The path that Nikos Christodoulidis could take, if he so chooses, Nikos Christodoulides could take to restore his relations with the Democratic Alarm, as indicated by Giorgos Pamporidis, a Democratic Alarm MP and the party’s candidate for the party’s nomination for the 2028 presidential election, Giorgos Pamporidis, outlined the path that Nikos Christodoulidis could take, if he so chooses, to restore his relations with the Democratic Alarm.
“I was responding to a question about second-round scenarios, which I, as a matter of principle, do not discuss, because I believe that the Democratic Alarm has the opportunity to present its positions to society and convince the public that it is the driving force behind politics in Cyprus and can credibly take on the governance of the country,” he states, clarifying the remark he made on state radio when he said that Nikos Christodoulides should apologize to the Democratic Alarm’s supporters.
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“What I said is that a relationship that has been irrevocably severed cannot be restored. In other words, we cannot talk about any kind of cooperation unless the rift that occurred in 2023 is fully mended.”
When asked how the Democratic Alarm, given that it is currently in the opposition, could cooperate with Christodoulides, he states:
“Mr. Christodoulides’s potential desire to reconnect with the Alarm is not a decision to be made by Pamborides, nor by Annita, nor by Averof, nor by anyone else. It is a decision for the collective bodies; I do not get involved in that part. However, if Mr. Christodoulides so desires, I have outlined the way I believe it can be done. We are getting ahead of ourselves. Mr. Christodoulides has not yet expressed his intention to even run as a candidate in the upcoming presidential election. If he does, I assume he’ll do so outside of Democratic Alarm, unless he comes to Pindarou next Monday to submit his candidacy.”
He adds that the Alarm is a well-organized party and is moving toward selecting its candidate through its established procedures.
“Anyone who wishes to be a candidate for the Democratic Alarm, if they are one of our members, must do so in this manner. Anyone outside the Democratic Alarm who wishes to have the party’s support must find ways to establish or reestablish a relationship with the Democratic Alarm.”
He interprets Nikos Anastasiades’ statements as a desire to maintain a center-right mindset in the country’s governance. “We, therefore, believe that our proposal fully addresses Mr. Anastasiades’ concerns, and I am certain that Mr. Anastasiades will also support the Democratic Alarm’s candidate in the presidential election,” he added.
When asked about his phone conversation with Mr. Anastasiades, Mr. Pamboridis clarified that when he decided to run for the DISY nomination, he informed long-standing party officials with whom he had worked since 1981, when he joined DISY, including Nikos Anastasiades, who was abroad at the time. When asked if he had received Mr. Anastasiades’ blessing, he answered in the affirmative, saying that Mr. Anastasiades had wished him every success.
When asked to comment on Annita Dimitriou’s statement and the commitment made by the two candidates to stand by the candidate who is elected, and when asked whether this is feasible given thatmuch has been said that has marred the positive atmosphere, he states:
“I have the impression that the Democratic Alarm possesses the maturity required for this mutual respect to exist. Moreover, participation itself in a democratic process in which the party’s rank-and-file makes the decision cannot be called into question—especially by those who are participating in the process.”
And he emphasizes that what matters is for the loser to abide by the rules of the game.
“I believe it would be unthinkable for someone who has run in this process to then run as an independent in the presidential election.”
Read also: VIDEO: Averof Neophytou Announces His Candidacy and Asks for a Vote of Confidence from the DISY Base
When asked how he viewed Averof Neophytou’s announcement of his candidacy, he replied that he viewed it with pleasure, as Neophytou had now clearly stated that he would enter the DISY process without any ambiguity.
When asked if he is one of the people Yiannis Karousos accuses of being “at the Presidential Palace in the morning and at Pindarou Street by noon,” he stated that he is neither at the Presidential Palace nor at Pindarou Street.
“There are members of parliament who are at Pindarou Street. I have no role at Pindarou Street. I have no role at the Presidential Palace. So let Karousos clarify what he means and name names and addresses, because this whole business has gone a bit too far.”
“I have the feeling that we’re not helping to overcome this inward-looking attitude with these statements; I have the feeling that people are now demanding honesty and straightforwardness,” he adds.
He speaks of a particularly critical period for the Democratic Alarm, with toxicity and tensions that aren’t helping its image.
“We’re projecting an image that hurts the Democratic Alarm’s supporters. We’re now alienating even those who, with hesitation and reservations, came out in May and voted for us. And we must take steps to restore our relationship with our base and our supporters.”
Mr. Pamporidis states that he has collected the 500 signatures needed to submit his candidacy, a process he describes as thankless.
“It’s a tedious process that took me a very long time—at least for someone like me, who wasn’t a career politician with years of experience in the party. To become a candidate for president of the republic, you need one hundred signatures with no restrictions. To be a candidate for the Republic, you need five hundred per district; this is a remnant of an old mindset that I do not share.”
When asked again whether Nikos Christodoulides could align himself with DISY, he replied in the negative, noting that the same applies to another candidate, such as Nikolas Papadopoulos.
Responding to a question about whether the goal is to prevent a left-wing government from taking the helm, he replied that the goal is for DISY to return to power.
“There is only one goal. The goal is to have a Democratic Rally government. I have repeatedly spoken of my conviction that the Democratic Rally is a leading political force in the country, which has demonstrated through its actions and policies that it possesses both the capability and the vision required society to lead the country forward and not merely to remain in a defensive, administrative posture. During the Democratic Alarm’s tenure, Cyprus flourished; the economy flourished, the people’s hard-won gains were protected, and social achievements such as the National Health System (GESY), the Equal Opportunities Act (EEE), and rights related to diversity were strengthened. There were serious and sincere efforts to resolve our national problem. We joined the European Union, and we have a proven track record of what we have contributed to the country. The interlude, if you will, that left us out of government in 2023—with the internal division and the problems that arose from that rift—must be put behind us; we must turn the page; we must once again engage with society as a party. Because that is what we are—a party that is united, has proposals, and can once again inspire credibility and trust among the people. If we make this our challenge, it will also be our goal.”
When asked to evaluate the Christodoulides administration, he states that it set the bar low and, by that standard, is deemed satisfactory.
“I believe that Christodoulides’ administration, compared to the standard it has set for itself regarding the governance of the country, has fallen far short; but judging it objectively, I would say that the situation is more or less satisfactory, which reflects the current government’s approach to governance. It views the governance of the country solely as the management of issues as they arise. This approach is neither adequate nor satisfactory, since the problems citizens face in their daily lives are escalating and growing, and the way they are addressed is clearly reactive.
“I feel that Cyprus loses out when it does not believe in itself and does not strive to reach much higher than where we are today,” he concluded.
