A televised debate between political leaders intensified on Wednesday night after a dispute between Akel secretary-general Stefanos Stefanou and Elam leader Christos Christou escalated into accusations involving fascism, communism, Eoka B and the Turkish invasion of 1974.

The confrontation erupted during Alpha TV’s “Countdown” programme after discussion turned to a social media post by an Elam parliamentary candidate proposing an independent authority to monitor parties including Akel, Volt and Direct Democracy.

Stefanou said the proposal “the dangers we face when we talk about the far right” and argued such practices were incompatible with democracy.

Christou distanced Elam from the proposal, saying “the candidate’s personal position in no way represents the party’s position” and insisting Elam supports freedom of political expression “without restrictions”.

Asked whether the candidate should remain on the ballot, he said the matter would be examined internally.

The exchange quickly devolved into a wider ideological confrontation.

Christou accused the political left of intolerance during the Demetris Christofias administration between 2008 and 2013, claiming “a public statement or a post was enough for the police to come to your house, seize your computer and take you to detention centres”.

He rejected accusations that Elam embraces “any totalitarian ideology”, before accusing Akel of representing “the descendants of Stalin, Lenin and Ceausescu”.

Stefanou responded by attacking Elam’s political background and references linked to the now disbanded Greek far right party Golden Dawn.

“What should I answer to the mates of Kasidiaris and those who give Nazi salutes,” he said, referring to jailed former Golden Dawn figure Ilias Kasidiaris.

Stefanou added that Cyprus had already experienced the consequences of fascism, saying “we see its result in the crescent of the Pentadaktylos”, referring to the north’s vast painted flag emboldened on the Kyrenia mountain range.

The discussion then turned to historical narratives on General Grivas’ paramilitary force Eoka B as well as the 1974 coup and invasion.

Stefanou argued that “the spiritual ancestors of Elam” had contributed to the events which paved the way for Turkey’s intervention in Cyprus.

He also referred to Akel members defending the former president and ethnarch Archbishop Makarios during the coup.

“Akel has always defended Cyprus and democracy, whether in the Pentadaktylos or the Presidential Palace when the Junta together with Eoka B were attacking, my dear Mr Christou.”

Christou rejected any suggestion that Elam bore responsibility for the events of 1974, saying the movement was founded decades later and that most of its members belong to the post war generation.

“I reject these allegations as utterly unfounded,” he said.

Asked directly whether he considered Eoka B a “traitorous organisation”, Christou avoided a categorical answer and said, “we were led by mistake into an internal conflict and unfortunately we gave Turkey the opportunity to exploit it”.

He added that he would “not put all people in the same basket”.