Volt Cyprus is entering the final stages of preparations for its internal leadership elections, with members set to elect a new leadership team at the party's electoral congress on 10 October.
Members will elect two co-presidents, two vice-presidents and the remaining 21 members of the party's political council.
The new leadership will face a number of organisational challenges following Volt's defeat in the 2026 parliamentary elections. More importantly, it will be responsible for managing the party's consultations with potential candidates ahead of the 2028 presidential elections.
It could also find itself dealing with significant developments in the Cyprus problem, which remains a top priority for Volt.
Several senior figures out of the race
The party's two current co-presidents, Andromachi Sofocleous and Panos Parras, have said they will not seek another term in the leadership or on the party's collective bodies.
According to information obtained by Politis, vice-president Charilaos Velaris will also not seek a leadership position, while vice-president Lysia Demetriou has yet to make a final decision.
The deadline for expressing interest in positions on the party's collective bodies is 25 September. So far, none of the potential candidates has formally revealed their intentions, and it remains unclear how many people will contest the senior leadership positions.
Names begin to emerge
Several names are nevertheless being discussed for the positions of co-presidents and vice-presidents.
Party spokesman Pieros Karoullas is seriously considering a bid for the position of co-president, according to Politis information. Former MP Alexandra Attalides, who was Volt's first co-president, is also understood to be considering her options.
The names of Ioannis Tirkides and Rodoula Demetriadou are also being discussed within party circles.
Under Volt's statutes, the two co-presidents must be one man and one woman. An election for either co-president position is held only if there is more than one candidate. The same applies to the two vice-president positions.
In the previous internal election, held in December 2024, Sofocleous was elected co-president unopposed. An election was held for the other co-president position, with Parras defeating Stelios Stylianou.
Electoral committee appointed
The submission of applications for the five-member electoral committee was completed last Tuesday. The committee will oversee the smooth running of the electoral congress.
Members of the electoral committee will not be eligible to stand for the political council.
Voting for the new party leadership will take place electronically. Members who experience difficulties with the technology will be offered assistance at the venue where the electoral congress is held.
Under the party's statutes, the new leadership will serve a two-year term, meaning the next internal elections will take place in October 2028.
The statutes also state that no member may remain in the same position within the party's leadership for more than two consecutive terms, with the aim of preventing entrenched structures, nepotism and factionalism.
Political council to play key role
The new political council will consist of 25 members, including at least 10 men and 10 women. This requirement does not apply if there are not enough male or female candidates.
The political council has an important role in determining the party's political direction.
Under the statutes, it has exclusive responsibility for drawing up the party's policy proposal on candidates whom Volt will nominate or support in nationwide elections, including European, presidential and parliamentary elections.
It will therefore be the body responsible for submitting a proposal to an extraordinary nationwide congress on which candidate the party should support in the 2028 presidential election.
Executive office to be formed
Following the electoral congress, the new political council will meet to elect five of the nine members of the executive office.
The remaining four will be the two co-presidents and two vice-presidents.
The nine-member executive office will subsequently meet to allocate the remaining positions, including general secretary, spokesman, organisational secretary, treasurer and secretary for international relations.
According to the party's statutes, the executive office is responsible for the day-to-day running of Volt and is accountable to the political office for its decisions.
Organisational challenges ahead
A party source told Politis that the new leadership would need to fight for Volt's political survival after the party failed to win parliamentary representation and was left facing significant organisational challenges.
Unlike parliamentary parties, Volt does not receive state funding. It has no paid staff, while its income comes from contributions by members.
The party also has no district offices. The parliamentary elections highlighted the importance of party organisation and the need for a stronger presence across the districts, including activity outside the main urban centres.
An internal assessment of the parliamentary election result is still under way, although the party has already reached some preliminary conclusions.
2028 presidential election looms
The most significant political decision facing the new leadership will be Volt's position in the 2028 presidential election.
The final decision will be taken by an extraordinary congress following a recommendation from the political office.
A party official told Politis that it was still too early to draw conclusions and rejected speculation about possible cooperation with AKEL, a scenario that emerged in the public debate following a joint Volt-AKEL protest outside the Law Office of the Republic.
The official acknowledged, however, that some members had developed a more favourable view of Averof Neophytou following his recent statements on the Cyprus problem, which are seen as broadly consistent with Volt's positions.
The official added that the Cyprus problem would be the main criterion in the party's eventual decision and that a lengthy debate was expected within the new party bodies before a position is reached.
