Political analyst and professor Giannos Katsouridis spoke on the Front Page about the 2023 Presidential elections and the developments in DISY regarding the Averof Neophytou-Nikos Christodoulidis front.
He initially stated that so far there are some candidacies, there are intentions, but also several parties that have not made their final decisions.
He added that Averof Neophytou's announcement puts pressure on the opposition, something that Mr. Stefanou admitted in an interview. "One side can not take serious steps and the other can not stay behind."
He pointed out that the ruling party is entering into introversion, while it is unknown what the outcome will be. He added that there is difficulty in the opposition because of the relations that exist in the opposition parties. "There is a unifying desire for the current government to leave," he said.
Mr. Katsouridis stated that Averof Neophytou in his speeches proposes his ability to manage difficult situations, while Nikos Christodoulidis raised the issue of eligibility. He explained that Mr. Neophytou has the advantage of the presidency of the party, he has been in politics for years and shows that he unites the executives of DISY. "I do not know if that is enough, as there is a devaluation of political institutions and parties."
He clarified that there is a desire from both of them to claim the Presidency of the Republic, they both come from the same area, as a result of which they address the same audience. "This reduces the chances of both of them to be in the second round and someone to win the elections."
He stressed that Averof Neophytou wants to clarify things from now on and that is why the decisions were made, while for Mr. Christodoulidis it was more logical to extend the time for final decisions.
He noted that the role of Mr. Christodoulidis as Minister of Foreign Affairs can serve as both an advantage and a disadvantage. "The Cypriot voter does not see negatively candidates who come from outside the political system, or politicians who are not gunpowder-smoked in the traditional sense of political controversy."
He added that the Cypriot voter seems ready to accept a new type of candidate. "Mr. Christodoulidis may not have the party involvement that Parliament gives, but we can not say that he is not at the core of politics."
Mr. Katsouridis stated that the resignation of Nikos Christodoulidis facilitates the President of the Republic from a bigger conflict that could happen.
He stressed that Nikos Christodoulidis through his speeches showed that he does not want to turn the DISY base against him. "It will be of special importance if Nikos Christodoulidis is supported by other political forces," he said.
At the same time, he stated that Nikos Christodoulidis would be eligible if he was supported by AKEL and DIKO, although there does not seem to be such a scenario. Finally, he clarified that there is a lot of pressure on the other parties to find their chosen one. "We are entering a battle to secure alliances and on the other hand a candidacy that can unite and be eligible."
See the whole discussion: