The race for the presidency of the House of Representatives has widened to three candidates, with DIKO leader Nikolas Papadopoulos now in contention alongside DISY leader Annita Demetriou and AKEL Secretary-General Stefanos Stefanou — and Direct Democracy Cyprus (ADK) holding the pivotal votes.
Following yesterday’s unanimous decision by AKEL’s Central Committee to back Stefanou, the picture that had initially shaped up as a straight contest between the two largest parties’ leaders has shifted. According to information available to Phileleftheros, ADK is leaning toward supporting Papadopoulos. If ELAM follows suit, Papadopoulos would advance to the second round, where DISY’s support would give him a strong chance of election.
Without ADK’s backing, however, DIKO’s options narrow considerably. The party Secretariat meets this morning and faces a choice: persist with Papadopoulos’s candidacy to the end, or align behind one of the two other candidates. In that scenario, according to Phileleftheros information, the advantage lies with Demetriou.
The arithmetic
Stefanou enters the contest with a guaranteed second-round place. His 15 AKEL MPs and four ALMA MPs, following Irene Charalambides declaration yesterday that she would vote for him if he stood — bringing his confirmed first-round total to 19 votes.
Demetriou has the backing of DISY’s 17 MPs. DIKO and ELAM together account for 16.
ADK is to announce its final decision at 2pm today. According to information leaking from the party, three scenarios are under consideration: a split vote giving two votes each to Demetriou and Papadopoulos; fielding their own candidate in ADK deputy Dimitris Souglis; or abstaining entirely.
Under the split-vote scenario, Demetriou would reach 19 votes and Papadopoulos 18. Under either of the other two scenarios, Demetriou stays at 17 and Papadopoulos at 16.
ELAM is to decide at midday today. The party could back Papadopoulos, particularly if it receives assurances on the Education and/or Defence committee presidencies.
DIKO under pressure
Yesterday’s developments have placed pressure on DIKO’s leadership. One scenario circulating is a pivot back to backing Demetriou, in exchange for the presidency of the parliamentary Commerce Committee — a move already drawing internal opposition and being described as a U-turn.
If DIKO persists with Papadopoulos and he fails to reach the second round, the party would then face a second-round choice. Supporting Stefanou over Demetriou in that situation would be highly unlikely, according to Phileleftheros analysis — the most probable outcome being a DIKO vote for Demetriou or abstention.
The AKEL window
Yesterday’s Central Committee resolution leaves the Political Bureau room to manoeuvre, with the bureau meeting today holding final decision-making authority. The resolution instructs the Political Bureau to continue contacts with other parties, put forward Stefanou’s candidacy, and explore the possibility of broadening support for it. Critically, it also authorises the bureau to assess new information and take final decisions on how the AKEL parliamentary group votes.
In practice, this means AKEL will sound out DIKO on backing Stefanou. If DIKO were to counter-propose withdrawing both Stefanou and Papadopoulos and put forward an alternative candidate, new dynamics could emerge.
The name of DIKO deputy president Christiana Erotokritou has entered the conversation as one such possibility. Other names were also reported to have been discussed in AKEL headquarters. However, a strong view was expressed at the Central Committee that the obstacle is political differences with DIKO as a party, not a question of personalities — and on that basis the party is proceeding with Stefanou’s candidacy.
AKEL is also expected to approach ADK.
The Central Committee statement read in part: “The Central Committee, after a thorough and productive discussion, unanimously puts forward the candidacy of AKEL Secretary-General Stefanos Stefanou, who possesses the political and parliamentary experience, the seriousness, and the democratic and rational spirit required for the position of House President. Furthermore, Stefanos Stefanou’s candidacy already enjoys the support of two parliamentary parties, AKEL-Left-New Forces and ALMA. The Central Committee instructs the Political Bureau to continue contacts and consultations with other parties, putting forward Stefanos Stefanou’s candidacy and exploring the possibilities of broadening support for it. Furthermore, the Central Committee authorises the Political Bureau to assess the data presented and take final decisions on the stance of the AKEL-Left-New Forces parliamentary group in the vote in the House of Representatives.”
In a separate decision taken in consultation with the parliamentary group, the Central Committee unanimously agreed that Giorgos Loukaides will continue as AKEL’s parliamentary spokesman.
