DISY vice-president Yiannis Karousos has expressed concern about the party's opposition performance and called for broad participation in the internal process to select its candidate for the 2028 presidential election.
Speaking to Politis radio, Karousos said the Democratic Rally's internal selection process should be open to all interested candidates and stressed the importance of avoiding a repeat of the divisions that emerged during the 2023 presidential election.
‘The challenge is not to relive 2023’
Karousos said the party leadership must ensure that whichever candidate emerges from the process receives the full backing of the party.
“This is the challenge for us as a leadership,” he said.
He argued that regardless of whether the nominee is Averof Neophytou, Annita Demetriou, Giorgos Pamboridis or another candidate, safeguards must be in place to ensure unity.
According to Karousos, party officials who do not intend to support the eventual candidate selected by members “have nothing to offer”.
He also expressed hope that Neophytou would submit his candidacy through the party's official procedures and said he would like to see the current and former DISY leaders standing together and sending a message of unity.
Membership should decide
Karousos described the process as one of the most democratic ever used in Cyprus, noting that DISY's grassroots membership will choose the party's presidential candidate.
“The days when a few decided on behalf of the many are gone,” he said.
He noted that DISY's membership register is expected to fall to just below 50,000 members following a recent review.
While acknowledging that some members supported President Nikos Christodoulides in the previous election, Karousos said he did not believe they would influence the result significantly.
Criticism of opposition strategy
Karousos was particularly blunt when asked about the party's role in opposition.
“No, DISY is not conducting satisfactory opposition,” he said.
“I am not satisfied either with the way or the intensity with which we are exercising opposition.”
He argued that one reason he favoured launching the presidential selection process earlier was that it would force DISY to become more active politically and explain its differences with Christodoulides more clearly to voters.
According to Karousos, valuable time has already been lost while the president continues what he described as a de facto election campaign.
Emphasis on ‘popular right’
Karousos also highlighted what he called the “popular right” tradition of DISY, describing it as the backbone of the party.
He argued that this segment of the party's support base has been neglected and that some voters have shifted to other political movements.
Among the issues he said DISY should prioritise are support for vulnerable groups, protection of primary residences and greater judicial intervention in cases involving difficulties with loan repayments.
‘No one decides DISY without DISY’
Addressing speculation about behind-the-scenes interventions in the presidential race, Karousos insisted that decisions regarding DISY must be taken exclusively through the party's official structures.
“No one, whoever they may be, can decide for the Democratic Rally without the Democratic Rally,” he said.
He stressed that issues relating to presidential elections, parliamentary leadership contests and political alliances should be determined by the party's collective bodies and elected leadership.
Call for unity
DISY Organisation of Young Scientists president Giorgos Diogenis also called for unity, urging all potential contenders to follow the party's internal procedures.
He said the 2025 constitutional changes within DISY transferred the power to select the presidential candidate to party members, reducing the advantage traditionally held by the serving party leader.
Diogenis said the objective should be to ensure that one candidate ultimately emerges through the party's democratic process ahead of the 2028 presidential election.
