Enemies of Britain, communist takeover of Cyprus

20/02/2008 11:48 NICOSIA, Feb 20 (AFP)
Communist chief gains edge in Cyprus presidential race

Cyprus communist leader Demetris Christofias took a major step forward
in his presidential bid on Wednesday winning the endorsement of the
island's third party despite differences over the pace of peace talks
with the Turkish Cypriots.

The centre-right DIKO party of incumbent President Tassos Papadopoulos,
who was dumped by voters in the first round of the election on Sunday,
called on supporters to back Christofias in this weekend's run-off
against conservative standard-bearer Ioannis Kasoulides.

The island's fourth party, the socialist EDEK, was widely expected to
follow suit after its leadership urged support for Christofias.

If successful in Sunday's second round, the Soviet-educated Christofias
would become the European Union's only communist head of state. Just
over 16 years after the Soviet Union's collapse, former-Soviet Moldova
is currently the only European state with a communist president.

Kasoulides, a 59-year-old MEP, was the narrow winner of the first round
but barely 1,000 votes separated him and second-placed Christofias and
the two men have been desperately trying to woo the support of the
backers of Papadopolous, who came a close third.

Both Christofias and his conservative rival Kasoulides have pledged to
renew efforts to find a settlement to the 34-year division of Cyprus and
end the stalemate that followed the Greek Cypriot rejection of a UN
reunification plan four years ago.

Papadopoulos came under fire from European and UN mediators for leading
the the Greek Cypriot "no" vote in a referendum on the peace plan in
April 2004, while the Turkish Cypriots gave it their overwhelming backing.

Kasoulides supported a yes "vote" in the referendum while Christofias
urged a "no" vote on purely tactical grounds and has since called for an
intensification of negotiations with the Turkish Cypriots, which have
gone nowhere under Papadopopulos's leadership.

European diplomats, who were dismayed at the referendum result which
meant a divided island joined the European Union in 2004, heaved a sigh
of relief at the incumbent's first-round defeat.

Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat has said the result had raised
hope that the deadlock in the negotiations process could be overcome,
adding: "We are ready to contribute to these efforts and find an early,
just and comprehensive solution to the Cyprus problem."

Cyprus has no post of prime minister, and executive power lies
essentially with the president.

Public radio reported that DIKO decided to endorse Christofias even
though he offered the party fewer cabinet posts than his conservative rival.

The communist chief offered three ministerial positions -- including the
key foreign affairs portfolio -- as well as the speakership of
parliament, against the five cabinet jobs offered by Kasoulides, the
radio said.

"As president of the party, I met, I talked and did what I was required
to do for the country and the party," said DIKO leader Marios Karoyan.

Christofias, 61, would be Cyprus's first ever communist president, even
though the party is the island's largest with 18 seats in parliament
after topping the last election in 2006 with 31.1 percent of the vote.

Although he has enjoyed historically good relations with Talat,
Christofias has been a sometimes outspoken critic of former colonial
power Britain, which he once famously described as the island's "evil
demon."

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