“The trend recorded by the polls for Nikos Christodoulidis is upward and is reflected in DIKO. “From the autonomous descent to the cooperation with the opposition parties, the AKEL leader, to the support of Christodoulidis, the fluctuations send messages, and therefore, we can only listen to our people.”
This is how he described to “P” the situation that prevails today in the large party in the center, a high-ranking executive, explaining at the same time why it is “one way” for them to support the former Foreign Minister.
Contacts for… types
DIKO had a meeting with the presidential candidate, Achilleas Dimitriadis, which he described as “good and constructive”, despite the well-known disagreements of the two in the Cyprus issue, as we were characteristically told. A DIKO delegation will also see the also independent candidate, Mario Iliadis. However, the most substantial meeting he is waiting for is the one that Nikos Christodoulidis will request. “Any meeting between us is yet to be arranged, but we are waiting for it. “And we understand the reasons why she was late,” the same source told our newspaper. The delay, he explained, has to do with the substance but also the impressions. First and foremost, “with mutual respect in decisions and processes, but also for reasons of image and communication. The meeting will take place when both sides are ready to talk about the substance and not about the press. “
DIKO appears to have been ready to co-govern for a long time. And since the trend recorded in the polls is the same in DIKO, “both in staff and members”, the choice is one: Nikos Christodoulidis. The president of the party, Nikolas Papadopoulos “does not pull” and we know that very well. We choose Nikos Christodoulidis because he is not Averof Neophytou. A person likeable in the party, the former Foreign Minister, capable of causing damage to DISY and Averof Neophytou. And this is what is required for DIKO, today, if it wants to convince that it believes in the change of government and will fight for it “. Thus, the current ruling faction will be embroiled.
So the logic counts, “let's go with the winner”, we point out to the source who spoke to “P”, keeping her anonymity. “The tendency is not to go with the winner, but with the will of the people who want to go with the winner. “With the charm of Christodoulidis on the one hand and any influence of Kolokasidis on the other, DIKO had to be guided by its people and not to guide the people”, he explains.
The question about the leadership of DIKO, before which there were other options, was clear from the very beginning: “Should we isolate or continue? Is it in the character and in the general presence of DIKO in political and social affairs to stay out of government? And ten years is not much? With these data, then, the first word that our interlocutor said at the beginning of our conversation is the essence: “One way” for DIKO is to support the candidacy of Nikos Christodoulidis.
Alarm rhetoric
Why so much against Averof Neophytos, though? The cooperation of the DIKO president with his alarm counterpart is not unknown or far in time. And why not Averoff, but Christodoulidis, member of the DISY government & # 8211; Anastasiadis for nine years? Does DIKO not have the problem that “Nikos Christodoulidis is no different”? Again, DIKO has an answer: “We are concerned about the fact that every three or so Nikos Christodoulidis declares himself a proud alarmist, defending the work of the Anastasiadis government. We are worried about his rhetoric and narrative but we do not want to make him DIKOiko. We will burn him then “, states with disarming honesty, a senior executive of DIKO and a close associate of Nikolas Papadopoulos.
Why not with AKEL?
With these data, why did the perspective of DIKO & # 8211; s cooperation collapse? AKEL? Would not two parties together, and with other, smaller collaborations, achieve the goal of change? Wouldn't their endeavor have bigger and more promising prospects? “AKEL considered that any candidate of the AKEL-DIKO parties would be in the second round. A position that we do not embrace, since we mainly measured the mood of our party base. And the DIKO society, ready to participate in the new government, sees that this perspective becomes more possible with the support of Nikos Christodoulidis “. To which “we give no blank check. There will be a good negotiation with him, before the final conclusion “.
DIKO knows very well that 2023 is not 2003. Then AKEL managed to convince its base for the candidacy of Tassos Papadopoulos and put “backs” for his election. Today, with the will of the DIKO base recorded, the party chose to make other choices, “easier or more difficult will be seen along the way”.
Autonomous descent
The autonomous descent remains on the table as an option for DIKO, but “it weakens, day by day, because it is considered as an indirect aid to Averof Neophytou”, according to parliamentary circles from both DIKO and DISY.
The trend in DIKO that supports the autonomous descent, is divided into two categories: In the subcategory of executives and members that says “let's go autonomously and if we lose we will be opposition” and in the second subcategory, which says “autonomous”, because it is afraid to say out loud “Averoff ».
Giannis is afraid of the wild…
Or the wild John. In DIKO there is -major- registered will and will to support the candidacy of the former Foreign Minister. Why is it so late to show this support? What we have recorded above is valid. But there are others that either whisper or both inside. N. Christodoulidis, of course, wants the support of the largest party in the center. And if DIKO is officially manifested, EDEK will follow, say those who know well. Then why is there hesitation both on the part of the former Foreign Minister and on the part of DIKO? solution of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation, without putting any queue. And he still worries, who will stand next to him on the podium or will represent him in the discussion panels. On the other hand, DIKO counts the reactions from Synagermos and Averof Neophytou himself, with whom the cooperation in social and economic matters was from good to excellent, especially in Parliament. How will he justify supporting a (former) member of the government and not the leader of the ruling party?
