The party’s former parliamentary spokesperson and lawyer Christos Pourgourides, on the “Alpha Enimerosi” program. He alleged that the former President of the Republic is maneuvering behind the scenes within the party against specific individuals whom he believes are not contributing to the goal he has set for himself to salvage his legacy . He even spoke of “unhealthy situations” and expressed regret that party officials are aligning themselves with this effort by Nicos Anastasiades.
“A major party cannot base its political actions and positions on individuals, no matter how historic they may be, or how prominent they once were within the party. The party must take principles and values into account, and when instances of exploitation for the sake of personal interests are observed—no matter how high-ranking these individuals may be—the party must put a stop to them. If we let these things go unnoticed, we’re allowing party officials to go around the coffee shops saying that the best thing the party can do is to cooperate with Christodoulides.”
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
SEE ALSO: DISY: “Express” procedures or an extension of the timeline for selecting a candidate?
When asked about Averof Neophytou’s decision to already announce his candidacy for the 20208 presidential election, Mr. Pourgourides assessed that the remarks by the former DISY President “do not reflect personal sentiments.”
“I interpret them as a statement about the political dysfunction that must be remedied, and I stand with him in that regard. Political issues of any kind must be addressed with appropriate measures; we must not pretend there is no problem. Those who supported Christodoulides are trying to push the party to cooperate with him; they consider the decision to keep the party in the opposition to be wrong, and they are trying, through behind-the-scenes maneuvers, to push the party to become the ruling party.”
READ ALSO: “I will never betray you!”: Averof’s dual commitment to his supporters
The former DISY Parliamentary Spokesperson spoke of a serious crisis, a deeply traumatic experience, and wounds that have not healed from 2023 to the present, attributing these events to the fact that the problems were not discussed honestly, in depth, and based on political positions.
“Instead, they adopted the mindset of ‘let time heal the situation,’ which did not heal it. It is not death that comes to heal the wound; it is political discussions—conducted with honesty and mutual respect—that heal such wounds. These qualities are becoming increasingly scarce within DISY, or they do not guide the behavior of many of its leaders. It is a broader social crisis, and in a major party like DISY, this crisis of values inevitably leads to the phenomena we have been witnessing in recent days.”
READ ALSO: Savia vs. Haris: The personal attack, the biological rival, and anti-AKEL sentiment
Christos Pourgourides explained that this is not the first time he has criticized the situation at Pindarou and that he does not belong to the category “those who should have spoken out but did not.”
“The wounds of 2023 could have healed if there had been a discussion and the mistakes that were made had been acknowledged, if decisions had been made to prevent such situations from recurring. A number of party officials, as Vice President Yiannis Karousos rightly points out, are at the Presidential Palace in the morning and at the Democratic Alarm in the afternoon. This is the wound that has never healed and continues to plague us to this day.”
READ ALSO: Five Minutes Before the Political Bureau Meeting: Democratic Alarm members are choosing “camps” and sending letters outlining their positions and views
