Internal party processes are gaining momentum – March will “seal the deal” for the chosen candidate
While DISY resembles a boiling cauldron and Nikos Christodoulides awaits the right moment to announce his candidacy, at AKEL, the presidential race is expected to kick off in the coming days.
The fact that Andreas Mavroyiannis “rushed” to express his interest in the 2028 election does not appear to be forcing Ezekia Papaioannou to make a decision right now, though it won’t drag on until June as it did in 2023. The party has already drawn up its timeline, setting March as the milestone for selecting its candidate through the Extraordinary Pan-Cypriot Conference.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The end of political parties
The only certainty at this point is that the Left’s leadership is unable to say which direction it will take. Whether toward a purely party-based choice or toward a candidate coming even from the fringes of the right. The dance of speculation, however, has begun.
One picture, many names
Despite the annoyance caused among party officials by Andreas Mavroyiannis’s public expression of interest in the AKEL nomination—which they considered premature— it is widely assumed that the experienced diplomat’s name is on the party’s short list. Moreover, it is no coincidence that he had lunch with Stefanos Stefanou in August—a lunch that, according to information from Sunday’s edition of Alpha, was repeated a few weeks ago. The scenario of selecting Mavrogiannis, however, appears to be causing concern among a significant number of Ezekia Papaioannou’s party officials, as they argue that a second consecutive candidacy by him carries the risk of a repeat of the 2018 scenario and the defeat of Stavros Malas.
Recently, OEB President George Pantelidis and businessman Sir Stelios Hatzioannou were quick to deny, each for his own reasons, the reports suggesting they were entering the presidential race with the support of AKEL.
Furthermore, according to information from the 24news website, which was confirmed by Alpha on Sunday, the list reportedly included in recent days Tassos Yiasemidis, who hails from EDEK but has been distanced from the party for years. Tassos Yiasemides. The name of the well-known economist appears to have been put forward to the AKEL leadership by the newly elected President of EDEK, Sophia Makri, during her recent meeting with Stefanos Stefanou, as a candidate who could bring the two parties closer together.
At an early stage—and solely at the brainstorming level among party officials—names such as those of Achilleas Dimitriadis and New Democracy’s national assembly member, Christos Stylianidis. As for the former, he himself does not appear to have received the slightest overture from AKEL, while those close to him have made it clear that he will not place himself at the party’s disposal unless it engages in dialogue regarding a specific proposal for cooperation. As for Christos Stylianides, information from “Alpha tis Kyriakis” suggests that he recently met with AKEL officials in Athens, though the purpose of the meeting remains unclear. Those close to him make it clear that he has not received any overtures from the left-wing party. It should be noted that the scenario of Stylianides running for office in 2028 has been circulating in political circles for months.
Among the names circulating in AKEL circles over the past 24 hours is that of the Chair of the Department of Law at the University of Cyprus, Associate Professor Kostas Paraskevas, with whom, however, there does not appear to have been any contact whatsoever. At the same time, the Mayor of Nicosia, Charalambos Pruntzos, who was backed by the left-wing party in the 2024 municipal elections, is also in the picture.
The list of names may have begun, but what Ezekia Papaioannou is signaling is that the possibility of a purely party-based candidacy—specifically that of Stefanos Stefanou—remains on the table. Given that the broader spectrum of the Left and center-left in Cyprus—as well as in Europe —is shrinking, a party-backed candidacy is likely to significantly limit any chances of victory in the presidential election. Everything depends on how much AKEL wants to win, and if it does, to what extent it believes it can achieve victory and under what scenarios.
AKEL’s Timeline
The fact that potential candidates for the Presidency of the Republic from the opposing camps have already entered the race inevitably creates pressure on the left-wing party, whose leadership, however, is not being driven to make hasty moves.
The General Secretary of AKEL had, at the event marking the party’s 100th anniversary, outlined the general framework of a candidacy the party could support: priority on resolving the Cyprus problem, attracting broader progressive forces, no discussions with anyone associated with the governments of Nicos Anastasiades and Nicos Christodoulides, nor with anyone tainted by corruption.
In recent statements, Stefanos Stefanou made it clear that the party will first draft its proposal for governing the country, and then begin a round of discussions with potential candidates.
According to reports in “Alpha on Sunday,” the party’s internal processes are set to begin in October, with the formulation of the political framework to be presented for discussion in the Grassroots Party Groups, followed by exploratory talks with parties, organized groups, and prominent figures. Behind the scenes, however, informal contacts with EDEK, ALMA, Volt, and the Ecologists appear to be already underway.
AKEL’s stated goal is for the lengthy internal party process to be completed in March with the convening of the Extraordinary Pan-Cypriot Conference, which will select its candidate for the presidential election. In this way, the candidate—if it is not Stefanos Stefanou— will have 12 months ahead of him to build his profile, engage with the public, and increase his name recognition.
The coming weeks are considered crucial for AKEL’s selection, both because of the tightening time constraints and regarding the person Ezekia Papaioannou will choose, though it cannot be ruled out that the party leadership may have some surprises in store. The situation surrounding the issue remains unclear, and the overwhelming majority of the names being floated are more in the realm of brainstorming than actual scenarios. At the same time, the process remains open, as even the party leadership does not have a clear picture of the final outcome.
