Diko unveils EP candidates

After protracted and often heated debate, coalition Diko has finally announced the party's six candidates in the June 6 European Parliament elections.

Apart from MP Antigoni Papadopoulou, the women's branch leader who is leading the electoral list, all other candidates are described as a surprise and are not among the party's heavyweights.

They are Michalis Ellinas, head of the UK's Diko, youth branch leader Simos Angelides, the son of MP Andreas Angelides, Health Ministry Permanent Secretary Yiannis Papadopoulos, Elena Tanou of the Federation of Women Business Professionals and Antenna TV journalist Dimitris Souglis. Tanou and Souglis are not official Diko members.

None of the centre party's newly-elected leadership who reportedly represent pro-Tassos Papadopoulos hardline policy on the Cyprus problem – agreed to run despite being urged to do so by some members.

Absent from the candidates' list was also the much-rumoured name of Health Minister Christos Patsalides.

Diko leader Marios Garoyian yesterday dismissed reports of discontent over the selection of the candidates.

Meanwhile, maverick MEP Marios Matsakis, a former Diko high-ranking member who was expelled from the party over his capricious behaviour, has announced he will run again as an independent.

He also slammed Diko for not opening the door for him to go back despite his public appeal.

He claimed he was still being punished by Diko over his 'heroic' act to climb a pole and bring down a Turkish flag.

Meanwhile, election officers said some 525,000 people will cast their vote in the upcoming elections, 10,000 of whom are overseas, 1,300 are Turkish Cypriots, and 5,000 are EU nationals. There are about 7,500 new registrations.

The cost of June's election is estimated at €5 m with voting hours extended from 6am to 8pm.

Polling stations will be set up in Greece, UK, Belgium, Germany, Russia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria and Qatar.

Cyprus Weekly 10-17 April 2009