Xenia Konstantinou sees a threat even to the survival of the historic Democratic Rally party if Averof Neophytou runs as an independent.
Speaking on the Alpha Kalimera program, DISY Deputy Press Secretary Xenia Konstantinou clarified that the majority—not all members, but the majority— felt that these dates—with the two-week extension granted— namely October 26 for the submission of candidacies and November 27 for the electoral assembly, established more reasonable timelines.
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“In any case, Mr. Pamporidis had previously expressed some reservations; he also served on the Political Bureau, who stated that even a one-week extension would be considered normal, so ultimately, by the wisdom of the many, we unanimously finalized these new dates. I believe that the fact that this extension is being granted reflects, if you will, a willingness to do as much preparatory work as possible to lead to a consensus.”
Ms. Konstantinou describes the process as democratic and inclusive, in which everyone can participate, mentioning the names of the party’s president, Averof Neophytou, and Giorgos Pamboridis. When asked how realistic Averof Neophytou considers it to go through the process, she replied as follows:
“At least so far, it doesn’t seem to be the most realistic option based on his public statements, but it’s not up to me to judge and evaluate.”
When asked who would run Averof Neophytou’s campaign within the party—should he go through the party’s procedures and be elected, given everything that has happened— Ms. Konstantinou looked back on past campaigns.
“I remember very clearly many election campaigns where there were a lot of doubts—either about party officials, or about the candidates’ campaign teams, or one or the other. There was always this grumbling—that’s the reality. But the truth is that every time, even in the final stretch, the Democratic Alarm unites and moves forward as one.”
“Whoever succeeds in securing the nomination through the party’s procedures, we will all stand united with them,” she noted when asked to comment on the fact that Averof Neophytou appears to be doing what Nikos Christodoulides did in 2023.
“I believe this is the very least we can and must do for our party and its members.”
When asked to comment on the apparent personal feud between the President of the Democratic Alarm and the former President of the Democratic Alarm, Ms. Konstantinou emphasized that personal matters should be set aside.
“We are political figures. We are political leaders. I believe that, above all, everyone’s priority—precisely because each person’s political survival depends on how they conduct themselves politically— I believe we will be able to find a way to reach a consensus. Personal matters are not the issue. Personal matters are set aside.”
When asked to assess Averof Neophytou’s political conduct, she states that he surprised and hurt a lot of people.
“The fact that he’s leaving open the possibility of running as an independent at this point, I think this brings back memories, if you will, of ’23—something I believe many people are genuinely concerned about, both for him and his future, as well as for the party itself.”
When asked if she believes he is acting out of a desire for revenge, Ms. Konstantinou refers back to him.
“Since we’re talking strictly about politics here—and politically speaking, it’s the party we must safeguard, along with its own course and its own political priorities—I believe there’s no longer room for personal agendas or personal paths. We’ve been through this before. We should have learned our lesson.”
Commenting on the way she announced her candidacy, she states that the announcement itself was not a surprise, but perhaps the manner in which it was made—meaning that since the President was ready, she sees no reason why she shouldn’t have announced it.
Regarding the much-talked-about dinner, she says it was wrong to give it so much publicity.
“There was far too much publicity, and there was public debate surrounding this much-talked-about dinner; the reality is that politicians always—whether with businesspeople, party donors, or journalists, will meet, have dinner, have lunch, and discuss many issues concerning either the party, the economy, or some reform. However, there is a line: under no circumstances may an “extra-institutional” figure—as you call him—whether he is a longtime party official, a businessperson friendly to the party, or anything else, cannot in any way bypass the collective bodies or their decisions, and so on; nor is there any way for such a thing to happen, nor can anyone make a commitment to a third party. How would she know how everyone else—the leadership, executives, and so on? It might not have been Ms. Dimitriou; it could have been another candidate for the presidency and the nomination, so I think this statement was perhaps made inappropriately.”
“I understand that, for his part, Mr. Neophytou may have wanted to emphasize that he had made certain commitments, but to his credit, he himself rejected the idea that he had entered into this negotiation in the first place, so I think that’s settled,” she added.
When asked to comment on the fact that the first part of the “agreement” had been reached, Ms. Konstantinou stated that Ms. Dimitriou had no choice but to run for Speaker of the House, given the percentage of the vote the party secured in the parliamentary elections. “Mr. Neophytou did the right thing,” she comments regarding the meeting she had with Fidias Panagiotou on Pindarou Street in the presence of Anita Dimitriou, the day before the parliamentary elections.
“We all felt out the situation to see what would happen, and the reality is that right up until the last moment—and on that very day, you remember the crazy behind-the-scenes drama—Pheidias ended up, at the very last moment, he was even still discussing it with Mr. Papadopoulos—they were making a video, they weren’t making a video— I mean, it’s not as if Mr. Neophytou pressed a magic button and suddenly became Speaker of the House, but that’s what happened. I repeat that this is not a matter of agreement, and I hope—I repeat—that from now on we will move forward by respecting, first and foremost, democratic principles, the very provisions we amended in our bylaws to ensure that all members have the right to vote.”
Commenting on the possibility of a split within Synagermos should Mr. Neophytou run as an independent, since a faction is expected to possibly support Nicos Christodoulides, he acknowledges that there is a risk, without wanting to be a prophet of doom.
“Certainly, in that case, things will be extremely difficult. And regarding the possibility of an election for the Presidency of the Republic—but above all for the party itself—the political future of this major party, which is approaching its half-century mark, which has a great history that shaped Cyprus, our accession to the European Union, major reforms, and so on—there really will be an issue, I would even say one of survival, for the party. That is why everyone must take on their own share of responsibility—whatever their part may be—to effectively secure our future. That is where individual responsibility lies.”
