Diko leader ready to work with ‘any political force’

Diko is ready to collaborate with any political force that shares similar or aligned positions, whether at the governmental or parliamentary level, party president Nikolas Papadopoulos said on Tuesday.

Referring to President Nikos Christodoulides’ interview in Philenews in which he said he was ready for Disy to have a more active participation in the government, Papadopoulos said that opening up towards other political forces in the Cypriot political spectrum “will benefit the country.”

However, he added that he respects Disy’s choice of remaining in opposition, as announced by party leader Annita Demetriou on Tuesday.

Christodoulides also acknowledged his political career gained traction while he was a member of the former ruling party.

He said he is willing to cooperate with Disy “if it serves the interests of the nation.”

The president was elected with the support of Diko, Edek and Dipa, as well as other political parties. However, in his interview, he said his government’s positions “closely align with those of Disy.”

And welcoming Disy to the fold would not be too radical as at the moment, the Christodoulides administration is staffed by a higher number of politicians belonging to Disy than the three parties that officially supported him in the election.

“Seeking support from Disy does not in any way diminish the support I received from other parties during my election campaign and does not shift my priorities, namely creating a budget that reflects the society’s needs, while increasing social wellbeing and enforcing fiscal discipline,” Christodoulides said in the interview.

Akel accused him of “pursuing a strategy aimed at deceiving the public and maintaining Disy’s role in politics.”

Akel also labelled the former administration “a government of corruption and decay.”

The party added that Christodoulides ran for the presidency as an alternative to Disy, but has become increasingly aligned with the former ruling party’s positions.

The statement also quipped that Christodoulides “is essentially the successor of former President Nicos Anastasiades”, who on Tuesday rebuffed the claims.

“I have never asked, nor encouraged Disy to participate in the current government,” Anastasiades said. “Akel is deliberately distorting the truth.”