Politics Blog

Last Friday Nikaros had a very interesting and productive, almost friendly meeting with US Assistant Secretary Wess Mitchell, who also met with Foreign Minister Christodoulides along the same lines. According to my reliable sources, during the meeting with Nikaros, Mitchell reiterated three times that the only way to address the Turkish challenge is through dialogue.

In fact, he did not fail to tell the President that the USA has similar problems with Turkey and expressed his solidarity and understanding. Among the many things discussed with Christodoulides, I learned that the hot issue of US arms sales to Cyprus had been brought up. The FM spoke of a need to see some “movement” on this issue. According to my source, Mitchell’s response was satisfactory.

What does the fox say?

Averof Neophytou emerged as the indisputable leader of DISY, following his election without opposition, along with Lefteris Christoforou in the deputy slot. In the absence of opponents, they were declared winners right away thus maintaining their current positions. There were so many congratulatory messages arriving at Pindarou for the two officials at the top. As Madam said to me, “Foulis was shining” as things went his way and there were no nasty surprises, “even though he knew there was never such a possibility.”

But some name dropping by Foulis during his victory speech became the topic of discussion when he spoke of DISY’s two historic leaders, Clerides and Anastasiades. A politician who was chatting with a reporter said that “it is obvious that Foulis’ reference to the two men who served as Presidents of the Republic, carried some weight with his position and that he is now in line as third time is lucky.”

The reporter smiled and responded by saying that Foulis is also known amongst journalists as “the fox of Argaka.”

Hacked emails & media folks

And speaking of journalists, I can inform you that there was no smiling in last Friday’s meeting between the Executive Board of the CJU and Costakis. The attorney general insisted in a rather austere way that what matters to him is for the laws and Constitution to be carried out and, more or less, it’s not his duty to interrogate reporters but it’s the work of police investigators. And while he did promise that he would try and see to it that questioning and the overall case be completed soon to avoid international ridicule, as UJC believes, someone blurted out that “the speed over at the Legal Services Department is well known.” According to my source, the meeting was without drama. UJC representatives said what they already wrote in their statement, while other colleagues described their own experiences and what they went through when they were called in for questioning.

Tales from DIKO

It looks like the crisis in the prince’s courtyard will go on, according to those who know what’s going on between party officers. Even DIKO-raised Fotoula confirmed with me that some officers can’t even find the time to answer all the phone calls that are pouring in, with disgruntled members on the other end of the line wanting to opine on the way some “dangerous” members were expunged. A warm-blooded member from the old guard, according to Fotoula, recently picked a fight with one of Nikolas’ favourites. “The only thing missing was the two of them going hand-to-hand,” she told me. And she elaborated: “the heated question from the old member to the young – that went something like ‘and who are you to expel me after so much I have done for the party for decades?’ – was not met with a response.

I should mention that Fotoula insists the recent report by Markos Kyprianou on what caused the election defeat has generated many tales. As she told me, “besides the song by Kelaedonis ‘blame it on Hadjipetris’ which is on its way to become an anthem for DIKO, there is also another one in the form of chatter: After the expulsions of DIKO party members, whose fault is the next loss going to be? We shall find out who they will be as soon as they get expelled!’”

QUIZ: Which Member of Parliament is getting ready to sue another MP for defamation? This issue will be weighed on whether a requested apology is issued…