Political party Disy to choose new leadership

House Speaker Annita Demetriou and MP Demetris Demetriou will go head-to-head on Saturday, 11 March as their political party, Disy, selects its new leadership.

Averof Neophytou, who had been the right-wing party’s president until then, in February bowed out of the race for the next Disy leader. Neophytou had previously missed out on presidency of the Republic of Cyprus in the recent presidential elections.

Disy’s deputy party leader Harris Georgiades also decided not to continue his candidacy as the party’s new president.

Leading up to the elections, both candidates have highlighted that Disy will be an opposition party, with Demetris Demetriou, who was previously also the party’s spokesman noting that the new Cabinet under President Nikos Christodoulides did not contain any members of the party.

Christodoulides had previously belonged to Disy but indicated his intention to leave the party when running for President of the Republic and was subsequently struck off.

Both candidates also share an approach to solving the Cyprus problem, with the two suggesting party founder Glafcos Clerides’ line was key to efforts in finding a solution.

Disy currently has 17 MPs in Parliament, compared to left-wing Akel’s 15 and Diko’s nine. The other participating parties have between one and four MPs and there are also two independent MPs.

For Saturday’s elections, 79 polling stations will be opened around Cyprus as well as in Athens and Thessaloniki and London. The polls will open at 9am and close at 6pm (4pm UK time).

The list of polling stations can be viewed here

Members of the party can visit my.disy.cy to find out where they are registered to vote while requests can be made to vote elsewhere on the day, although this may cause delays. Voters should have their ID card, voting book or driver’s license with them, and be prepared to pay €10 for their 2023 subscription to the party.