PREZNIKTWO’S delusions of world statesmanship were dealt a vicious blow (thankfully it was not fatal, and some delusions survived) last weekend when Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei suggested that our leader had made things up.
In one of his all too predictable attempts to promote his self-importance, after a memorial service last Sunday, he told hacks that Iran had asked Kyproulla “to convey some messages to Israel,” and indicated he would convey these to Israel’s PM when he spoke to him in the afternoon.
A little later, after Iran’s embassy had notified Iran, Baghaei said “Iran did not send any message to Israel via a third country.” It was an embarrassing denial that our poor old prez’s harmless boast about his influential international role did not deserve.
On the plus side, he should take some pride from the fact he was taken seriously enough for Tehran to issue an official denial, soon after he spoke.
THE EMBARRASSMENT did not end here. A few days later, Iran’s ambassador in Nicosia, Alireza Salarian gave an interview to Omega TV, and also suggested, very diplomatically, that our Prez did not know what he was talking about.
The ambassador said that Cyprus’ foreign minister had asked to have a tele-conversation with his Iranian counterpart and the embassy arranged this. He said: “Didn’t ask to convey the message to Israel. If we wanted to do something, we could ask the US, because the US is the main supporter of Israel, everybody knows this.”
This was a merciless cutting down to size of Kyproulla. If Tehran wanted to convey a message to Israel it would have asked the US, which has the clout, and not some inconsequential midget country with a hyper-inflated sense of world importance and influence.
We never found out whether in the end the Prez conveyed the fantasy messages to Bibi Netanyahu when they spoke, if they spoke.
FOREIGN Minister Constantinos Kombos was hung out to dry by the Prez, who could not possibly take responsibility for the embarrassment he caused himself. The presidential palace enforcers were quick to blame poor old Kombos in ‘off the record’ briefings, saying that “he did not convey correctly what he had heard.”
This was how the diplomatic amateurishness and immaturity of the Prez were covered up. It was Kombos’ fault that the Prez, a former career diplomat, was not aware of one of the basic rules of diplomacy – secrecy. Even if Kombos did not understand what his Iranian counterpart told him on the phone – unlikely if not impossible – there is no way he told the Prez to repeat it to hacks as soon as they placed a microphone in his face.
Someone needs to give our leader a crash course on suppressing his uncontrollable urge to boast about his role, importance and world influence, if he is to avoid similar embarrassments.
SHAKEN by his personal embarrassment and the mockery he was subjected to in social media, the Prez decided to change the narrative, peddling a little national pride.
On his way to the Tepak graduation ceremony, apropos of nothing, he said he was “very proud about the Cyprus Republic.” He explained his reasons to bewildered hacks.
“Today we had in our country the leader of the most populous country in the world and the fourth biggest economy,” he said referring to the visit of India’s PM Narendra Modi. And he had another reason to feel proud.
“Today the foreign minister of the most populous member-state of the EU and third biggest economy in the world was in our country,” referring to a brief stopover at Larnaca airport by Germany’s foreign minister Johann Wadephul, who met Kombos.
He concluded this childish story, just like a not very bright schoolkid would have done. “For this reason, I am proud of my country,” he said, with a straight face. I would also be proud of my country if we had a grown-up as president.
A WORD of sympathy for the horny cops, who were filmed having sex and the video was posted on social media and went viral. It was a little light entertainment for everyone, although the police command took the incident very seriously.
The two were identified, suspended and disciplinary and criminal investigations were ordered. Criminal charges could include neglect of duty (for one of them as the other was off duty) and engaging in an indecent act in public.
The only thing I would charge them with is stupidity. Having sex, in broad daylight, in an open field, in a police car that is guaranteed to attract attention was colossally stupid. Then again, the passion and desire may have been so intense they did not want to waste time finding a more secluded spot.
If this was the case I hope they are let off. Unlike so many other police investigations, this truly deserves to be a whitewash, because passion cannot be penalised.
THE COMRADES took great offence at the absence of Prezniktwo from Akel’s 24th conference that started on Friday in Nicosia. Of course, it was difficult for the Prez to attend as he was touring the Baltic States collecting fridge magnets, on the pretext that he is preparing for Kyproulla’s presidency of the European Council in 2026.
What could they have the governments of the Baltic states have said that would be relevant next year and could not have been said over the phone or in an email. Nothing, so the Prez bored them by telling them about the Cyprob.
Akel felt snubbed because, in the absence of the Prez, no representative of the government attended the opening day of the conference. Only in a politically backward country like our Kyproulla, do opposition parties expect the Prez to attend their conference.
According to the deputy spokesman government was not represented because the Prez never received an invitation, which Akel insisted it sent.
WEEKS of speculation was ended on Saturday, when Phil’s front page announced the purchase of the group by a “leading citizen, philanthropic and successful Cypriot businessman, Costas Kleanthous, who promises to assist the strengthening of the media of the group.”
There was no talk of purchase, under the headline “Phileleftheros welcomes a businessman with a vision,” in the article signed by the co-owners but referred to Kleanthous as a “strategic investor.” There are no normal investors nowadays they all have to be “strategic investors”. Nobody knows what stake in Phil Kleanthous has secured with his strategic investment and how much he has paid.
What is known is that he is a fabulously wealthy businessman, owning the mega successful XM trading platform. He recently bought Ancoria Bank and Forest Park Hotel. He is also said to be a big supporter of Prezniktwo, whose re-election I am sure his strategic investment will fully support.
THE STRATEGIC investment could be bad news for Odysseas Michaelides, who must have been certain he would have had Phil’s full support if he decided to stand in the 2028 presidential elections. The paper had loyally acted as his mouthpiece and cheerleader, but there is now a danger it will side with Ody’s nemesis.
On Friday Odysseas went to the CID to give another statement in connection with a case of contempt of court. And after his questioning he openly blamed the Prez for his prosecution and persecution. It was after all the justice minister of Christodoulides government that started the procedure for “my criminal prosecution,” he said.
This is fast looking like a persecution which, as we have warned in the past, will turn Odysseas into the Mandela of Kyproulla. And if this happens he will become a dead cert to win the election even if Prezniktwo has Phil’s full support, under the new strategic investor.
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