AKEL prepares for the 2028 presidential elections

General Secretary of AKEL, Stefanos Stefanou, announced that the party is proceeding with its internal planning for the 2028 presidential elections. Addressing the AKEL Famagusta conference, he stated that the party has roughly 18 months before the election and remains on track, dismissing claims of delay. The current focus is on establishing alliances with other political forces and organized groups that seek progressive change, rather than immediately selecting a candidate.

Regarding his own potential candidacy, Stefanou emphasized that the party maintains an open list. He did not rule himself out, noting that the primary goal is to reach a programmatic consensus that can secure broad support and a path to victory. Meanwhile, the General Secretary expressed concern regarding the Cyprus issue, specifically the need to preserve existing negotiation gains from Crans-Montana. He questioned the methodology behind President Nikos Christodoulides' 19 informal ideas and confidence-building measures, noting that no written documentation was provided to the National Council, which remains a point of contention for future negotiations.