Annita Demetriou announces candidacy for 2028 presidential election

On September 28, 2026, the leader of the Democratic Rally (DISY) party in Cyprus, Annita Demetriou, officially announced her intention to seek the party's nomination for the 2028 presidential election. This decision follows the surprise announcement by former DISY leader Averof Neofytou on the previous day regarding his own presidential ambitions, which sparked concerns over potential internal party division.

Demetriou made her announcement after an emergency meeting of the party leadership held at the Pindaro offices in Nicosia. Emphasizing the need for party unity, she stated that the democratic procedures outlined in the party's charter would be strictly followed. Former President Nicos Anastasiades criticized the recent sequence of events, warning against prioritizing personal ambition over party cohesion. Meanwhile, Neofytou has yet to clarify whether he intends to pursue the nomination through the official party mechanism or run independently, leaving the next steps of the selection process to be finalized in the coming days.