DISY parliamentary spokesman Demetris Demetriou has said he disagrees with Harris Georgiades over two things: Georgiades’ decision to make public his letter to the party leader, and his suggestion that he might not accept the outcome of the internal party process. Demetriou said Georgiades had every right to express his views, but he disagreed with both the method he chose and the conclusion he reached.
Respecting the members’ vote
Speaking to Politis 107.6 and 97.6 on the programme “Second Look at the Events” with Andri Daniel, Mr Demetriou said the result of a democratic process must be respected.
“You cannot say you will not respect the result of a democratic process if it is a particular result, even though thousands of members will vote,” he said. He added that such an approach was inconsistent with the logic of a democratic process.
“It is the members’ time”
Referring to the internal contest on 28 November, Mr Demetriou said it should be allowed to proceed unhindered so that both candidates can present their vision and positions to the members.
He said there was no “code of silence” or “moratorium” on statements. However, he said the interventions from both sides were drawing DISY away from presenting policy proposals on the problems facing society.
He acknowledged that the disputes came from within the party’s own ranks, and said that beyond a certain point they stop being healthy.
Call for a review of the 2023 elections
Mr Demetriou repeated his call for a review of the 2023 election result, which he said has still not taken place.
He said he had raised the issue at the meeting of the party’s Political Bureau on 2 October and proposed that the process begin immediately after the internal contest is completed.
He said the aim was to put an end to the infighting, insinuations and half-truths among party officials. He said he holds specific views on what is happening but did not elaborate, saying it was not the right moment for a public discussion of every issue.
“I have never hidden my ambitions”
On his personal ambitions, Mr Demetriou said he had never concealed them. He said, however, that he has the patience to express them at the right time, if he judges it appropriate.
He described any such discussion as premature and said the priority must be the victory of the DISY candidate in the 2028 presidential elections.
He also said he would respect the outcome of the internal process, describing this as self-evident.
Unity as daily practice
Concluding, Mr Demetriou said unity should not be a “hollow declaration” but a daily practice. He said differences among party officials should be political, not personal.
“Infighting is not a one-dimensional issue,” he said, adding that efforts to address it must continue after 28 November.
