The Democratic Alarm is aiming for victory in the 2028 presidential election, says DISY Vice President Yiannis Karousos from the studio of the “Alpha Enimerosi” program.
Read also: “He’s making it clear now”: How Karousos comments on Averof Neophytou’s candidacy announcement video
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He points out that, for the first time, the party base will select the Democratic Alarm’s candidate for the presidential election and emphasizes that he himself supported this amendment to the party’s bylaws.
“I think everyone in the Democratic Rally knows both Giorgos Pamboridis and Averof Neophytou. Both, in my opinion, are suitable candidates and future Presidents of the Republic of Cyprus. The DISY base is familiar with both of them. They know their strengths, their weaknesses, and their policies.”
He clarifies that no candidate will draw up a governance program outside the framework of the Democratic Rally. When asked about Averof’s proposal to lift sanctions against Russia, Mr. Karousos makes it clear that DISY holds the opposite view, however, he maintains that his statement was misinterpreted and that his intention was to raise the issue at the European level for a partial lifting of sanctions.
“Once the candidate is selected, I’m sure they’ll articulate certain positions, put forward certain proposals to the Synergatiki members. It would be helpful for the Democratic Alarm supporters to know where they differ, etc. But to be clear, there will be a framework set by the Democratic Alarm, and the candidate will have to operate within that framework.”
And he points out that the Democratic Alarm’s goal is victory in the presidential election.
“We’re going for victory. We shouldn’t be discussing anything other than victory in the presidential election. That’s the message we need to send. And to achieve that, we must all be united. Therefore, the leadership’s courage and the challenge—if you will—is to find a way to unite so that we don’t have to discuss what we went through in 2023. In 2023, we knew very well why we didn’t make it to the second round. It was because of this “double standard.” One morning we’d be with one candidate, and by noon with the other. Not everyone. Just some.”
When asked if the “double-dealing” continues, he states that it has decreased significantly and expresses the view that once they have their own candidate, it will no longer exist.
“Just as I’ll campaign if the candidate I choose is selected, if it’s the other one, I’ll campaign for him just the same, because first and foremost, it’s the Democratic Alarm; he’s their candidate, and we, as the leadership, we must send the message to the people,” he replies when asked what he will do if the candidate he supports in the party primaries does not receive the “nomination.”
“Whoever is chosen—because they will be chosen by the rank and file, and this is very important—we must immediately step in and support them.”
Responding to a question about whether his party had discussed Nikos Anastasiadis’s statements on the ANT1 podcast internally, he notes that Anastasiadis expressed his views.
“Many will voice their positions. The point, however, is… We may disagree with many people. The point is that everyone must support the candidate—whether it’s President Anastasiades or anyone else. I take it for granted that President Anastasiades will support the candidate who is selected.”
