Irene Charalambidou is set to announce a formal political alliance with Odysseas Michaelides’s Alma party on Monday, in a move that has been widely anticipated for months but will nonetheless sharpen competition ahead of the parliamentary elections.
The announcement, barring any last-minute developments, will follow a second meeting between the two sides on Monday, which is expected to be procedural in nature.
The groundwork was laid on Tuesday evening, when Charalambidou met Alma’s party secretariat for a first official exploratory session.
Both sides came away satisfied, according to our information, with talks centring on anti-corruption policy — an area where the two have long common ground.
Charalambidou and Michaelides worked closely together when he served as Auditor General, and both have spoken publicly of that collaboration.
Crucially, Charalambidou will not become an Alma member. The alliance is understood to be structured as a cooperation agreement that preserves her autonomy and freedom of expression. Further details are expected after Monday’s announcement.
Speculation about the alliance had been circulating for months — well before Charalambidou’s formal split from AKEL. That timeline is at the heart of a bitter dispute with her former party.
AKEL leader Stefanos Stefanou reacted strongly, accusing her of entering negotiations with another party while still sitting as an AKEL MP. Charalambidou’s side flatly rejects that account.
Her departure has also strained relations between AKEL and Michaelides more broadly. DIKO had separately approached Charalambidou about standing on its ballot.
Nicosia contest tightens
Charalambidou’s alliance means she will stand on Alma’s Nicosia ballot alongside Michaelides and Dimitris Papadakis. How many seats Alma will win in the capital — and who misses out — remains an open question.
AKEL replaces Famagusta candidate
AKEL has announced a change to its Famagusta ticket after candidate Antonis Zymaras withdrew, citing serious professional commitments that prevent him from running a full campaign.
In a written statement, Zymaras said his decision was not connected to any disagreement or dissatisfaction, thanked party members for their trust, and expressed his readiness to contribute to AKEL’s efforts in other ways.
AKEL’s Central Committee unanimously approved his replacement — following a unanimous recommendation from the Famagusta party executive — at its meeting on Tuesday.
The new candidate is Giannis Siapanis, 55, originally from Deryneia and currently living in Limassol. He retired from the Navy at the rank of Commander and had a long volleyball career with Nea Salamina, the Cyprus national team and the Armed Forces national team.
DISY opens fire on Michaelides over stadium ruling
The European Commission’s decision that state aid for the Alphamega Stadium in Limassol was fully compatible with EU law has given DISY’s Pindarou headquarters an opening to attack Michaelides.
In an announcement yesterday, Pindarou took aim at his record as Auditor General, saying that oversight and dissent are legitimate in a democracy — but not when driven by personal ambition.
The announcement concluded that had the government of the time listened to Michaelides, Limassol would today have no modern international-standard stadium. The Alphamega is home to Apollon, AEL and Aris and hosts a range of sporting and community events.
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