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/ New episode in Disy row
/
THE LATEST instalment of the public row between the Disy leader Nicos
Anastassiades and two of his party’s deputies returned to the front pages
yesterday.
Alithia
reported that the two deputies -- Prodromos Prodromou and Demetris
Syllouris -- were given a "a slap in the face" by members of the Disy
political bureau who had, unanimously, voiced their full backing for the
party leader. Prodromou also received a "slap" from President Clerides who
declined his request to grant him an audience, the paper said. Clerides
only met Anastassiades.
The government spokesman had explained that the president could only meet
the official representatives of parties and not individuals. This showed
that press claims alleging the president had been furious with
Anastassiades were unfounded. One concession was made to the two deputies --
they join the political bureau in a meeting its members have with Clerides
today.
Politis
said that Anastassiades had been bolstered by the political bureau meeting,
in contrast to Prodromou and Syllouris who were left without any support.
In fact the bureau castigated the two deputies for their "systematic and
persistent public distancing" from the bureau majority’s decision to
welcome Clerides ’ cabinet reshuffle.
The deputies, the bureau added, had acted in "a way that contravenes
democratic principles". For the Disy bureau members, the only way of
defusing the crisis was to back the leader and distance themselves from the
two deputies.
Machi
claimed that the Disy political bureau’s decisions were influenced by fear
that the deputies who were in disagreement with the party leadership could
leave the party and set up a rival group. Clerides would act as the last
line of defence against such a move. This was why he had called for a
meeting with the Disy bureau today, said the paper.
Phileleftheros
reported that all the ground work for the Cyprus peace efforts would take
place in the United States during the second half of this month; this would
determine the final decisions of the UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan,
Britain and the US. The primary objective of diplomatic efforts would be to
get the Turkish side to agree to participate in talks without setting
conditions.
Clerides is expected to meet Annan in New York later this month. However,
the most decisive meetings would be those which Foreign Minister Ioannis
Cassoulides is scheduled to have with US Secretary of State Madeleine
Albright and British envoy Sir David Hannay.
Haravghi
took great exception to the government spokesman’s claim that the Communist
Party belonged to the same school of thought, regarding the handling of the
Cyprus problem, as Disy and the United Democrats. It quoted Akel spokesman
Nicos Katsourides as saying that there was a "huge difference" between Akel
and the parties which backed Clerides’ way of handling the matter.
There were differences on issues of substance and on tactics, Katsourides
said, adding that Clerides’ handling of the Cyprus problem had changed so
many times that it was difficult to know what he actually supported.
Simerini
predicted that a "dynamic rise in share prices is expected at the Cyprus
Stock Exchange that will cause surprises". According to the paper’s sources,
despite the fact that many investors had been realising their profits by
selling bank shares, Stock Exchange circles believed that share prices of
banks, particularly the Bank of Cyprus, would surge.
© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1999
