The Democratic Rally (DISY) has extended its internal selection timeline for the 2028 presidential candidate, shifting the process by two weeks following concerns over tight initial deadlines. Following a lengthy Political Bureau session, the party finalized that candidate nominations will take place on October 26, and internal primary elections will be held on November 28.
The decision marks a compromise from the Executive Bureau’s initial proposal, which had set nominations for October 13 and elections for November 14. Party leadership accommodated requests for more preparation time to address public and internal critiques regarding compressed schedules, while striving to preserve organizational unity.
Securing broad consensus and party unity remained the central focus of the deliberations. Prior to the meeting, party leadership met with Giorgos Pamporides to discuss his expressed interest in contesting the nomination. An invitation was also extended to former party president Averof Neofytou, who was absent due to a trip abroad. Meanwhile, historical party figures reportedly reached out to gauge Neofytou’s intentions and urge him to stay within formal party structures, following a recent social media statement in which he emphasized that he would not allow himself to be betrayed again.
During the meeting, varied scheduling and procedural perspectives were debated. Party President Annita Demetriou proposed that all candidates be co-signed by members across party bodies, indicating she was open to pushing the timeline further toward December and January if preferred. Parliamentary Spokesperson Dimitris Dimitriou advocated for extending the process by a month to mid-December, emphasizing the logistical challenges of organizing island-wide internal elections within a three-week window. Expressing earlier concerns over tight schedules, Giorgos Pamporides requested a one-week extension on nominations and pointed to his historical ties to the party. Additionally, former Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides supported shifting nominations to December and elections to January.
A written proposal submitted by Political Bureau member Giorgos Gavrielidis to hold debates among candidates was rejected during the discussions. Ultimately, the Political Bureau unanimously voted to appoint a five-member electoral committee to oversee the upcoming internal race.
