A president intolerant to criticism.

ALL POLITICAL parties united to condemn the slogans chanted against President Christofias at Monday night's anti-occupation rally at the Ledra Palace checkpoint. Some extremist participants, described by the parties as 'subversives', 'fascists' and 'neo-Nazis' chanted a slogan referring to President Christofias as 'traitor'.

An outraged Christofias said the 'vile slogans' were 'shameful' and castigated 'this mentality that resorts to dirty slogans as well as undermining and subversive action.' He also drew parallels with the activities of EOKA B, asking where this mentality had led us. All the political parties agreed with him, AKEL arguing that this behaviour was reminiscent of the period preceding the 1974 coup.

Politicians' talent for hyperbole is unrivalled. How a few slogans by a small group of nationalist extremists could be likened to the activities of an armed terrorist organisation is difficult to understand. The fuss made about the slogans was out of all proportion. The president and political parties gave credibility to a tiny and insignificant group of idiots, whom nobody takes seriously.

Four of these 'subversives' were arrested and charged with using abusive language in public while a fifth man was taken to a police station for questioning yesterday. Again, the reaction of authorities was excessive, even though Christofias felt that police had a duty to maintain law and order. In most European democracies, extremists, both of the left and the right, also chant abusive slogans against their prime minister, but they are arrested and charged only when they resort to acts of violence. Otherwise, they can shout what they like against their leader, because the authorities in Western democracies do not restrict freedom of expression.

The arrest of the extremists demonstrated the president's intolerance to criticism. He and his associates at AKEL often respond to political criticism, which is perfectly legitimate, with the hackneyed argument that the presidency was being undermined. This is a polite way of saying that the president should be above criticism, a view that Christofias wholeheartedly embraces.

While Christofias' anger at being branded a 'traitor' was understandable, he does not deserve much sympathy. When the DISY leader Nicos Anastassiades was being the target of similar abuse by the Papadopoulos government, which accused him of speaking like a Turk and of betraying his country, Christofias did not once stand up to say that this behaviour was 'shameful and vile'. On the contrary, members of his party also joined the government chorus condemning Anastassiades' supposedly treacherous actions.

When the same extremists, who were arrested on Monday, were shouting similar abuse at supporters of re-unification who were staging a peaceful protest at the Ledra Street checkpoint, a few years ago, neither Christofias nor his party condemned their thuggish behaviour. Christofias showed much greater tolerance to the extremists when they were heaping abuse on Anastassiades and the supporters of a solution.

Now that the ultra-nationalists are directing their abuse at him, he has decided they are subversives who pose a threat to the state.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2009

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