After a joint session of its secretariat and parliamentary group, DIKO has officially decided to field Nikolas Papadopoulos as its candidate for the speakership. In a decision taken by 8 votes to 6, the party also resolved that if Papadopoulos fails to reach the second round, its MPs will back DISY president Annita Demetriou.
DIKO's only viable path to the second round runs through both ELAM and Direct Democracy. A combined bloc of DIKO's 8 seats, ELAM's 8 seats and Direct Democracy's 4 seats would give Papadopoulos 20 votes, enough to outpace Demetriou, who can count on her party's 17 seats. The closeness of the internal vote reflects the uncertainty within the party about whether the necessary alliances can be secured in time.
ELAM keeps options open
ELAM has ruled out supporting either AKEL or DISY's candidate, and its party spokesman Marios Pelekanos stated on Thursday morning that it will field its own candidate, party president Christos Christou. However, ELAM's president left open the possibility of backing Papadopoulos if he reaches the second round. There are also indications of internal discussion within ELAM about whether to support Papadopoulos from the first round, though that scenario would only be considered if Papadopoulos is seen to have secured Direct Democracy's support. If it materialises, it would mark the first time ELAM has backed another party's candidate from the opening round. Final decisions are expected at a parliamentary group meeting scheduled for 2pm at the parliament building.
Direct Democracy holds the key
Direct Democracy appears to have acquired a kingmaker role after holding consultations with all parties. Reports indicate that its four members of parliament are divided, with two said to favour Annita Demetriou and two leaning toward Nikolas Papadopoulos. Other reports suggest the party is orienting itself toward the DISY candidate. There are also indications that the party may put forward its own candidate, with MP Dimitris Souglis named in that context. Party vice-president Diana Constantinou said the MPs will vote collectively. The parliamentary group is due to meet shortly after midday, with a final decision expected, though party president Fidias Panayiotou had signalled the party would announce its position last of all, so as not to disturb the balance of negotiations.
DISY confident but not certain
DISY was the first party to announce it would contest the speakership, and Annita Demetriou is seeking to retain the position she held previously, citing the strong momentum generated by her party's emphatic victory in the parliamentary elections. With 17 seats in the new parliament, she is considered one of the frontrunners for the first round. Only the combined alignment of DIKO, ELAM and Direct Democracy could deny her a place in the second round. DISY is in active negotiations with Direct Democracy, and it is not considered unlikely that Panayiotou's four MPs will ultimately back Demetriou.
AKEL nearly certain of second round
On Wednesday, AKEL's Central Committee unanimously backed the candidacy of secretary-general Stefanos Stefanou. Before that decision, Stefanou held a telephone conversation with ALMA movement leader Odysseas Michailidis, who confirmed that all four of his party's MPs would support Stefanou. That gives the AKEL candidate 19 votes, making his passage to the second round almost certain. AKEL MP Aristos Damianou did not rule out the possibility that Direct Democracy's four votes could also go to Stefanou.
