Anita Dimitriou, a guest at the premiere of Alpha’s new political show “Bras De Fer” with Emilia Kenevezou.
When asked to comment on allegations of personal blackmail aimed at getting her to withdraw her candidacy, the DISY President was categorical, speaking of an attempt by certain individuals to undermine her politically because they cannot accept that a woman holds this position.
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“There has never been any personal blackmail whatsoever. And I am making that clear again today. What I condemn is making baseless, slanderous allegations to politically undermine someone. These people are called sycophants, and I judge them as such.”
Reiterating that her withdrawal from the party primary was not the result of political immaturity, but a purely personal and conscious choice, the DISY President emphasized that she had taken into account the consequences of a potential candidacy by Averof Neophytou outside the party.
“If I had insisted on running myself, without seeing everything that was happening at the time, what benefit would we have today? Taking into account that possibility—the risk of conflict—I made my own decision to withdraw my candidacy precisely as a message of unity, precisely because we would not have been able to move forward with a successful proposal.”
As for her relationship with Averof Neophytou, Anita Dimitriou described it as excellent; she noted that she could easily work with him, however… as in any family, the relationship has its ups and downs.
“I certainly won’t hide the fact that I was hurt at the time; he might even tell you the same thing if you ask him for his side of the story, of course. There’s no room for sentimentality. Now we’re moving forward together; we talked it out, we dealt with it—maybe I should have sought to talk with him much sooner—and from there on, we’re moving forward. Ultimately, there’s no room for that.”
Read also: Anita on “Bras De Fer”: The slanderous allegations of personal blackmail, the bitterness toward Averof, and the DISY “minefield”
Expressing concern both about the possibility of defeat in the elections and a split within the party, Anita Dimitriou notes that with the right approach, DISY can succeed.
– What if you don’t make it to the second round and you’re once again facing an AKEL candidate and Nicos Christodoulides? Will you view the situation differently this time?
– There’s no way we’d support an AKEL candidate because we disagree on policy and have huge ideological differences.
– So, in the unlikely event that a leftist—Christodoulides—ends up in your electoral showdown, it will be a one-way street.
– Look, we believe we’ll make it to the second round in the upcoming presidential election, and I’ll say it again—and I’ll never tire of saying it—we’ll do everything in our power to make that happen.
Admitting that managing the “Alarm” initiative often resembles a “minefield” where “backstabbing” is not uncommon, Anita Dimitriou made it clear that, as long as the public continues to trust her, she has no intention of giving up the fight…
– Do you feel that your leadership is being questioned?
– I don’t feel that my leadership is being questioned.
– So it didn’t cross your mind, after withdrawing from the race for the presidential nomination, to step down as party leader?
– But why should I step down? Because I chose, at this particular moment—whether people agree or disagree—to put the party’s unity first and foremost?
Finally, she hinted that her tenure as leader of DISY will not end with the conclusion of this term.
“It’s very likely—I believe I will run again. I definitely want to continue; I feel I still have a lot to offer.”
