Akel's Central Committee will meet in plenary session on Saturday, 31 October, at 9.30am to discuss the 2028 presidential elections. The session will take place in the events hall of the ETKA-PEO building in Nicosia, and general secretary Stefanos Stefanou's address will be open to the media. The meeting was announced on Friday, after weeks in which Stefanou had been responding publicly to those accusing Akel of dragging its feet. Speaking at the Akel Famagusta district conference on 18 October, he argued that the party is proceeding according to plan and will be ready for the battle in good time, noting that almost a year and a half remains until the ballot. In September, he had placed decisions on the party's candidacy in the first months of 2027.
Convergence before names
The line set by the leadership at Akel's Ezekia Papaioannou Street headquarters is that contacts with other political forces and the search for common positions come first. According to reports, the forces with which dialogue could open include Alma, the Ecologists, Volt, Direct Democracy and Edek. Contacts with Diko are also being considered, with Stefanou questioning whether such cooperation could rest on common positions. The general secretary has set the Cyprus problem, the rule of law, sustainable development and tackling social inequality as criteria for the candidate. As early as September, he made clear that a candidacy that does not prioritise a solution to the Cyprus problem on the agreed basis is not an option for Akel. On 19 October, he said no specific person had been approached. He did not rule out his own name being discussed and, asked about a left-wing choice, replied that the party does not rule it out. He also denied reports of contacts with Tasos Yiasemides.
Other timetables
The discussion within Akel comes as the other players move at their own pace. Andreas Mavroyiannis was the candidate Akel backed in 2023, losing to Nikos Christodoulides in the second round. In mid-October, he said he would announce by January at the latest whether he will run, without waiting for Akel's decision. Stefanou responded that a possible independent bid would not affect the party's plans. In Disy, Averof Neophytou and George Pamborides submitted their bids for the nomination on Monday, with the internal vote set for 28 November. Akel enters the discussion with the 23.89% it won in the May parliamentary elections, a share that makes it a significant starting point for any cooperation but is not enough to win a presidential contest on its own.
