The Clashes Between Annita and Averoff, Pamboridis, and Anastasiadis’s Intervention
“Here is the Democratic Rally, united and strong. And together we will move forward united, strong, and as leading players in political affairs.” So spoke Anita Dimitriou immediately after her proclamation as President of DISY in March 2023, with Averof Neophytou standing to her left.
It was a highly symbolic image, as the former leader of Synagermos was considered the driving force behind her rise to the party’s leadership and, two years earlier, to the presidency of the House of Representatives. This was also the case last June, when—acting largely as a mediator in the collaboration with Pheidias Panagiotou—he contributed to her reelection.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Today, more than three years later, the “united and strong” Alarm Party seems to be nothing more than a slogan. A slogan that clashes with the ambitions and plans of the two candidates for the presidency of the Republic and for securing the party’s nomination ahead of 2028.
A race to recruit new members
Given the 2025 constitutional amendment that places the responsibility for selecting the party’s candidate squarely on all Synergatiki members, the campaign teams of Anita – Averof have long been engaged in a behind-the-scenes race to recruit new members.
The number of new registrations may currently be proceeding at a normal pace; however, according to reports, core groups supporting the two candidates across Cyprus have been collecting signed membership applications from new members for some time now. These applications, however, remain a weapon in the arsenals of the two campaign teams, as they have not yet been submitted for party registration, pending the setting of the election date.
According to the party bylaws, all those listed in the membership rolls 90 days prior to the start of the election process are eligible to vote in the internal party elections. Given this, the thousands of applications from new members—according to reports—that have been collected will be submitted only if these members are ultimately eligible to vote on the date the elections are held.
The total number of newly registered members is, therefore, an extremely important factor, as under certain conditions it could prove decisive for the final outcome of the election race.
It should be noted that, according to the party’s bylaws, candidates for the position of presidential candidate must submit a signed list of 500 supporters who are eligible to vote as of the date of the election, distributed proportionally by district. The lists of supporters must include 100 members of the DISY Supreme Council.
The Roadmap
In Pindarou, the end of the summer break marks the start of the process to establish the roadmap leading up to the internal party election.
The first step is expected in the coming weeks—in September—with the convening of the party’s District Councils. There, the results of the parliamentary elections will be evaluated, and organizational issues will be discussed.
Upon completion of this round of discussions and after analyzing the data, the party’s Executive Bureau is expected to recommend to the Political Bureau, sometime in October, a specific date for holding the Extraordinary Pan-Cypriot Electoral Assembly.
Karousos’s position that DISY must have a candidate for 2028 by October is considered, in practice, unfeasible. Traditionally, the party’s presidential candidate has been selected in March. However, a senior Pindarou official, speaking to “Alpha on Sunday,” noted that the process may be expedited, with the possibility even remaining open that the primary could be held in late November or early December.
Announcement of Candidacies
In the public eye, Anita’s decision to run for the presidential nomination is considered a foregone conclusion. This is something her close associates reject, noting that the Synagermiki President will make her final decision after evaluating the results of additional polls and concluding discussions with other political forces.
According to information from “Alpha on Sunday,” plans to announce her candidacy in August were abandoned due to… the Cyprus issue. Following the public relations—but above all political—blunder of the leak of the internal poll while the UN Secretary-General was in Cyprus, Anita Dimitriou’s announcements are now being postponed—according to the same sources—until October, if not sooner.
This is because sources close to Pindar believe that Anita wishes to capitalize on the momentum of DISY’s recent election victory and her reelection as Speaker of the House.
On the other side, the Averof Neophytou camp is adopting a wait-and-see approach until the situation surrounding the ongoing developments in the Cyprus issue becomes clearer.
Sources close to the former DISY president note that his final decision on whether or not to seek the party’s nomination will depend on developments regarding the Cyprus issue. Emphasizing pointedly that “he has gone on high alert regarding the Cyprus issue,” they note that if Nikos Christodoulides accepts a potential United Nations framework for a solution, then Averof Neophytou will not hesitate to support him in ’28. This is, after all, something he himself has stated publicly.
Their frontrunners
While publicly, both Anita Dimitriou and Averof Neophytou may not have revealed their hands yet, their campaign teams have long been fully mobilized so that the internal party race—whenever it takes place—will find them ready.
In this battle, Anita Dimitriou—with the advantage of controlling the party apparatus—is expected to highlight her “fresh” image due to her age, the momentum she is gaining in the polls, and her institutional role as Speaker of the House—a position to which she was elected with the support of other political forces.
On the other hand, Averof Neophytou will strongly play the card of his many years of political experience, the network of contacts he has built over the years both within and outside Cyprus, positioning himself as the “President of the Solution.” This is the profile he has been methodically building over the past few months. His public appearances—whether through interviews or his participation in the mobilization of the “United Cyprus” Bi-communal Initiative “United Cyprus” alongside officials from AKEL and other organizations, outside the Office of the UN Representative shortly before the dinner hosted by Christodoulides – Erciyuman—hosted by António Guterres.
The Pamborides Factor
In this tense equation, the factor of Giorgos Pamporidis should not be overlooked. The party’s MP, who has long expressed interest in the 2028 presidential race, argues that having members select the candidate fragments the unity of DISY.
Appearing on the “Alpha Summer” show last Tuesday, Pamporidis reiterated that he intends to run as a candidate in the party’s primary, calling on all those interested in the nomination to engage in consultation to determine who can win both rounds of the presidential election.
According to sources close to the lawmaker, he is not currently working to recruit new members, nor has he collected the signatures of members and party officials required to officially submit his candidacy.
However, given his statement that he would step aside if his candidacy does not serve the party’s unity and leads to a loss, the possibility remains open.
A Meaningful Intervention
Despite his absence from DISY’s collective bodies, Nikos Anastasiades, speaking on Wednesday on state radio, expressed his concern about developments within the party and sounded the alarm.
The former President of the Republic argued that those who hold or are seeking leadership positions—and who may be vying for the party’s nomination in the presidential election—must realize that “above their personal ambitions, there is a higher ambition that must prevail—that of love for the party and, by extension, for the homeland.”
These remarks raised questions on Pindarou Street, mainly regarding who they were directed at. However, his reference to the ruling party gives the impression that Nikos Anastasiadis is linking DISY to Nikos Christodoulides.
His statement on ANT1 was similar, three days after the recent parliamentary elections, where he noted that Nikos Christodoulides comes from the very heart of the party, adding meaningfully that “at some point, we must put aside our grievances and rise above our emotions”…
Despite the fact that the party has not yet officially opened the presidential race, the behind-the-scenes maneuvering so far paints a clear picture of a simmering internal conflict. Pindarou Street resembles a volcano ready to erupt, with the visible danger that its lava will leave behind nothing but ash and rubble.
