by zan » Wed Jan 30, 2008 10:06 pm
Phase two:
Kasoulides staffer on list of officers ‘supporting Tassos’
By Andreas Avgousti
A LIST of 141 ex-army officers who allegedly support the Tassos Papadopoulos candidacy has caused controversy, after both the candidate’s staff and the newspaper which published it accused one another for its dissemination.
The list was published by Phileleftheros on Monday and included a total of 141 retired army personnel as well as officers forced into early retirement.
A preamble to the list described the reasons behind this declaration of support.
In particular, the officers listed were said to support Papadopoulos “because we are anxious about the future of our homeland.”
The announcement lauded President Papadopoulos: “he has the skill, knowledge, experience, honesty and willpower to persist unfailingly in our struggle for the deliverance of our country as well as in the development and progress of our economy and society.”
The announcement went on to attack DISY and AKEL.
“As officers and therefore defence experts, we declare our staunch opposition to the propositions by DISY and AKEL concerning the shortening of military service.”
This is because “the circumstances created by Turkey’s occupation and the constant upgrading of the occupier’s army, call for responsible and serious handling of vital defence issues which must be not be part of electioneering.”
It concludes with a call to arms akin to a political advertisement: “the candidacy of Tassos Papadopoulos must be supported for the good of Cyprus and of our people.”
Retired Brigadier Vasos Kountouris was one of those named as a ‘warm supporter’ of Papadopoulos who found himself surprised to be included on the list.
“This is ridiculous. Not only do I not support Tassos Papadopoulos, but in fact
I belong to the Ioannis Kasoulides campaign staff,” a bemused Kountouris said yesterday.
Indeed, using someone’s name for political purposes without having previously obtained their consent is not a joking matter.
But this was not all that was wrong with the list.
Its value was also brought under question since it includes an officer who was forced into retirement by the National Guard after having been found guilty of a serious felony and serving a multiple year prison sentence.
The knee-jerk reaction from the Papadopoulos camp has been to wash their hands clean of the list and blame the daily for the error.
“We have no responsibility for the Phileleftheros publication,” a campaign spokesperson said.
The Mail contacted a spokesman at the political division of Phileleftheros to inquire as to the source of the list.
“We have an e-mail from the Papadopoulos camp to prove it,” he said emphatically.
Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2008
