Our View: Do rivals have any chance of closing gap with Christodoulides?

If opinion polls are anything to go by, Nikos Christodoulides has built an astonishing lead with presidential elections less than four months away. His lead may have been bigger at the beginning of the summer, when the first polls were conducted, but although it has been cut, neither of his two main rivals have managed to get close to him.

The poll presented by the CyBC on Thursday night gave him 30.5 per cent of the vote, Disy’s Averof Neophytou 19 per cent and Akel’s Andreas Mavroyiannis 17 per cent. While it could be argued that he had started with a share above 40 per cent a few months ago and his rivals with shares below 10 per cent, it still remains a lead that might be difficult to cover in the remaining months.

Many are wondering what the reasons for this impressive lead are. Is it because of his youthful, photogenic looks? Is it because his rivals, who are all in their 60s failed to convince the voters? Is it because throughout his career his modus operandi was not to antagonise anyone? Or is it because he started his campaigning two years before everyone else while serving as foreign minister?

A combination of all the above have probably worked in his favour, because his popularity cannot be attributed to his rhetorical powers, unique vision for Cyprus or any political achievements other than building his political profile. Some have argued that Christodoulides’ rise was a direct consequence of the public’s alienation from the political parties and government sleaze, and he has been touted as an anti-establishment candidate.

None of this stands up to rational scrutiny. He served in the Anastasiades government, first as spokesman and then as foreign minister, for nine years and left because he was forced out over his candidacy – he did not leave of his own volition because of disapproval of the government. He still maintains he is a loyal Disy member, while he has forged election deals with the three centre parties – Diko, Edek, Dipa – that will all participate in any future government. That he could be regarded as an anti-systemic, independent candidate representing those fed up with the parties defies reality. If the parties had alienated voters, the truly independent candidates that have no links to the political establishment would have been doing better in the polls.

A more apt explanation for Christodoulides’ high popularity is that we have entered a post-political world, one in which packaging and presentation are what matter. A strong presence on social media in which photos and banal, bite-size messages are posted, is what is required to woo the younger voters, a large majority of whom are not interested in long political arguments (longer than 50 words) or seeing the bigger picture. According to the CyBC poll, most of the new voters are backing Christodoulides; they probably consider it a plus that a candidate does not bother explaining his position on boring issues like the economy and the Cyprus problem.

This aversion to traditional political debate could be more general as people no longer seem to care about a candidate’s political positions, rigorous political arguments or political acumen. The fact that Christodoulides has displayed none of these in his career or during his election campaign has obviously worked in his favour. Speaking superficially and vaguely about things in a dispassionate way and avoiding confrontation at all costs seems to be what people want. Christodoulides has understood this and has been cashing in.

The leading candidate has never expressed a strong political view about anything, either for fear of alienating voters or because he does not have one. He claimed to have drafted his election programme through consultations with the citizens – ignoring to mention the input of the disparate group of political parties supporting him – as if leadership is something decided by committee. He labelled it ‘participatory democracy,’ even though it is nothing of the sort.

If the opinion polls are anything to go by, these political gimmicks work in the modern world, where everything seems to be taken at face value and nothing is questioned. This is why a loyal member of the Anastasiades government for nine years is leading the polls backed by opposition parties which had been protesting for years about the government’s corruption and demanding change. In the post political world, the majority of voters seem to be of the view the ideal candidate to make the break with the discredited government would be the president’s right-hand man for nine years.