The termination of the DISY government and the election of a President and a government with a progressive programme[/B] that opens up prospects for the country and the people are the stakes of the upcoming presidential elections, General Secretary of AKEL Stefanos Stefanou said today.
Stefanou was answering journalists' questions about AKEL's contacts with opposition parties ahead of the presidential elections, on the sidelines of his meeting today with Minister of Trade, Energy and Industry Natasha Pileidou and DEFA President Nikos Castellani earlier in the morning at the party's offices.
Asked whether keeping the candidacy of DIKO president Nicolas Papadopoulos in the foreground after the conclusion of the party's recent congress affects AKEL's stance, Stefanou replied that the decision of the Central Committee of AKEL to avoid placing party leaders in the discussion with DIKO, as well as with other parties, regarding possible cooperation is well known.
As he said, based on the informal meetings that preceded them between the two parties, but also on the general rhetoric and positioning, it is clear that "DIKO also understands the need for change in the country, that there are too many deadlocks and that this governance cannot continue. We believe that this common realisation is a solid basis on which we can support any discussions and efforts to achieve a certain cooperation."
Regarding AKEL's general position, Mr. Stefanou said "we will seek meetings to scout the ground to see if we can have cooperation with the opposition parties", adding that "we want to have meetings with the Ecologues, EDEK and DIPA".
AKEL, he noted, "approaches the dialogue with the opposition parties on two levels: first, to discuss possible convergences that may exist on policy pillars that are important, and at the same time, at some point, if these discussions also progress, we will naturally discuss names, because without a candidate you cannot have a presidential election."
Source: CNA
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