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With eye on 2023, Diko to reach out to opposition parties

diko

Diko has established a political framework within which it will move in the run up to the 2023 presidential elections, leader Nicolas Papadopoulos said on Monday following the centre-right party’s congress, which was held over the weekend.

In his address during the congress on Sunday, he had said that Diko’s goal is to be the leader or a main partner in a coalition government to bring about change after the presidential elections.

“We can win the elections in 2023. We are ready to turn to other political forces that agree with us, except Elam,” he told delegates.

Speaking to Cybc on Monday morning, Papadopoulos reiterated Diko’s readiness to cooperate with other government opposition political parties.

He said that the party will soon start reaching out to them – excluding Elam – to arrange official meetings.

“We will enter any dialogue in good faith, and know we will have to compromise on some issues in order to form the necessary alliances,” he said, adding however that the party will not budge from its principles regarding some issues, such as the Cyprus issue.

He also ruled out the possibility of endorsing ruling Disy, saying that Diko is an opposition party and will remain one, seeking change.

“How can a party that has been in power for a decade bring about any sort of change?”

In his address on Sunday, Papadopoulos had touched on various issues in his address such as the Cyprus issue, the economy and the health system Gesy. He said that Diko had supported the advent of Gesy and had contributed to its design and implementation, and so was in a position to demand that the health system function correctly, which it currently is not.

“The Gesy in effect today is not the Gesy that we voted for,” he said.

He also mentioned pensions, saying that many retirees live below the poverty line, which demonstrates the need for drastic reforms to ensure “respectable pensions” for all.

On migration, he said it “jeopardises our ability to provide decent care and protection to real refugees who are sincerely seeking asylum”, adding that the overcrowding at reception centres was worrying and the conditions in them a point of shame for the country.

Another major issue the party vowed to address is corruption, with Papadopoulos making reference to the golden passports and the Pandora Papers.

On the Cyprus issue, he said the current impasse was due exclusively to the expansionism and intransigence of Turkey.

“We, contrary to what President Anastasiades believed and said when he came in conflict with Tassos Papadopoulos, do not consider that the Greek Cypriot community is responsible for the non-solution of the Cyprus problem,” he said.

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