journalists know whether they should follow you on your dozens of outings from the presidential palace.
• I do have one question: What compelled the government to come out publicly (through the Secretary of State) to support the new candidate from the United Arab Emirates for the position of UN Secretary-General? Because, if we have information or indications that she will win, so be it. But if not, our hasty stance might cost us dearly in the future regarding the Cyprus issue. And I hope all of this wasn’t done just to “get back” at Olgin, who’s been a thorn in our side lately and whose name was being floated as a potential candidate. It’s not wise to engage in politics based on “poking fun.”
• Over there in Parliament, is everything okay? As if the scandals over the “Declaration of Assets” weren’t enough, they apparently want to expand the scope of the law to include media owners and executives. First, stand by your colleagues who are barely getting by on 700 euros in the bank, and then worry about others. And, furthermore, first tell us which of you are treating Parliament staff so badly that they’ve filed a formal complaint with the Speaker, and then start cleaning up your own house. Come on, because some of you have really let things get out of hand.
• As if our own problems weren’t enough, we’ve also been anxious these past few days about whether “our guy” Bibi would win the elections in Israel. Some in the highest echelons supported Bibi “as we know him,” while some more moderate voices saw an opposition victory as a way for us to distance ourselves from being associated with the tactics of annihilation employed by the Israeli prime minister. For now, Bibi seems to be surviving, even if only temporarily. What concerns me, however, is something else: That guy… “one of our own” who plastered Cyprus with giant posters of himself—did he finally leave, or will he remain here forever?
• And since we’ve ventured beyond our borders, tell me what we as humanity have to hope for when President Trump calls Norway a “dump country.” And all this because they won’t give him the Nobel Peace Prize. But the Norwegians are great—they responded with a post showcasing several public restrooms across the country. Which, let’s face it, make you cringe when you compare them to some of ours—or even those in Mr. Trump’s “wonderful” country.
Have a good Sunday. I suspect the coming week will be more about the Cyprus issue and less about DISY. Olgin will change the agenda—or rather, depending on what she accomplishes in the coming days, she’ll write new chapters in the presidential election agenda.
