Diko leader Nicolas Papadopoulos on Tuesday intensified his criticism of the government over the planned power interconnection with Greece, accusing it of sending contradictory signals.
Speaking on CyBC radio, Papadopoulos warned against the collapse of the great sea interconnector (GSI).
“If the project collapses, international agreements will still be implemented and the bill will be paid by Cypriot taxpayers, without us having the electrical interconnection that will bring multiple benefits,” he said.
He argued that repeated references by government officials to changing geopolitical conditions amount to a veiled rejection of the project.
“If the viability study is updated by a company that has already publicly stated that the project should not be carried out, this means that the government’s actions show that it does not want the project to proceed,” he said.
Turning once again to Finance Minister Makis Keravnos, Papadopoulos said he should stop publicly casting doubt on the project’s feasibility.
“Either we pay the €125 euro, €25 million over five years, as the government pledged, or let us say clearly that we do not want the project to go ahead,” he said.
He accused the government of failing to respond to formal requests for clarification.
“We are publicly asking the government to clarify its position regarding the GSI, but unfortunately we are not receiving any response to our written questions,” he said.
Papadopoulos stressed that Cyprus is bound by international agreements governing the payment of the first €25 million instalment and warned that these obligations would apply regardless of whether the interconnection is delivered.
Asked whether Diko might leave the government over the dispute, Papadopoulos avoided a direct answer, saying only that “we will make public any decisions we make”.
His remarks followed a statement issued on Monday by Dipa, which although admitted the interconnection is of major geostrategic value, stressed that it must be sustainable and not place public finances at risk.
Dipa said Papadopoulos’ insistence on the state’s ongoing commitment, despite a joint decision by both the Greek and Cypriot government to update the data to attract strategic investors, raises reasonable questions.
The party also criticised the “style and intensity” of Papadopoulos’ attacks on President Nikos Christodoulides and Keravnos.
It further questioned whether Diko vice president Michalis Damianos, now energy minister, is fully aligned with government policy or party strategy.
The dispute comes amid wider criticism of Papadopoulos’ stance from within Diko and the governing camp.
Labour minister Marinos Mousiouttas and Diko MP Christos Orphanides lambasted him for political manoeuvring and ignoring party procedures.
