There is not a single person in this country who does not know, beyond the slightest doubt, that President Nikos Christodoulides will be a candidate in the 2028 presidential elections, seeking another five-year term.
Of course, Nikos Christodoulides himself, his close associates and many of their daily interlocutors know this first and best.
And yet, in recent days President Christodoulides and those around him have been trying to convince us that the President has not yet made his decisions and is not concerned at all with the presidential elections. Furthermore, they seek to leave hanging the notion that those already talking about the presidential elections are not serious and are not devoted to the country's major problems and the needs of its citizens.
A huge lie, hypocrisy, blatant mockery of citizens and an extreme underestimation of their intelligence.
The first person to start the premature presidential election dance was Nikos Christodoulides himself, and not now. The plans, strategies and tactical moves aimed at his re-election in 2028 began unfolding at the Presidential Palace from the first days of his arrival there in March 2023.
For the past three and a half years, Nikos Christodoulides, taking advantage of and exploiting the benefits, capabilities, opportunities and privileges offered by his office, has been building day and night with the 2028 presidential elections firmly in his sights.
He conducts domestic governance tailored to the needs of his election campaign, tours villages, communities and events, and distributes public money and promises where he believes there is political gain to be had.
At the same time, through his appointments to ministerial positions, commissioner posts, senior ministry roles and semi-governmental organisations, he has created an "army" of his own people in key positions and established "bridgeheads" in various political spaces (DIKO, ELAM, DIPA), with the aim of securing, or even coercing, support in 2028, repeating the precedent of 2023 with DISY.
Having the "super weapon" of power in his hands, Nikos Christodoulides has every reason to pretend that it is not yet election time and to try to throw dust in the eyes of others. And while his potential future opponents remain unknown and the parties are consumed by internal processes to decide whether they will seek the presidency and who their chosen candidates will be, time works in his favour.
