The executive of the province of Famagusta Kleanthis Koutsoftas submitted his resignation as a member of the Political Bureau of DISY in writing to the leadership of the party. Kleanthis Koutsoftas is under disciplinary control for his decision to stand as an independent candidate for the Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Paralimni, while he had been officially asked to withdraw his candidacy, so that disciplinary procedures would not be initiated, which he refused, prioritizing principles and dignity and denouncing manipulations made by the leadership.
It is recalled that Mr. Koutsoftas made an official announcement of his candidacy for Deputy Mayor of Paralimni on March 10, while in the letter he points out that he participated in every battle of DISY since his student years and always gave his best and today he chose the path of resignation for the reason that activated him in every battle, his principles and his dignity.
In fact, he does not shy away from denouncing the "all-Cypriot originality" in the procedures followed in the free Famagusta, as, as he stated through the letter, no electoral process took place and the local committees were ignored, "in order to avoid the scope that you created to serve specific candidates" . "I cannot be a co-star in the shadow theater that has been set up," he stressed.
Also, in his letter, he talks about a new political approach of the party "which wants the substance to bow to the image", while he threw down the gauntlet of responsibility for the situation created in the region, with eight Alarmists claiming two positions, to the manipulations that were made by the leadership.
Complaint that will cause reactions
Through his letter, Mr. Koutsoftas also makes an unprecedented complaint that will certainly cause reactions, saying that, in order to withdraw his interest from the claim of the Municipality, he was suggested by the deputy president of DISY to mediate on behalf of the leadership in President of the Republic, in order to maintain the position of President in ONEK. He himself, as he mentioned, rejected the proposal, because it is offensive to the world of the faction, which still considers DISY as an opposition party, while the Organization functions as an arm of the executive power. He also notes that he was proposed to be the party's deputy mayor candidate, while four officials were already interested. "In this case, my candidacy would be part of enforcement, since I did not participate in the process, that is, I was proposed to turn from victim to perpetrator," he argued.
Read his letter in full:
To: President and members of the Political Bureau DISY
From: Kleanthi Koutsofta, member of the Politburo of DIS.SY, President of ONEK
Subject: Resignation from the Politburo
Dear Madam President,
Dear competitors,
Only 11 months have passed since our election as members of the Politburo of our faction. Before any other report therefore, I have nothing but to apologize to all the members and voters of the party, but mainly to my 7400 competitors, who honored me, among others.
I realize that those who know me personally today may find my decision strange or even disappointing. You see, dear Mr. President, from my student years and schools, to the University auditoriums and as a candidate in the parliamentary elections, I have always been present, in every battle. On every call. I never chose to run away, but neither did I hide in the crowd to get lost in the crowd. I always gave my best, deeply believing in the principles and values of our faction.
So if today I chose the path of resignation, the reason is none other than the one that activated me in every battle. My principles. My dignity. Once again I choose not to hide and to fight for what I believe, refusing to accept the Pan-Cypriot originality that was implemented in your days, in the Free Province of Famagusta, that is, for the faction's candidates Nicosia, Limassol and Larnaca will decide but not the world of faction in the region. If this is not the case Mr. President, and in order to avoid the scope that you created to serve specific candidates, you would accept the request of the Local Committees to hold party elections or at least take the opinion of the local committees of the faction.
You understand, Mr. President, I have no other choice than to inform you of my decision to resign as a member of the Politburo of our party. I cannot be a co-star in the shadow theater that has been set up. I choose to do what you refused. To give the residents of my Municipality choices in the major issue of their representation. Not as a candidate for Vice-Mayor of the party, as you suggested (that would be unethical to my competitors) but as an independent, for a position that I remind you that my party later decided to support a vote between two other competitors. I believe that politics is done on the basis of policies, instead de-characterizing the political process, ignoring the consequences, following the apparently new party politics approach of wanting substance to bow to image.
If my concern, however, was the creation of problems and the evil of the faction, then today I could speak with concrete examples about the way candidates were chosen, or rather about how they were imposed, ignoring the will of the region. A process that resulted in 8 competing members of the Democratic Alarm for two positions being candidates for the positions of Mayor and Deputy Mayor in our municipal district today. This is the result of the manipulations made by the leadership of our faction.
Mr. President,
let us at least agree on this: I seek neither chairs nor power. And since it is easy to label anyone who has an opposite opinion, I think I should be more specific.
1. In order to withdraw my interest from the claim of the Municipality, I was suggested by the Deputy President of the faction, his will for mediation on behalf of the leadership to the President of the Republic, in order to maintain the position of President in ONEK. A proposal that I rejected as I considered it offensive to the world of the faction that still considers DIS.SY as an opposition party. How could I preside over an agency, an arm of the executive branch, that carries out government policy, when in theory my party disagrees? Along the way, of course, I was given the answer, when a colleague and elected member of the Political Bureau of the Faction accepted an appointment to the presidency of another organization without ever bothering the collective bodies of the party.
2. Additionally, I was offered the position of Deputy Mayor candidate, who would officially support the party, despite the fact that 4 other contestants had already expressed interest in this position. In this case, my nomination would be part of the enforcement since I did not participate in the process. In other words, I was suggested to change from a victim to a perpetrator. Unfortunately for me, positions don't count for much and even if I want something, I dare to fight. To be chosen by those I want to lead and not be part of imposing.
3. All this, Mr. President, was known to you. Anything different, moreover, would indicate a deficiency which I honestly do not allude to. Nor can I accept that only specific individuals are responsible, as you mentioned. It is neither competitively correct, for people who belong to the leadership of the same faction, nor does it correspond to reality, as I myself informed you, although you should have known, or did know, long before any decision was made. Mr. President, how is it that a process repeated every five years is about to blow up the faction this year? That is the reason for most of the suffering and difficulties faced by the faction.
Mr. President, our election as members of the Politburo, like the change in leadership, was aimed at addressing the looming split in the party. Of a party that we received with specific dynamics and in specific circumstances. It is worth wondering what we have really achieved so far. If the Democratic Alarm is today more strengthened or not. If we dealt with introversion drastically and if we closed wounds, or if independent cross-party nominations today are historically twice as high as at any other time. If we managed to present complete political proposals or if we spent ourselves on polling purposes. Not in words but in action.
Despite the frustration caused by the leadership's tactics, I choose to be a simple soldier, as I have always been, yet retaining whatever dignity you have left me. Surprised, however, by the course my faction is following.
Sincerely,
Cleanthis Koutsoftas
