The situation within the Democratic Rally (DISY) is growing increasingly explosive. The countdown to the internal party process officially began the previous week, which proved to be a period of dramatic developments that caused serious new turbulence within the party structure.
The party leadership currently faces a highly difficult state of affairs, having so far demonstrated an inability to manage it and effectively continuing its tactic of sweeping problems under the rug.
Indicative of the climate was the conclusion of last Thursday’s Executive Bureau meeting, which ended with members consenting to Deputy President Efthimios Diplaros’s proposal to avoid statements and appearances on television panels.
This followed an intense discussion between Annita Demetriou and Yiannis Karousos, after the party president reprimanded her vice-president for statements made against Harris Georgiades during two television appearances on the same morning.
Yiannis Karousos criticised the former DISY deputy president’s action of sending a letter to the party president stating he would not support the party’s candidate if it were Averof Neophytou, and noted that his resignation should have been accepted.
Karousos had expressed this position during a leadership meeting held on Tuesday afternoon, which lasted over an hour to examine Harris Georgiades’s letter and decide whether or not to accept his resignation from the chairmanship of the Glafcos Clerides Institute.
It was not the first time the party president had reprimanded Yiannis Karousos regarding his public statements, which the leadership views as fueling internal party friction. Karousos reacted, responding that no one can muzzle him and that it is his right to express his opinion, just like any other party official or member.
At the end of the day, a consensus was reached that leadership members should avoid television panel appearances and public statements until the internal elections, in an attempt to lower the tone of internal party disputes. This decision was commented on in various ways.
It is also a fact that for some time, top-tier officials and party MPs have avoided public statements or television appearances, primarily because they are watching developments in the DISY camp with deep embarrassment and concern.
The situation is now very difficult and the climate quite tense. Even if the statement moratorium is observed, introversion is not expected to disappear from the DISY camp.
The lost unity The stake of unity for the Democratic Rally, at least for now, appears completely lost, and the atmosphere inside and outside Pindarou headquarters is exceptionally heavy.
Last week’s developments are indicative of simmering tension within the party. Harris Georgiades’s intervention did not ignite a new cycle of introversion, but rather highlighted the prevailing image within DISY that officials are trying to sweep under the rug.
The decision to amend the statute so that candidate selection is made by the party base, adopted at the latest statutory congress, is now being questioned by many members and officials.
Selecting a candidate from all party members remains a more democratic process and is not disputed. The problem, as many point out, lies in the party’s pathologies and internal disputes that have been sustained and magnified, leaving the landscape within DISY fragmented.
The unity invoked by the president to justify her decision to withdraw her interest in the nomination has not been achieved and day by day appears to drift further away.
This is now perceived by everyone, creating widespread concern at Pindarou and across the entire party structure.
The internal election campaign is essentially just beginning, and suspicion between the two candidates is obvious.
Averof Neophytou stated in his latest intervention that he will devote the remaining time until the internal elections to dialogue with the party base in order to listen to its problems.
This does not mean, however, that his campaign team is not monitoring events and evaluating data.
From Giorgos Pamboridis’s side, concern was left to be implied last Thursday regarding Averof Neophytou’s stance should Pamboridis win the internal race—specifically, whether Neophytou would stand by him if Pamboridis becomes the candidate.
The former DISY president, during his statements at Pindarou upon submitting his candidacy, spoke of unity.
“I gave you a promise and it is an oath of honor. I will never hurt you!”
“I want to say in front of this building that on November 29th, for whoever you choose as our candidate and the next President of the Republic of Cyprus, we must all stand aligned, a united party, to wage the battle for a change in governance,” he stated, in remarks interpreted by many as a commitment to support his rival should he be the candidate.
The elections are scheduled for Saturday, November 28.
Two candidates and two worlds Averof Neophytou’s latest statement declaring he would dedicate himself to dialogue with party members came on the same day as the Executive Bureau meeting, and leadership members referred to it.
Some coordination may have occurred with officials under the philosophy of avoiding public debate.
However, various commentators noted that in the past, individuals in his circle invoked the need for public dialogue and comparison of candidates’ positions.
They recalled a Political Bureau member’s letter prior to the body’s last meeting, which referred to holding debates between those interested in the nomination.
Averof Neophytou has frequently made his political positions on various issues known and frequently intervenes on current affairs, primarily regarding the Cyprus problem and the economy.
His recent press conference calling for the lifting of sanctions against Russia in the energy sector sparked and continues to spark intense discussions inside and outside DISY.
Although he lowered his tone on the specific issue, information from his circle indicates it was not an impulsive intervention, but a conscious political position based on the assessment that energy developments will force even Brussels to change its stance.
Giorgos Pamboridis took a quite critical stance, with his characteristic style, against Averof Neophytou’s position, stating during the campaign that “we say nonsense” (“λέμε τζαι πελλάρες”).
He expressed his own political position, which aligns with official party policy.
He also presented a comprehensive political proposal with a name and content: the “radical centre-right,” a proposal centered on the individual and solving everyday problems.
He spoke of his political footprint as Minister of Health, using it as an example of how a modern centre-right proposal resolves citizen problems and prioritizes the collective good.
On foreign policy issues, he spoke of NATO accession, strengthening relations with Israel and Egypt, and leveraging Cyprus’s EU membership.
He also discussed modernizing the constitution and various other everyday citizen issues forming part of the 11 policy priorities presented at his press conference.
He sought to present his political proposal as an option that turns the page for DISY and leaves 2023 behind.
Notably, he mentioned that in 2023 he did not support Averof Neophytou’s candidacy and stayed away, without clarifying his exact actions at the time.
Consequently, he stated that if he is the candidate, he will certainly reach the runoff and will certainly win the election—responding preemptively to discussions regarding second-round alliances.
Essentially, he sent the message that the second-round dilemma will not exist if he is the party’s candidate.
A reference and comparison point was also the manner in which they chose to appear at Pindarou last Thursday to submit their candidacies.
Averof Neophytou was greeted outside party offices by dozens of supporters with applause, making statements surrounded by backers whom he addressed by first name.
Conversely, Giorgos Pamboridis chose to visit Pindarou accompanied only by his wife, Galateia, entering the building, signing his candidacy, and making a brief statement without taking questions.
Two different approaches and choices open to different readings.
A show and performance from Neophytou’s side to some; a display of strength and high base acceptance to others.
A minimalist, modern presence without excesses from Pamboridis to some; a sign of poverty and lack of support to others.
One way or another, the formed camps are clearly visible.
Nikos Georgiou and Charalampos Pazaros were present supporting Averof Neophytou, while Michalis Ioannidis and Anastasia Anthousi publicly declared support for Giorgos Pamboridis.
How Harris’s letter came to be The previous week was marked by Harris Georgiades’s letter to the DISY president announcing his intention not to support the party candidate if it is Averof Neophytou, placing his resignation at her disposal.
The political outburst of the former DISY deputy president highlighted three essential party pathologies in resounding fashion: 1st: DISY’s 2023 wounds have never healed. 2nd: The party leadership failed miserably in its mission to bring unity. 3rd: Political differences and distinct ideological tendencies are clearly emerging within the party, with confrontation extending beyond personal differences.
Harris Georgiades’s letter to the party president last week, alongside his remarks on Philenews Vidcast, constitute a highly political intervention placing the leadership in a difficult position, regardless of agreement with his points.
On one hand, it highlights leadership failure and mishandling regarding the selection process for the presidential candidate; on the other, it raises the issue of the political foundation a DISY governance proposal must possess.
Georgiades critiqued Averof Neophytou’s handling of his candidacy announcement and the leadership’s overall management.
He also raised ideological and political differences between himself and Neophytou, pointing out that Neophytou’s political positions differ from DISY’s traditional, core policies, and noting his disagreements would persist even if Neophytou were elected president and Georgiades withheld support.
This alignment was signaled not only in the Tuesday letter but also through Georgiades’s article in Sunday’s Phileleftheros last August, responding to Neophytou’s remarks on DISY and AKEL self-criticism regarding the Cyprus problem (specifically mentioning the Ghali Ideas and Crans Montana for DISY).
Georgiades’s article, titled “Did Clerides Bury the Ghali Ideas?”, began by noting that assertions by the Left and others that Glafcos Clerides buried the Ghali Ideas in 1993 and missed a solution opportunity are entirely unjust and inadvertently vindicate Turkish policy.
Resignations with impact signaling deep crisis Harris Georgiades’s resignation carried a strong impact within DISY, followed by Andrea Manoli’s resignation in protest over the leadership’s refusal to accept it, Karousos and Demetriou’s disagreements over the former deputy president’s remarks, and Nikos Tornaritis’s verbal attack on Neophytou.
In a written statement announcing she was not accepting Harris Georgiades’s resignation, the DISY president invoked party unity and called for dialogue.
A lengthy leadership meeting preceded this, where it emerged that the leadership—bar Karousos—opposed accepting Georgiades’s resignation.
This shifted the DISY president’s stance, as leaks earlier that day suggested she would accept his resignation as head of the Glafcos Clerides Institute, illustrating the prevailing volatility at Pindarou.
Michalis Ioannidis also resigned for personal reasons from his position as head of DISY’s Government Work Monitoring Council.
Onoufrius Koullas previously signaled his intention to resign as party spokesperson, remaining generally distanced recently.
Several party MPs and officials are keeping their distance from the current situation and the leadership itself—elements of a quite deep crisis.
