Disy asks why Akel will not run its own candidate in the 2028 presidential election

Nicosia, Cyprus. Disy has challenged Akel over its plan not to put forward its own candidate in the 2028 presidential election. The challenge came in a statement on Sunday replying to criticism from Akel secretary-general Stefanos Stefanou.

Disy questions Akel’s decision

The party asked: “Why doesn’t it dare to contest with its own candidate?” Disy argued that Akel’s claim to speak for society does not fit with its choice to stay out of the contest. It also asked whether Akel was tacitly conceding that the policies it still offers to the public had already been tried and had failed.

Related: Akel leader Stefanou sets out seven priorities for 2028 presidential election and calls for change

RelatedAkel leader Stefanou sets out seven priorities for 2028 presidential election and calls for change

Stefanou’s address

The statement followed Stefanou’s speech to the Akel central committee on Saturday, in which he outlined seven priorities for progressive change. He said that “Christodoulides and Disy must leave power so that society can breathe”.

Stefanou criticised the governments of former president Nicos Anastasiades and of President Nikos Christodoulides. He also held the 2013 bank deposit haircut responsible for devastating households and small businesses.

Disy’s account of Akel’s record

Disy responded that Akel is seeking office again despite how it performed in government. It claimed that during Akel’s period in power Cyprus lost access to international markets and went through a deep economic crisis marked by unemployment, business closures and poverty.

According to the party, recovery came only after the public made major sacrifices, difficult decisions were taken and a decade of sustained effort was invested. By 2023, it said, the country had growth, fiscal stability and renewed credibility abroad.

Disy’s pitch to voters

Disy said that only a government led by Disy could put an end to the inefficiency, incoherence, sloppiness and audacity it attributes to the Christodoulides administration. It added that such a government would also spare the country what it called destructive left-wing experimentation.