The DISY leadership is set to discuss the appointment of Nikos Tornaritis as the President of the Republic’s Special Political Envoy for the Cyprus Issue in Asia and Africa, in order to decide his future at Pindarou, as stated by Yiannis Karousos, Vice President of the Democratic Alarm, from the studio of the Alpha Kalimera program.
When asked if this came as a bolt from the blue for the Democratic Alarm, he stated:
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“The President of the Republic is in full campaign mode. He’s conducting his campaign as usual, undermining the Democratic Alarm. It’s crystal clear.”
He predicts that other similar appointments will follow.
“You know, we are in a situation today where, out of respect for developments in the Cyprus issue, have delayed or are delaying our procedures for selecting a candidate for President of the Republic, while the President of the Republic appears to be campaigning even as the Cyprus issue is still unfolding.”
Read also: “In the morning at the Presidential Palace, at noon at Pindarou”: Karousos to name names regarding the behind-the-scenes of the presidential race
During a previous appearance on the show, he had said that he would name the individuals who are at the Presidential Palace in the morning and at Pindarou Street by noon. When asked if Mr. Tornaritis’s name was among them, he stated that he would reveal them once the candidate for the 2028 presidential election has been selected.
“I’ll reveal the names when the time comes—specifically, when we’ve chosen our candidate for the Democratic Alliance. We must shield the Democratic Party. We must not allow this phenomenon to happen.”
“What I’m trying to say is that not just anyone can be an official or participate in a collective body of the Democratic Alert and brief the President’s Office on what the Democratic Alert—which is in opposition—is doing,” he adds.
“When Averof Neophytou was a presidential candidate, we saw numerous instances of people close to him—and I’ve stated this on your channel—who staged a political coup against him. They were kept in the loop on everything, and our opponent, Mr. Christodoulides, was also kept in the loop on everything. This has to stop. This has to end.”
When asked if there are many such individuals, he maintains that the phenomenon has decreased since he took on the issue.
Regarding Mr. Tornaritis and whether he believes the Democratic Alarm should have been informed, he states that at least he isn’t hiding anything. “Others may still be hiding; he has clearly taken a stand,” he notes. When asked if Mr. Tornaritis had informed him, he replies that he himself had not been informed.
“Since I’ve also heard the argument that this is an appointment related to the Cyprus issue, if the President of the Republic didn’t want to undermine the Democratic Alarm, he could have contacted the party’s president himself. He could have shared his thoughts. Put it on the table. Discuss it, and if approval were granted by the Democratic Rally, then he could proceed.”
He notes that Mr. Tornaritis had informed some DISY members but had not received any approval.
Read also: Averof met with Christodoulides ahead of the New York meeting
When asked to comment on the meeting between Averof Neophytou and Nicos Christodoulides, he states that it is Averof Neophytou’s right to hold such meetings, while responding to a question about Mr. Neophytou’s statement regarding support for Christodoulides should there be developments in the Cyprus issue, Mr. Karousos expressed his disagreement.
“I disagree with this approach. I have reservations about this approach. This is a matter for Averof Neophytou, who—if I understand correctly—has said that if there are serious developments, that is, the signing of a strategic plan for a solution, something very serious. But from what I have been told, the President of the Republic, in the meetings he had the day before yesterday with DIKO, told them that the chances of any developments in the Cyprus issue are negligible.”
He wonders why DISY is delaying its procedures when the President himself does not expect any developments in the Cyprus issue, noting that they had said they would wait for the meeting in New York.
“My view is that these are, a way for Nikos Christodoulides to delay the process at Synagermos because the longer we delay, the more it benefits the President of the Republic in the run-up to the election.”
When asked why they are so vulnerable, Mr. Karousos argues that several factors are to blame, which date back and have to do with procedures, statutory issues, and the way the party is organized.
“We’ve been sending a message for many, many, many years—not just today, but for decades— that anyone who wants to can run as an independent candidate with the Democratic Alarm and then join the political bureau the very next day. We have examples of deputy mayors—very, very many of them— who essentially ran as rebels against the party’s official candidate and the very next day participated normally in the political offices.”
“I, at least, express my views publicly and don’t hide behind my finger,” he says, referring to his own stance within the party and the issues he raises.
Regarding Mr. Tornaritis’s future in DISY and when asked what the party’s bylaws say about his case, he responds that the matter must be discussed internally within the party.
“Our party bylaws stipulate automatic expulsion for anyone who serves as a deputy minister or minister in a government to which we are the opposition. They do not address anything else.”
When asked to state his personal opinion, he says he will discuss it with the leadership.
“I believe that a member of Synagermos—any member of Synagermos, and especially a member like Nikos Tornaritis, who, I must say, was very active during the election campaign—he was number three in the Democratic Alliance’s hierarchy, let’s not forget that— I believe that these officials should, on their own initiative, refuse to accept such appointments.”
Read also: Karousos confirms the heated argument with Diplaros: “No one should be allowed to be at the Presidential Palace in the morning and at Pindarou Street by noon.”
