Oriana Papantoniou
Concern—and, in some cases, bitterness—prevails among most senior DISY figures as they watch recent events unfold. Citing the need for party unity on both occasions, party leader Annita Demetriou announced on Sept. 28 that she intended to seek DISY’s presidential nomination, only to withdraw her candidacy on Oct. 8.
The decisive factor in both instances was former leader Averof Neofytou, who appears never really to have left. His announcement that he would run in the 2028 presidential election, without clarifying whether he would follow the party’s selection process, prompted an immediate response from DISY headquarters.
Many argue that Averof Neofytou’s methods of securing the nomination cross the line of political ethics.
Until Sept. 27, the day Neofytou announced his intentions, the party had been taking a wait-and-see approach pending developments on the Cyprus problem, although some officials had stressed the need to bring forward the internal election process. Members of the leadership had publicly maintained that there was time to select a candidate as late as March 2027.
Within 10 days, however, everything changed. Following a meeting of the top leadership, Demetriou announced her intention to seek the nomination. Present at that meeting was Ioannis Kasoulides, who argued forcefully that the party leader needed to stand. The Executive Bureau then met to propose dates for the internal election, followed by a tense Political Bureau meeting. Throughout, leading party figures made daily statements taking pointed aim at Neofytou’s stance.
All this unfolded in the shadow of the much-discussed dinner at a well-known fish restaurant in Nicosia. Neofytou claims that, during that dinner, two of Demetriou’s associates from outside the party—Politik publisher Chris Panayiotou and the newspaper’s director, Dionysis Dionysiou—assured him that she would support his presidential candidacy if he helped her secure election as House speaker.
Neofytou made the meeting public, raising insinuations about the role of the two men. A few days later, Demetriou acknowledged that she had attended the dinner but denied that there had been any discussion concerning the party leadership.
Whatever the case, the exchanges created rival camps within DISY. Many argue that Neofytou’s methods of securing the nomination cross the line of political ethics and are driven by revenge. Others believe Demetriou should have been more careful in her actions as party leader, including her dealings outside the party structure.
The way their latest meeting unfolded suggests there is little room for common ground. In the preceding 24 hours, whispers around DISY headquarters suggested that Demetriou would withdraw from the race. Polls showing her support falling—leaked by some for their own advantage—had contributed to that expectation. Even so, she was given no room for consultation.
Neofytou was accompanied at the meeting by veteran DISY figure and Alithia publisher Frixos Koulermos, who had previously written to Demetriou asking her, among other things, not to seek the presidential nomination. According to accounts of the meeting, tempers flared, Neofytou showed no willingness to listen, and pressure was applied for Demetriou to announce her withdrawal immediately.
The official account is that neither she nor her close associates had expected events to unfold this way. They wanted the process to proceed as smoothly as possible, allowing them to make the case for her decision. Meanwhile, cooler heads urged Demetriou to stay in the race, arguing that there was still time to reverse the current picture. They pointed to achievements on her record, including DISY’s 27.1% share of the parliamentary vote at a difficult time for the party.
DISY’s party machinery
How the party machinery will function from here remains unclear, and resignations cannot be ruled out. That possibility becomes more understandable when one considers that teams were formed around people who believed personally in Demetriou and her vision for DISY’s future, free of the entrenched attitudes and baggage of the past.
Those people now see little point in developing plans or a vision, since Neofytou has his own team and is working to plans he has already thought through. There is, of course, also the question of what comes next. If DISY fails to reach the presidential runoff, Demetriou, as party leader, will be responsible for negotiating an agreement on which candidate to support and what the party would receive in return.
It is too early to judge whether, after all this upheaval and intense infighting, DISY will ultimately back Nikos Christodoulides in the second round. That is a plausible scenario, given that far more DISY supporters than in the past — including figures within the leadership — say they oppose Neofytou and will support the incumbent president’s reelection.
At that point, however, Neofytou will have to demonstrate whether his claims of support from other parties, such as Alma and Direct Democracy, hold up. Such a development could change the final outcome, potentially giving DISY both the presidency of the Republic and the speakership of the House.
Pamborides
For now, Giorgos Pamborides’ candidacy should not be overlooked. From the outset, he said Neofytou would find him standing in his way, while also making clear that he would not hand the party over to Christodoulides.
If he stays in the race to the end, as he says he will, Pamborides could win more votes than he expects. A section of DISY supporters opposed to Neofytou has emerged and will back him. Another advantage is his broader appeal beyond the party, potentially reaching some of the 27% of voters who abstained in 2023.
A third contender could also emerge by Oct. 26, the deadline for submitting bids for DISY’s nomination. Ionas Nicolaou has already requested the form for collecting supporting signatures. He may have stayed in the background recently, but party officials say that, if he decides to run, he could take on Neofytou on every front.
Other figures have also been approached, including Loucas Fourlas, who appears to have declined. Further announcements in the next 24 hours cannot be ruled out.
Looking ahead to 2033
The former leader may be entering the election campaign just as he planned—effectively sending Christodoulides and Demetriou the message that they have not seen the last of him, with the numbers currently favoring his bid for the presidency in 2028. Yet, despite the current DISY leader’s temporary defeat, she has lost a battle, not the war.
For many, 2033 seems a long way off. But political plans are already being mapped out. Demetriou already holds both the speakership of the House and the party leadership. DISY will either return to power in 2028, giving it something to gain, or suffer a second consecutive five-year term out of power, making radical change unavoidable.
