Some Greek artists came under attack after reacting to the excesses surrounding the death of Mazonakis and the public mourning that followed. Great artists such as Theodorakis, Savvopoulos, Hadjidakis and Tokas, who elevated Greek music to great heights, never received such coverage, nor were their deaths accompanied by so many exaggerations. Yes, the media are also to blame, having become full of lightweight figures who know nothing about music but care about cheap stories and ratings. Even in Cyprus, a television channel we considered serious opened its news bulletin and devoted 20 minutes to reports about Mazonakis. In reality, we were dealing with a mediocre musician but, above all, a pitiable human being who, as his family had requested and for which they were criticised, should have spent a substantial period in an institution in order to overcome the very serious problems he faced. Instead, a good but deeply troubled child became a role model. He was sold by the kilo for some temporary audience figures, while the real problems faced by thousands of people like Mazonakis, whom nobody pays attention to, were swept under the carpet.
The reason behind all this quarrelling was, in the end, ambelopoulia. Ambelopoulia hunters in the Famagusta district are complaining because environmentalists and activists are pursuing and reporting them. Between ourselves, they certainly have gone too far with illegal hunting. However, speaking in communication terms, ELAM won the battle and, believe me, that is politically tragic. They say in Limassol that people can legally eat song thrushes, partridges and turtle doves by the ton, but in Paralimni, where there are only ambelopoulia because there is not even a tree to hang yourself from, hunting is prohibited. Some argue that it is the method of hunting that is the problem, namely nets, bird-call imitation machines and other unacceptable practices. Of course, let us be fair. There are illegalities everywhere that are overlooked, since certain international organisations do not concern themselves with song thrushes. They became obsessed with ambelopoulia, with the result that prosecutions are continuous and relentless. This, however, has not reduced their consumption. On the contrary, it has pushed prices up to €80 a dozen, turning a traditional Cypriot delicacy into a luxury item.
Annita could not have agreed to the expulsion of Nicos Tornaritis from DISY, as some initially demanded, for two reasons. First, there is no constitutional provision stating that a DISY official is not entitled to undertake an unpaid assignment entrusted to him by the President. Second, there are emotional reasons as well. Tornaritis stood by Annita when she took her first steps in politics, just as Annita fought for every political position sought by Nicos. Thus the matter moved into the background, and perhaps that is for the best. A party that seeks the Presidency of the Republic cannot be thrown into turmoil and inward-looking disputes because Christodoulides made an appointment from within the party, evidently because he lacks serious people of his own to appoint. For him, Tornaritis was the most suitable choice, particularly for Africa, where the Cyprus issue is largely unknown. We are even told that Annita will return the favour to Christodoulides. When she is elected president in 2028, she will appoint Christodoulides as Cyprus' Commissioner in the European Commission. Because Nikos Christodoulides has served as President, it is not impossible that from his first term he could even secure a vice-presidential position in the Commission.
Some people have become obsessed with the black van and Dilian. Let us remind them that the van has been sitting unused for years in a customs warehouse in Limassol. What is interesting is that black van-type technologies and software are in daily use and everyone is pretending not to notice. We are not talking about the intelligence services, but about individuals who keep this software on dedicated laptops and monitor friends and opponents around the clock. We are talking about parties, large companies and individual politicians who, we are told, have acquired enormous information-gathering capabilities. We ask the Legal Service and the Police: Is this legal or illegal activity? And if it is illegal, will they do, or have they done, anything about it?
The former president has recently appeared worried, and with good reason, about the investigation into the Mafia State allegations by the committee appointed by the Presidential Palace, as investigators have also entered his large law office in Mesa Geitonia seeking answers. In this context, the law firm Nicos Anastasiades moved legally against the Anti-Corruption Authority. As reported by Phileleftheros, it is seeking the annulment of the section of the final report that identifies possible criminal corruption offences concerning each applicant, and the annulment of the Transparency Commissioner's decision to publish the report. The recourse was filed on 28 August by the law firm Antis Triantafyllides & Sons LLC on behalf of lawyers Stathis Lemis, Theofanis Philippou and the law firm Nicos Anastasiades & Partners LLC, and was recently served on members of the Independent Anti-Corruption Authority and Transparency Commissioner Haris Poyiadjis. It is accompanied by the main application and two annexes, one containing the Authority’s decision and part of the findings, and the other containing documents submitted to the London Stock Exchange.
When you make promises to everyone, things become difficult later. We are referring to Nikos Christodoulides and the position of Attorney-General. Next year around this time, George Savvides will retire and there are already many suitors for the post. First and foremost is the current Deputy Attorney-General, but there are others as well. Sources at the Presidential Palace tell us that when Savvas Angelides threatened to resign a few months ago, Nikos Christodoulides encouraged him to stay, promising that he would become the next Attorney-General in September of next year. We are informed that Ionas Nicolaou also wants the position. In 2027 he will be 64 years old, meaning he could serve for around four years. The problem for Nikos Christodoulides is that both men carry political baggage. This is where a third candidacy comes into the picture, that of Elias Stephanou. Of the three, for purely personal reasons, Nikos Christodoulides would prefer his friend Savvas Angelides. If, however, he appoints him next September, five months before the presidential election, he knows he will face severe criticism. He also knows he will face similar criticism if he appoints Ionas. Does that mean Elias Stephanou, or someone with similar credentials, has the advantage? We would not say that with certainty. What we hear is that Christodoulides would prefer to appoint Savvas Angelides tomorrow, if George Savvides would do him the favour of resigning. We should inform Mr President, just as we ourselves have been informed, that Mr Savvides will not be doing him that favour.
Regarding the much-discussed dinner in Platres on 12 September 2026, the host was businessman Ilias Spyrou. As the invitation itself stated, it was “A Gentlemen’s Night”, meaning that the President, who attended as a guest, did so without Philippa. Present were various figures, mainly from DISY, including Diplaros, whose godfather is Spyrou. That evening, the President announced his new openings towards DISY, essentially foreshadowing the appointment of Tornaritis. He even told them that he would drive DISY crazy because he could appoint one DISY member every week. The problem, of course, is not a shortage of people but a shortage of positions. Offices and titles must be found that promote not only politics but also the history, folklore and culture of Cyprus.
