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By Elias Hazou
Published on September 25, 2011

WITH THE possible exception of a few die-hards within the communist party, most would agree that President Christofias has fallen short of expectations in the wake of the Mari disaster.

Post-Mari, the president’s public appearances have been few and far between. Some highlights: on July 15, Christofias showed up at the official memorial ceremony honouring the victims of the 1974 coup, held at the Church of Konstantinos and Eleni; on August 11 he attended a ceremony for arrival of the ship ‘Armenia’ at Limassol harbour; and on September 5 he appeared before the Mari committee of inquiry.

One of the few other events he attended was a church service in Anthoupolis. There, he looked at ease among his fellow villagers from Dikomo, happily chatting away with old ladies. It was a protected environment and not a real public engagement, as was his presence at embassy cocktail parties, where the chances of being put on the spot were slim to none.

Some said the man had gone into hiding. Others, that he’s had the blues ever since Mari.

Without a doubt, Christofias stayed out of the public eye. The defence ministry has, however, confirmed to the Sunday Mail that Christofias will be attending the October 1 military parade.

To the most casual observer, Christofias’ public profile has undergone a sea change over the past couple of months - sharply contrasting with the pre-Mari days, when the president could be seen everywhere, attending trivial functions, making off-the-cuff remarks to reporters. It seemed as if he was on television every single night.

But as soon as he was out of Cyprus this past week, Christofias seemed to come out of his shell. Speaking to a gathering in London last Sunday, he laid into his critics, speaking about Mari and about how his detractors were undermining the presidency by attacking him.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what happened in the two months after the blast - and why. But did Christofias go low-key on the advice of spin doctors, has it been a personal decision, or a little of both?

Hard to tell. It’s said Christofias is somewhat authoritarian in style, the type of president who likes to call the shots. Certainly the president does have a PR team that includes a well-known academic who’s acting perhaps in a quasi-official capacity. Whether the so-called ‘vanishing act’ was deliberate, official policy or not is up for debate.

For better or for worse, the accepted wisdom in political science - that it is better to acknowledge one’s blunders and explain the reasons for them rather than not to own up to your mistakes - seems not to apply in Cyprus.

“We haven’t reached that level of political discourse yet,” says political analyst Christoforos Christoforou, a professor of communications at the University of Nicosia.

Christoforou cites the example of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former head of the International Monetary Fund, who over the weekend confessed to a "moral failing" and apologised to his family, friends, and to the French people over the Manhattan sexual scandal.

“Maybe it’s not the same situation as Strauss-Kahn. But the point I’m trying to make is that here in Cyprus, an acknowledgment of responsibility, an apology, would be perceived as an admission of ‘guilt’. Christofias knows that, and he knows they’re out to get him, so to speak. So to some extent his reaction is understandable.”

Christoforou speculates that personal feelings played a big part in the change in Christofias’ public profile.

“Judging from his behaviour, Christofias often comes across as sentimental and impulsive. With that in mind, his current demeanour should probably not come as a surprise.”

But has the new style backfired on the president? “It’s a communications gamble,” says Christoforou. “You either put on a brave face and face the music, or go for a low profile hoping the dust eventually blows over. There are pros and cons.”

In Christofias’ case, the analyst said a good guess is that Christofias is playing a waiting game: “They want to see the Mari panel’s findings first. But at any rate, I expect that as some time passes, and the fallout from Mari decreases, the president will be gradually appearing more frequently.”

DIKO deputy Angelos Votsis agrees with this assessment: “Yes, it looks like the president is lying low until the Mari findings are out. Is this the best strategy? I think not, a lot of people are saying - with some justification - that the president is hiding.”

A psychologist, who preferred not to be named, says Christofias’ deportment is more significant than questions about the frequency of his appearances.

“Ever since Mari, he’s cut a forlorn figure. Even to the untrained eye, from his body language and what not, it’s clear that he’s lost the self-confidence of before. This was most manifest during his testimony before the Mari committee of inquiry. He didn’t look happy at all.”

The source contrasted this to Christofias’ public displays pre-Mari, when the president exuded confidence - perhaps too much of it.

“You saw this for example when he’d speak out of text, or make a mess speaking English when he obviously doesn’t have a strong grasp of that language. I believe this sort of spontaneity springs from his over-confidence,” the source said.

One blooper that comes to mind: when Christofias was being handed the rotating presidency of the EU by the Danish prime minister, the president cracked this joke in (admittedly poor) English:

"I thanks very much the prime minister of Denmark, for the pass he makes to me ... like Messi".

Christofias was perhaps unaware that “making a pass" at someone implies something entirely different. Television viewers (the footage is still available on Youtube) could not help but notice the bewildered expression on the face of the Danish prime minister.

The psychologist added: “The truth is, after the Mari events Christofias has never looked like a leader or a statesman. He hasn’t been able to rise to the occasion, to act as a head of state who reassures the people during a difficult time. The persona that he was cultivating before, of Christofias the ‘common man’ who has feelings, may have worked for a party leader, but it’s not good enough for a president. As president, you’re expected to avoid sentimentality.”

http://www.cyprus-mail.com/mari-naval-b ... n/20110925