DISY pauses presidential election talks ahead of Guterres Cyprus visit despite internal campaign friction

Politics parliamentTop News DISY pauses presidential election talks ahead of Guterres Cyprus visit despite internal campaign friction 1 1 1536x1023 Relevant News Cabinet sparks outrage in Limassol by pushing through €95m mall approval despite traffic warnings 18 July 2026 DISY pauses presidential election talks ahead of Guterres Cyprus visit despite internal campaign friction 18 July 2026 Squatters block public access to Larnaca beach after turning private land into makeshift caravan resort 18 July 2026 Frixos Dalitis 18 July 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber The Democratic Rally (DISY) leadership has deferred formal discussions on the upcoming presidential election until autumn, prioritizing the Cyprus issue and a scheduled visit by UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Party officials leaks to online media before the Political Bureau meeting indicated that leadership aimed to keep presidential election issues off the immediate agenda to prevent internal friction. The announcement of Guterres’s upcoming visit reinforced this stance, allowing the party to focus its session on the Cyprus problem, internal appointments, and a review of recent parliamentary election results. Despite efforts to restrict the agenda, Nicosia MP George Pamboridis raised allegations of internal interference during the parliamentary elections. Pamboridis repeated public claims that party officials called voters to discourage them from supporting his candidacy. He stated he possesses evidence of the interference and offered to present it to the Political Bureau if requested by the party leader. DISY President Annita Demetriou condemned the alleged behavior, calling it unacceptable and noting she had consistently banned such actions within the party. Demetriou emphasized that the party’s current focus must remain on the Cyprus issue and legislative work rather than premature presidential campaign debates. She said DISY will make collective decisions on candidates through statutory procedures when appropriate, and warned that she will not tolerate internal party division. Behind the scenes, party officials at the Pindarou headquarters remain divided over the timeline for selecting a presidential candidate. Some officials argue that an early selection is necessary to heal internal rifts before the main campaign, while others have suggested conducting internal opinion polls to evaluate potential electoral scenarios. Former party leader Averof Neofytou urged the party to explicitly back the President of the Republic’s efforts regarding the Cyprus dispute during the meeting. The leadership agreed to include a reference supporting these diplomatic efforts in the party’s post-session press release. Observers noted that Neofytou, who arrived shortly after the meeting began, was not invited by the executive panel to take a seat in the front row, a traditional gesture of respect for former leaders. The session concluded with an analytical presentation of the recent legislative election results. The Political Bureau also ratified Demetriou’s decision to appoint 15 parliamentary candidates to the Expanded Political Bureau. The appointed members are Georgios Georgiou, Argyros Evangelou, Onisiforos Iordanou, Konstantinos Karseras, Vasilis Koumettos, Demetris Koumi, Zacharias Manitaras, Andrea Manoli, Christos Michael, Andreas Kokkinos Nikolaou, Andreas Siamaros, Antonis Stylianou, Theodoros Tsatsou, Antonis Tsolakis, and Evripides Fragkou. Demetriou also announced the appointment of Sofi Michaelidou to the Equality and Social Rights portfolio and as Communication Advisor to the Press Office, alongside Marios Elia to the Transport portfolio of the Government Monitoring Council. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Cabinet sparks outrage in Limassol by pushing through €95m mall approval despite traffic warnings Squatters block public access to Larnaca beach after turning private land into makeshift caravan resort Cocaine trial defense claims key witness framed drug lord in conspiracy plot From banana crates to Wall Street: Inside the €350m crypto and SPAC money laundering ring Four Cypriot football stadiums fail safety inspections as authorities race against time for league kickoff Heatwave hits inland regions as temperatures soar to 40°C, triggering isolated mountain showers US and Cypriot officials meet as Visa Waiver Programme designation still under review Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.