Papadopoulos wants support of all three partners for re-election

President Tassos Papadopoulos has expressed his wish to secure the support of all three parties, that back his government, as he contemplates re-election in next year’s presidential elections.

He also said that he respects his main partner, left-wing AKEL, and its leadership and lays special emphasis on the party views.

His comments came as AKEL Central Committee met and decided the procedure it will follow in order to decide on its positions with regard to the presidential elections. The Committee also approved a document on the same issue, to be discussed by party grassroots organizations before it is sent back to the Committee and the party congress in early July for a final decision.

“My wish is to have the cooperation of all three parties and certainly that of AKEL. I think you know how much I respect AKEL, its leadership and members and as such I think the party views are particularly important,” he told the press Monday evening at the Annual General Meeting of the Employers and Industrialists Federation.

Papadopoulos also said that he would see how things develop and would assess all factors relating to February’s presidential elections.

AKEL spokesman said after the Committee meeting on Monday that the document approved by the Committee assesses the situation in the question of Cyprus and on the domestic front, in relation to previous party decisions and the programme of governance.

“This paper stresses the need for AKEL to give a battle for the presidential elections with all its might, united, irrespective of what the final decision of the party will be,” he added.

So far there is one presidential hopeful, former minister of agriculture Kostas Themistocleous, but it is widely expected that Papadopoulos and former foreign minister Ioannis Kasoulides will also join the presidential race.