She recently denied that an agreement had been reached with Anita Dimitriou, and the Democratic Alarm is not bound by anything, according to the party’s press secretary, speaking on the Alpha News program.
When asked if Nikos Christodoulides could also vie for the Democratic Alarm’s nomination for the 2028 presidential election, he stated that Christodoulides would first have to register as a member. “Only if he re-registers as a member,” he emphasized.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Responding to a comment by Mr. Koulla that Nikos Christodoulides claims he is and remains a member of the Democratic Alarm, he points out that it is not enough for someone to simply declare what they are.
“One must also work toward the party’s goals. And there are many other things involved, but that is not the issue at hand.”
Regarding the decisions of the Democratic Alarm Executive Bureau to submit candidacies on October 13 and convene an electoral assembly on November 14, Mr. Koulla noted that the decision is expected to be ratified by the Political Bureau this weekend.
“Those interested have already expressed their interest. It is possible that others will also express interest; that cannot be ruled out either. The Executive Bureau will be the guardian of the procedures, as they are mandated—not merely provided for or potentially applied, but mandated—and are mandatory under the bylaws, which are binding on all of us. The procedures must be flawless.”
“We have also called on all members to participate, and for everyone to truly demonstrate a healthy—if you will—attitude and respect toward everyone, whether among the executives themselves or among the candidates,” he adds.
“We call on everyone—all interested parties—to submit their candidacy, as provided for in the bylaws. The ultimate arbiters for all of us—those who will choose who is the official candidate of the Democratic Alarm, the final candidate of the Democratic Alarm—will be the members. There are tens of thousands of members; this is an unprecedented process. We have, if you will, in my view, in light of what we experienced in 2023, made the historic decision—taken by all of us, by all the party leaders— we were all at the constitutional convention and almost unanimously agreed that this choice—rather than leaving it to the members of the Supreme Council, who number, let’s say, at most two thousand—should be made by the tens of thousands of members. Therefore, that decision, that verdict, cannot but be respected by everyone.”
“It is the broadest democratic process, one of which we say we are proud,” states Mr. Koulla, adding that they will do something unprecedented in Cyprus. “That’s how the members should feel—that they have a tremendous right and power in their hands to determine who we will work for the next day,” he points out.
As Mr. Koulla explains, candidates must secure 500 signatures, 100 of which must be from members of the Supreme Council, and the total of 500 must be distributed proportionally across each district.
When asked why Mr. Neophytou was not called upon to respond, Mr. Koulla said:
“In my opinion, nothing is required; nor was Mr. Neophytou obligated to inform anyone in advance. Everyone has the right to express their views publicly, and disagreements may be expressed publicly. At this time, the party’s collective bodies will carry out these procedures. “It’s not an issue, and nothing we said—what was said, why we didn’t meet, whether we met and had a meal, or anything else—can bind anyone or anything.”
When asked to comment on the agreement reached at a fish tavern, Chris Panayiotou’s response, and the insinuations made by Averof Neophytou—who stated that he was not there in his capacity as a publisher— Mr. Koulla responded in his official capacity.
“I am the press secretary for the Democratic Alarm. The Democratic Alarm is not bound by this; it has no connection whatsoever to anything you are saying. It does not concern us at all. It has no political implications, nor will we reduce our politics and collective decisions to the level of gossip about what I said, what someone else said—whether it was binding, how binding it was—it doesn’t bind anything or anyone. It doesn’t concern us, I repeat. I am the press spokesperson for the Democratic Alarm. What does any of this have to do with anything? Nor can the political process or the political decisions of any party official be reduced to something like that.”
He clarifies that Ms. Dimitriou had been asked publicly and had denied that such an agreement had been made. “Beyond that, there is absolutely no political implication whatsoever for us to discuss this matter,” he adds.
Responding to the reference to Ms. Dimitriou’s “very close” associate, he states that nothing remains up in the air and, jokingly, notes that the question of who is the closest associate has created an internal party problem.
Regarding the Democratic Alarm’s opposition to Nicos Christodoulides, following the criticism leveled by Averof Neophytou, he responds that the intensity of the opposition is a matter of subjective opinion, citing Mr. Christodoulides’s own statements regarding “DISY,” noting that this speaks for itself.
“I do not wish to comment on how one of our leaders, our former President—with all due respect—believes that the opposition is less intense than it should be. I respect that. I don’t want to say anything more. It doesn’t matter, I believe. That is the former President’s assessment, and it is fully respected. That is how I think we should operate in the coming period. Everyone should express their views. It’s permissible to speak publicly; if someone needs to explain where their views differ from someone else’s, they certainly should do so. And I don’t think the press secretary should be caught in the middle, stating whether he agrees or disagrees with whoever ultimately ends up being a candidate within our party.”
He also responded to the remarks by the President of the Republic, who said it is too early for campaigning and that we should focus on other important issues at this time.
“Let no one question the Democratic Alarm’s commitment to putting the good of the country above all else. Where we need to offer support, we will. Where we disagree, we will disagree. Always with our own proposals. And I believe we will enter a very smooth period for the region. And of course, at the same time, an election campaign will be underway. This has no bearing on what’s best for the region. We will select our own candidate. He will be our candidate. At the same time, the Democratic Alarm has its collective bodies and will carry out its work just as our parliamentary group, for example in Parliament; it will do what needs to be done, in any case for the good of the citizens. There should be no debate or doubt about this.”
When asked to comment on Averof Neophytou’s remarks about those who told Annita Dimitriou to “shut up,” he replied that there were many who were waiting in the wings for DISY to fail in the parliamentary elections and that this is his assessment; however, all of that is now a thing of the past.
