NICOSIA – With the possibility of Annita Dimitriou’s re-election to the Presidency of the Parliament of Cyprus losing ground, as her candidacy has been ruled out as an option by both AKEL and Odysseas Michaelides’ ALMA party, as well as by ELAM, for different reasons, intense background maneuvering is underway.
The dominant trend is now the search for consensus between the political forces and the promotion of a solution with a President of as wide acceptance as possible. A scenario is being promoted for the election to the Presidency of the Parliament of a person who will have the support of as many parliamentary parties as possible.
How can this be done? With Nikolas Papadopoulos being voted for by AKEL and ALMA, and possibly also by Direct Democracy. In this equation, he can be elected President of the Parliament even in the first round.
In the event that Direct Democracy does not support his candidacy in the first round, Papadopoulos could easily advance to the second round with the votes of AKEL and ALMA MPs, and, in the final round, very likely receive the votes of ELAM. Such a scenario would leave DISY in isolation, supporting the candidacy of its president, Annita Dimitriou, until the end.
Stefanos-Nikolas Spoke about Cooperation
AKEL Secretary General Stefanos Stefanos and Nikolas Papadopoulos spoke about it in a first meeting, within the framework of the DIKO president’s contacts with the parliamentary parties for the Presidency of the Parliament. The meeting focused on the possibility of cooperation between the two sides, with the DIKO president, according to information, expressing his interest in the Presidency of the Parliament.
According to the same information, Nikolas Papadopoulos raised the issue before Stefanos Stefanos as a first sounding board, which clearly concerns cooperation within the framework of the smooth functioning of the Parliament. The AKEL Secretary General, for his part, as we are informed, was not negative, pointing out to the DIKO president that the party’s decision will be taken by the collective bodies and, more specifically, by the Political Bureau, which will meet next week.
AKEL, as the main axis of the opposition, is likely to tip the scales not only numerically, but also in terms of the stance of other parties, such as ALMA for example. Despite the intense confrontations between Nikolas Papadopoulos and Odysseas Michaelides, it is not ruled out that there will eventually be a consensus regarding the candidacy of the president of DIKO, in the dilemma between Nikolas and Annita.
AKEL and DIKO will continue their contacts in the coming days, as well as their contacts with other parliamentary parties.
DISY: Definitively with Annita for the Presidency of the Parliament
The Executive Bureau and Parliamentary Group of DISY decided unanimously that the party will run for the Presidency of the Parliament with the President of the Party, Annita Dimitriou.
“Ms. Demetriou’s successful course as Speaker of the House over the last five years, during which an excellent work was produced, as well as the strong mandate recorded by the Democratic Alarm in the elections, constitute the political documentation for this decision,” the party said in a statement.
The Democratic Alarm views the Speakership of the House “as an institutional responsibility towards the citizens, as well as a clear marker of the ideological and political direction of the country. The decision of any other political force is respected.”