President Christodoulides’ reference to “DISAKEL” sparked a strong reaction from both DISY and AKEL, in the wake of the appointments to the boards of directors of parastatal organizations and the controversies they sparked.
Read also: “The party’s over”: President’s harsh response to DISY and AKEL regarding appointments to parastatal organizations
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Speaking on the “Alpha Summer” program, DISY Deputy Press Spokesperson Xenia Konstantinou was asked whether they agree with AKEL regarding the statements they issue against government, she replied that they align with society as a whole.
“We also noted their own admission that the Advisory Council—which was supposedly a flagship government initiative for modernization and transparency— ultimately proved to be nothing more than a means of legitimizing the maneuvers carried out by the president himself in collaboration with the ministers, with the names, of course, coming from the parties that are trying to maintain close ties with him in the run-up to President Chryskopoulides’ reelection. They themselves admitted that there is a significant number—around 21 people— have never submitted an application to the Advisory Committee and are trying to portray all of this as the result of opposition from the Democratic Alarm, which is the Democratic Alarm.”
He calls on President Christodoulides to realize that not a single budget or reform could have been passed without the support of the Democratic Alarm.
“I consider his reference to the so-called DISAKEL to be particularly unfortunate—a slogan that has its roots in what is essentially an ELAM-style slang, a language that emerged from the identification with the solution advocated by President Christodoulides himself, the federal solution, which essentially forms the basis of all UN resolutions. And now, in 2026—ten years later—President Chryskopoulides has emerged, because Mr. Christodoulides did not appear out of thin air; the President was a prominent figure—an iconic Foreign Minister and government spokesperson for the coalition—who supposedly threw a party? Are we being serious here? I’m speechless. I think his entire behavior is uncharacteristic, and DISY reacted quite appropriately.”
When asked to comment on the “party,” she stated that the party is what’s unfolding right before our eyes, arguing that appointments in previous years were more inclusive, noting that DISY, too, had proposals for modernizing the appointment process.
“It ends up being nothing but a farce,” he says characteristically regarding the role of the Advisory Council.
“They shouldn’t be averse to criticism; they should acknowledge their mistakes and strive to improve.”
She notes that a quick glance at the composition of the boards of directors of quasi-governmental organizations seems to satisfy certain political parties.
“The only one it undermines is himself,” she says when asked whether her reference to “DISAKEL” set off alarm bells at DISY regarding the Cyprus issue.
When asked how the Democratic Alarm will conduct its opposition, she states that they do not engage in politics based on emotions but on logic and values that seek the good of the country.
“I repeat, we also demand respect; otherwise, we will respond with the same sharpness,” she concluded.
When asked whether AKEL MP Andreas Pasiourtides agrees with DISY regarding the statements they issue against the government, he replies that the President of the Republic could have done better.
“If he believes that sound bites and slogans will divert the discussion from its essence, then let me tell him that he is sorely mistaken.”
“The essence of the discussion has to do with the continuous and repeated inconsistency between the President of the Republic’s words and actions,” he states, citing examples such as his remarks on appointing an equal number of men and women and appointing individuals regardless of party lists.
“Mr. Arestis should safeguard the dignity of the Advisory Council itself, and if and when he acknowledges the President’s right to appoint individuals beyond the recommendations, —we’re talking about one in four—out of the 95, 21 were appointed outside the recommendations, and some did not even apply—this is another serious issue; Mr. Arestis should have been the first to ask the President to publicly justify his actions, just as the President himself had said, as to why he selected these 21 candidates outside the Advisory Council’s recommendations. Otherwise, Mr. Arestis is there, along with the Advisory Council, to serve the President’s whims, which is not their purpose.”
Special mention was made of the complete exclusion of individuals from the Left from appointments to quasi-governmental organizations. Mr. Pasiourtidis questioned whether the President believes that one-quarter of the electorate lacks competent technocrats to fill these positions, noting that in previous administrations there was a more balanced representation for reasons of internal oversight.
Regarding the reference to a “party,” Mr. Pasiourtidis calls on the President to state whether he witnessed it and failed to speak up.
“Let him tell us—if and when he was elected to put a stop to this ‘party,’ as he himself says—what he has to say about theand out at the Presidential Palace over the past few months, with the ruling coalition parties’ demands for appointments, and at the end of the day, since we see the appointments and the names, the President of the Republic is trying to make black look white. I’ll ask you something else. Doesn’t the President of the Republic believe that there is a single person from the Left capable of being appointed to one of the 95 positions in parastatal organizations? That’s one-quarter of the electorate. Does the President of the Republic believe that such individuals cannot hold positions in parastatal organizations, given that he is the champion of meritocracy, expertise, technocrats, and the most deserving and just appointments.”
Commenting on the President’s reference to “DISAKEL,” the AKEL MP characterized it as an attempt to lower the level of political debate. He even noted that such rhetoric resembles statements made by ELAM, pointing out a “open flirtation” by the government with that particular party, which had celebrated the election of Nikos Christodoulides.
“It’s no secret, and we’ve said it many times in the recent past, that the flirtation with ELAM is there and is out in the open. I won’t hide from you that I remember ELAM celebrating the election of Nikos Christodoulides, saying that it had blocked AKEL’s path to power. Beyond that, if the President of the Republic believes—and I repeat—that chanting a slogan, whether it comes from ELAM or not, this is the answer to the pressing questions we are raising, then that greatly lowers the level of the discussion. But the President of the Republic—I repeat—is judged, and yes, because he flirts with ELAM; he is also judged if his policies, in many cases, mirror those of ELAM.”
In conclusion, Mr. Pasiourtides called on the President to stop “suffering an identity crisis” regarding his background in the Democratic Alarm and to respond with courage and confidence as to why he chose to bypass the merit-based procedures that he himself had announced.
