ARMENIAN TO LEAD CYPRIOT POLITICAL PARTY
By Georges der Parthogh
AZG Armenian Daily
26/10/2006
Marios Karoyan, Armenian born Cypriot politician was elected chairman
of the ruling "Democratic Party" (DIKO), thus becoming the Armenian
with the highest in the 46 years of the Cyprus Republic.
At an island wide election involving some 14, 000 members and
followers of the party formed 30 years ago by the late president of
the republic, Spyros Kiprianou, Karoyian clinched 62,6 percent of
the votes as against 37.4 percent of his opponent acting party leader
Nicos Kieanthous.
Karoyian now replaced President Papadopoulos who stepped down as
party leader this month, saying that he wanted to make room for
younger people.
During a bitterly contested election campaign Karoyian suffered "below
the belt" attacks by some leading DIKO members for his Armenian
ancestry, stressing that he had not done military service in the
Greek Cypriot National Guard.
Under the provisions of the Cypriot Constitution, members of the
minority groups, namely, Maronites, Latins and Armenians, are exempt
from military service.
Karoyian, a former football star in AYM the Armenian Young Man’s
Association, came into political limelight in 1991, when the then
President of the Cyprus House of Representatives, Alexis Galanos,
chose him as his personal assistant. Later, He was picked by President
Kouprianou and Papadopoulos as top political adviser.
He also served as government spokesman.
He appeared deeply moved as he was proclaimed the now leader of DIKO,
flanked by the two sons of the late Spyros Kiprianou, including Markos
who is European Union Commissioner for Health.
It will be recalled that Syprus Kiprianou was one of the first
politicians who raised the question of the Armenia genocide at the
United Nation’s General Assembly when he was foreign minister under
the then President of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios.