Karoyian sets about modernising Cypriot ruling party By Masis der Parthogh

dpa German Press Agency
Published: Tuesday October 24, 2006

By Masis der Parthogh, Nicosia- The new leader of the ruling centre-right Democratic Party (Diko) of Cyprus, Marios Karoyian, set about modernisation before presidential elections in February 2008. This would seem to demonstrate that party control has been returned to the members and wrested from Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos.

Backed by the old guard, who set up the party three decades ago, Karoyian, 45, on Sunday emerged as the third and youngest party leader from an extraordinary conference where he was challenged only by deputy leader Nicos Cleanthous. Papadopoulos had stepped down as party chief in August.

Karoyian, an Armenian Cypriot who rose up the ranks of the party founded by the late Spyros Kyprianou, father of European Health and Consumer Affairs Commissioner Markos Kyprianou, won by a surprisingly wide margin of 62.6 per cent of the party's voters over 37.4 per cent for Cleanthous.

Only half of the party's 14,000 members showed up to vote for their new leader.

Analysts said this marked an advance to replace old-school politicians with dynamic young leaders.

The result shocked Cleanthous, who had deputised Tassos Papadopoulos ever since the latter was elected president of Cyprus in 2003.

"I did not expect the result and I am as much disappointed that only half the registered party members turned up to vote," Cleanthous said.

This could also explain the disappointment with a leader, who barely made it to the House of Representatives in the parliamentary election in May when the party gained new voters and two seats.

In the party elections, Cleanthous only secured a majority in his hometown of Larnaca while the charismatic Karoyian swept the votes in all other towns.

Moments after being declared president, Karoyian called for unity and paid tribute to Spyros Kyprianou's legacy as well as Tassos Papadopoulos.

"We will implement the political line of the coalition and move forward united, through a modernised Democratic Party."

Standing beside the new party leader was Markos Kyprianou and his brother, Achilleas, both members of the Diko executive council. Nicholas Papadopoulos, the president's son, who is a new member of parliament, was absent from the main panel.

This would indicate the start of a rift within the party that has long wanted to abandon the three-party coalition with the powerful communist Akel party and the diminishing socialist Edek in favour of a coalition of equals with Akel.

Commissioner Kyprianou also seemed to throw his support behind the young leader, saying times had changed from the days of individual leaders and an new age of good managers marked by a need for collectiveness had begun.

Kyprianou is being touted as the coalition candidate for the next presidential elections when the party will have to decide on either the young commissioner or the incumbent Papadopoulos.

Whatever the outcome, Diko supporters will be recalled to the next party conference in March where Karoyian's leadership will be tested less than a year after winning his parliamentary seat.

Karoyian was born in 1961 and joined the party's youth when studying political science in Perugia, Italy. He served as president of the Nedik youth movement for six years and joined the party's central committee in 1988.

A close aide to the late Spyros Kyprianou, he also served as the director of the presidential office in parliament, and later moved to the presidential palace in 2003. That was followed by a stint as a government spokesperson.

He is married and has a daughter and a son. He speaks Greek, English, Italian and Spanish.

© 2006 dpa German Press Agency