The question is not whether Averof Neophytou will run for office, but in what capacity. It should be noted that “Alpha on Sunday” was the first to reveal that the possibility of his candidacy outside of DISY’s procedures is being considered.
There are therefore three possible scenarios regarding what the former DISY President is considering
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The first is that all of this is a kind of test of the waters regarding an independent candidacy. In other words, he wants to see if his candidacy can be supported by other political groups, using the narrative of the man who will resolve the Cyprus issue.
Second, it is meant to put pressure on Anita Dimitriou by preempting her own candidacy. The two appear to have had an informal agreement after the elections. He would help her get reelected as Speaker of the House with the support of Fidias Panayiotou, and she, in turn, would pave the way for him to run for the Presidency of the Republicon behalf of DISY. However, the targeted leak of polls showing Anita Dimitriou as the candidate with the highest popularity among potential Synergatiki candidates was viewed byAverof Neophytou’s camp as a breach of promise, and this is the reason that led to a complete rift. In this way, therefore, she is attempting to convey the message that, with him as her opponent, neither her election nor her advancement to the second round is as certain as the party’s polls suggest.
And the third scenario is that the former DISY president is indeed preparing for an independent candidacy, arguing that at this critical juncture, only he can handle the Cyprus issue. If he does this, he will of course have to explain why he is not running in the internal party elections and is choosing this path instead. Does he not trust the party’s internal process? If so, why? He will also have to explain what has changed from the Averof Neophytou of 2023 to the Averof Neophytou of 2028. After all, his campaign back then was based on party loyalty and the fact that Nikos Christodoulides was a defector. Today, if he were to do something like that, he would be viewed by a segment of the electorate as inconsistent. Especially since he served as the guardian of the DISY party charter for 10 years.
Regardless of whether Averof Neophytou ultimately announces his candidacy or not, recent developments confirm that a new political landscape is taking shape. And it reinforces the fact that politics is now played without rules.
