AKEL will seek a broad progressive alliance ahead of Cyprus' 2028 presidential election, with party leader Stefanos Stefanou arguing that both President Nikos Christodoulides and DISY represent the same political approach.
Addressing AKEL's Central Committee on Saturday, Stefanou said the party would first pursue discussions with political and social forces on a common policy platform before turning to the question of a presidential candidate.
He said the election should focus on policy choices rather than personalities.
"The stake is simple and clear: whose interests will the policies of the new government serve? Those of the many or those of the few?" he said.
Stefanou accused the Christodoulides administration and previous DISY-led governments of being responsible for many of Cyprus' current problems, including fallout from the banking crisis, the citizenship-by-investment scandal and corruption.
"Whether it is Christodoulides or DISY, in essence nothing changes," he said.
"Christodoulides and DISY must leave power so that society can breathe."
The AKEL leader outlined six priorities for what he described as a programme of "progressive change": efforts to reunify Cyprus, strengthening the welfare state and workers' rights, countering the far right, promoting sustainable economic development, protecting strategic infrastructure and restoring the rule of law through anti-corruption measures.
He also called for a foreign policy based on international law and peace, while maintaining international support for ending the Turkish occupation and resolving the Cyprus problem.
