Newsroom
DISY’s internal battle over the 2028 presidential election is officially underway.
Party leader Annita Demetriou announced Monday that she will seek DISY’s presidential nomination, responding swiftly to former party president Averof Neofytou’s decision to enter the race earlier in the day.
Speaking after a meeting of the DISY leadership, Demetriou said keeping the party united must remain the priority and promised that its democratic procedures would be followed.
“At the same time, as party president, I feel a duty to put myself before the party membership and stand as a candidate for the upcoming presidential election,” she said.
Her announcement turns what had been months of speculation into an open contest for the direction—and possibly the future—of Cyprus’ largest opposition party.
Neofytou announced his candidacy earlier Monday, placing the Cyprus problem and reunification at the center of his campaign. Asked about DISY’s internal process, however, he avoided being drawn into the party dispute, saying his announcement did not refer to party procedures.
The next step belongs to DISY’s governing bodies. The party’s executive bureau is expected to meet Tuesday, followed by the political bureau, which will determine when and how the process for selecting a presidential candidate will begin.
The leadership is also expected to wait and see whether more candidates formally enter the race. Former health minister George Pamboridis has already expressed an interest in standing.
For DISY members, the choice is shaping up to be about more than selecting a presidential candidate. It could become a decision between the party’s current leadership and a former president seeking a political comeback.
And with the election still more than a year away, Cyprus may now be heading into a very long presidential campaign.
