DISY is once again at odds with itself and is, yet again, at the mercy of personal ambitions

The road to 2028 and the presidential election will perhaps be the biggest challenge DISY faces. It must remain united and strong, marching as one in the great battle for the presidency. However, certain developments in recent days suggest that the outcome may well be too close to call.

Averof Neophytou had a surprise in store for us the other day. On Wednesday, July 1, the media received an email from the Press Office of the former president of the Democratic Rally stating, verbatim: “Averof Neophytou’s official WhatsApp channel is now available to the public, offering a more direct, reliable, and modern way to stay informed about his public activities.”  In short, we can now learn about the public statements, the actions, and the positions of a person who, while holding the title of former president of the country’s leading political party, is no longer part of active politics. Until now, he has occasionally made a point of speaking out on major issues such as the Cyprus problem. His press office, at this moment, seems to be getting down to business in earnest.

Although he may not have stated it publicly, Mr. Neophytou’s move appears to have its sights set on 2028 and the presidential election. It is by no means a coincidence that Averof Neophytou’s return to public life coincided with the day of the major event celebrating DISY’s 50th anniversary.

A few hours later, Anita Dimitriou took the stage at DISY’s 50th-anniversary celebration. And from that podium, she made sure to bare her teeth, sending clear messages to ears that were likely not all that receptive. Seated in the audience, Averof Neophytou listened as the party president failed to mention his name even once, yet cut the ribbon to mark the party’s march toward 2028. 

Given these circumstances, the groundwork appears to be laid for a new, complex, and problematic situation that the Democratic Alarm may soon face. Once again, it is locked in a battle with itself and at the mercy of personal ambitions. And this at a time that is highly favorable for the party, as it managed to emerge unscathed from the parliamentary election battle, securing 27.1% of the vote.

To avoid a new cycle of introversion—with its well-known consequences —DISY will need to open the book of its own history, its very recent history, turning to the pages of 2023 and rereading everything that led them into the previous mess. Otherwise, history will effortlessly repeat itself with different protagonists, a slightly different script, but the same losers.