“Heroes are forgotten, but traitors are never forgotten,” Averof Neophytou said emphatically after being eliminated from the second round of the 2023 presidential election, Averof Neophytou said with intensity after being eliminated from the second round of the 2023 presidential election, as he made the decision to “go the extra mile” and support Andreas Mavroyiannis. A stance that was not limited solely to Nikos Christodoulides’ move to announce his candidacy outside of DISY, but also to his strong conviction that a parallel mechanism, with the blessing of Nikos Anastasiades, was working in favor of Christodoulides’ candidacy—a development that essentially undermined his own candidacy. Today, once again making pointed remarks about betrayal, he denounces the lack of an opposition role within DISY, reveals secret dinners at fish taverns, and is running for office. He has, however, left open the possibility of running outside the party’s procedures. This in itself raised questions as to whether the spirit of Nikos Christodoulides had taken over Averof Neophytou’s body, forcing him to act in the very way he had denounced in 2023. At the same time, it sparked a debate over whether, in the face of his strong desire to be elected president, he has no limits—to the point where it doesn’t bother him if he is plagued by inconsistency and self-contradiction. Or whether he senses the resurgence of that parallel mechanism undermining his candidacy, which leaves him no choice but to go it alone.
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