Alma in talks with Direct Democracy over 2028 presidential election

Odysseas Michaelides’ Alma party is in discussions with Fidias Panayiotou’s Direct Democracy movement over a possible joint candidate for the 2028 presidential election, although no official decision has been taken on cooperation, an Alma representative said on Wednesday. Speaking on Sigma TV, Michalis Paraskevas confirmed that Panayiotou had contacted Alma leader Odysseas Michaelides to request a meeting, but rejected suggestions that an alliance had already been agreed. Paraskevas claimed Alma had yet to decide whether Michaelides would run for president or whether it would support another candidate, provided there was agreement on a political programme. “The possibility of Odysseas running as a candidate has not been ruled out,” he said. Asked about his own preference, Paraskevas backed Michaelides, saying he had “complete faith” in him and believed he would be the right person for the presidency. He also said any agreement to support an alternative candidate would have to include a specific political framework and assurances that the candidate would implement the agreed policies. Panayiotou’s movement has separately confirmed that it is exploring possible alliances ahead of the election, with discussions with Alma its current priority. According to Panayiotou, the movement could subsequently approach extra-parliamentary parties and potentially Akel to assess whether there was common ground. The discussions remain at an early stage, with Direct Democracy also keeping open the possibility of selecting its own candidate through an internal vote. Paraskevas said any potential alliance should involve a candidate with a realistic chance of winning the election. He identified Akel as a political force that could act as a counterweight to the Disy, stressing that this was his personal assessment rather than an official position adopted by Alma.