Nicosia, Cyprus. Fidias Panayiotou was elected president of the Direct Democracy of Cyprus party on Sunday evening after winning 4,006 votes in an online internal election. He defeated six other candidates in the contest.
Online vote and participation
Around 7,000 members participated in the vote conducted through the Agora application, representing 56.79 per cent of total votes. The vote drew participation from over a third of the party’s 21,874 eligible members and supporters.
Vice-president appointment and leadership timeline
Diana Constantinides was appointed vice-president, with Panayiotou saying future elections for party president will be held every two and a half years. Panayiotou said that, in consultation with Constantinides, decisions on the roles of party secretary and treasurer will be made in the coming days.
Context and next priorities
The leadership contest followed the selection of 56 candidates for the upcoming parliamentary elections, also conducted electronically via Agora. Panayiotou, a serving MEP, said the party’s first priority under his leadership will be to register members of the public on the electoral rolls, adding that policy positions across various sectors would be published shortly. He also said the party would ensure transparency and full engagement with members and build a leadership team capable of delivering on electoral promises and strengthening its organisational structure.
Final results
The final tally placed Constantinides second with 1,923 votes, followed by Minas Giorkas on 459, Andreas Varosiotis on 259, Andreas Pigkas on 176, Stefanos Christodoulou on 120 and Tasos Anastasiou on 105 votes.
What do you think the party’s focus on registering voters could mean for the upcoming parliamentary elections?