Democratic Rally (DISY) MP and former health minister George Pamboridis has confirmed that he is prepared to contest the party’s nomination for the 2028 presidential election, while warning that its new selection process risks deepening internal divisions.
Speaking on the Alpha Kalokairi programme, he also criticised delays in health reform and medical cannabis legislation, and raised concerns about links between organised crime figures and politicians.
Opposition to DISY’s selection process
Pamboridis said he strongly opposed the recent amendment to DISY’s constitution under which the party’s presidential candidate will be selected by its members.
He argued that an internal contest between senior party figures shortly before a major national election could undermine unity, fuel introspection and create further divisions within the party.
In his view, an elected party president who wishes to seek the presidency of the Republic should have the first say. If other figures are also interested, DISY’s highest collective bodies could decide whether the matter should be put to the membership.
“I believe politicians should lead, not be led. Referring such a decision to the membership at this particular point in time is, in my view, an evasion,” he said.
Pamboridis said DISY had been wrong to enter this process, although he acknowledged that the constitutional amendment must now be implemented because it has been approved.
He stressed that the party’s priority should be to resolve its internal problems and approach the presidential election with the greatest possible unity. A prolonged period of internal conflict, he warned, could generate centrifugal forces and weaken DISY’s electoral prospects.
Prepared to step aside for party unity
Although he made clear that he intends to contest the nomination if DISY holds an internal election, Pamboridis said he could withdraw if his candidacy did not serve the party’s interests.
“If my candidacy does not serve the unity of the party and could result in defeat in the presidential election, then of course I would step aside,” he said.
He added that the same responsibility applies to anyone considering seeking the nomination. The common objective, he said, should be for DISY to enter the election united and capable of winning both the first and second rounds.
Pamboridis effectively called for consultations among potential candidates before the party proceeds to an internal ballot. Such discussions, he said, could help determine which candidate would offer DISY the strongest prospect of electoral victory.
Criticism of delays in health reform
Pamboridis also expressed disappointment over the implementation of the health reform approved in 2017, focusing particularly on the failure to complete the autonomy of public hospitals.
“I regret to see that the reform we passed in 2017 has not been fully implemented. Public hospitals have not become autonomous, and responsibility lies with all governments, but primarily with the current government,” he said.
The former health minister described public hospital autonomy as a central pillar of the reform and warned that failure to complete it could place the wider project at risk.
He said he expected to see concrete and consistent steps in that direction over the coming months.
Political will and entrenched interests
Asked why the reform had been delayed, Pamboridis pointed to a combination of factors.
He said there was a political perception that the introduction of the General Healthcare System, or Gesy, had largely resolved the problems facing the health sector. At the same time, he acknowledged that completing the reform was difficult and required strong political will.
“Entrenched interests in health never wanted the reform to be fully implemented. Anyone who undertakes its implementation must have the willingness and courage to confront them,” he said.
According to Pamboridis, those interests exist in both the public and private healthcare sectors.
Medical cannabis legislation
Pamboridis cited medical cannabis as another example of legislation that has not been implemented.
He said that a modern legal framework for the production of medical cannabis in Cyprus had been advanced during his tenure as health minister but had still not been put into effect.
He argued that anyone who knowingly disregards Parliament’s will, as expressed through enacted legislation, should be held accountable. In his view, the possibility of criminal responsibility should also be examined.
Pamboridis said he had sent a letter on the matter to the health minister on 14 July and was still awaiting a response.
Organised crime and political access
Pamboridis also voiced serious concern over the reach of organised crime across different areas of life in Cyprus.
Asked whether its influence extended to politics, he replied in the affirmative. He clarified that he was not necessarily alleging that politicians were themselves members of organised crime.
Instead, he said that “there are members of organised crime who have an open channel and access to politicians”.
He argued that tackling the problem required respect for the rule of law and certainty that offences would be punished and justice administered.
Pamboridis said criminal networks had found opportunities to infiltrate several sectors, including trade, money laundering, both illegal and legal gambling, irregular migration and unlawful employment.
He concluded that public safety and order must become a central priority, supported by stronger mechanisms to protect the country from organised crime.
