The former President of the Republic and honorary president of the DISY party, Nikos Anastasiades, signalled his approval of the present leadership of the Democratic Rally.
With a public intervention and invoking the founder and historic leader of the party, Glafkos Clerides, he called on everyone to leave behind their past and rally around the coalition for the good primarily of the homeland.
He recalls that in his presidential elections in 2003 and in the referendum of 2004, the unity of the party was threatened as never before, yet it managed to remain united and govern again for a decade.
“Referring to what was said or came to light after the Political Bureau meeting, and with full understanding of the human weaknesses that exist in all, I would like to state the following”, Nikos Anastasiades said.
“The Democratic Rally was founded by the unforgettable national leader, Glafkos Clerides, to serve our homeland and our people, and not to fulfill the ambitions of any of us.
In the long journey of the party, we experienced unpleasant and unwanted moments. The unity of the party in the Presidential elections of 2003 and in the referendum of 2004 was threatened as never before.
Nevertheless, with the calm handling of the leadership, its historic cadres, and the untiring love of the members, supporters, and friends of the the party, not only was DISY not endangered with division, but in the subsequent elections it remained the leading coalition of the country,” he noted, adding that the vindication of prudent policies led DISY “to govern the country for a decade (2013-2023), rescuing our homeland from bankruptcy, unprecedented economic development, significant reforms, and the completion or execution of major infrastructure projects.”
Referring to the recent presidential elections and what has happened and still concerns the Democratic Rally, Nikos Anastasiades pointed out that there is no doubt that the presidential elections of 2023 were another sad development for the party.
“The distancing of a member of the government and the party, as well as the perennial management of party affairs, or even the wrong assessments, instead of leading DISY to a third five-year term of governance, led us to introspection with unpredictable risks,” says Nikos Anastasiades, suggesting, however, that continuing to blame each other for personal vindication only leads to a path of destruction.
“As an honorary president of the party, who served with faith and dedication for 48 years the ideals that unite us, I appeal to those who identified with and served our historic coalition to set aside personal grievances and, by uniting forces, bring back hope for the people and our occupied homeland,” he concluded in his announcement.
This statement came in the aftermath of the culmination of the intra-party conflict in DISY with occasion to the latest meeting of the party’s Political Bureau with the decision to support the candidacy of Kostakis Kostantinou for the position of President of the Paphos District Council.
Paphos Mayor Phaedonas Phaedonos, speaking yesterday on RIK, threw down the gauntlet to Kostakis Konstantinou, calling on him to prove in practice that his concern is the unity and success of the coalition.
Mr. Phaedonos emphasized that everyone is judged by their actions and not by their words or by letters they may send to achieve their goal, referring to the letter sent by Mr. Konstantinou to the president of DISY last Thursday, before the decision to support his candidacy by the party’s Political Bureau.
