Barely four months after its founding, Cyprus’s new political movement ALMA is facing internal turmoil, with several members denouncing a “deficit of democracy” and a leader-centred structure under former Auditor-General Odysseas Michaelides.
According to party insiders, the Transitional Executive Secretariat was formed without any vote or open procedure among members, while decisions on key figures were made “behind closed doors.” Discontent has also emerged over candidate selection, with some members objecting to the inclusion of current MPs from other parties who, unable to seek re-election elsewhere due to term limits, are seeking political survival through ALMA.
Closed doors and growing dissent
ALMA was launched on May 19, when Odysseas Michaelides held a press conference in Nicosia flanked by eight people, signalling collective leadership and unity. Thirty-three individuals signed the founding declaration.
However, on September 1, the movement announced its charter and Transitional Executive Secretariat, comprising eleven members, without disclosing how the leadership was chosen. The absence of any internal vote sparked frustration among members who had joined ALMA “believing in change.”
A party source told Politis that a movement claiming to represent change “must operate collectively and respect democratic legitimacy.” The same source criticised the leadership for excluding founding members and for allowing “a small circle around Michaelides to make decisions without consultation.”
Candidate tensions
Further anger was directed at what members call the “self-appointed leadership”, particularly over candidate selection for the upcoming parliamentary elections.
Critics say the process lacks transparency and collective input, while the leadership is allegedly trying to recruit former MPs or figures from traditional parties, undermining ALMA’s image as a force for renewal.
One member told Politis that Michaelides’ public invitation for MPs from other parties to join ALMA’s electoral lists was a “serious mistake”, made without consultation. Members were later forced to justify and contain public backlash, the source said.
They added that ALMA’s lists should feature new faces and avoid recycling career politicians. There is also growing concern that Michaelides’ strategy of publicly courting figures like AKEL MPs Kostas Kostas and Irene Charalambidou may complicate ALMA’s goal of building alliances for the 2028 presidential elections, while simultaneously antagonising other parties.
Internal conflict over sidelining key member
ALMA now faces what members describe as a “civil war”, centred on attempts to marginalise Andreas Chasapopoulos, administrator of the “Anti-Corruption Group”, formerly known as the “Support Group for Auditor-General Odysseas Michaelides.”
Chasapopoulos has accused academic and ALMA’s deputy leader Haridimos Tsoukas of “party-hopping for the sake of power,” reminding followers that Tsoukas had previously been a candidate in Greece with the centrist party 'To Potami'.
In another post, Chasapopoulos commented on a SIGMA poll showing ALMA’s support at 9%, down from 11% two weeks earlier and 15% a month ago, blaming the decline on Tsoukas and former University of Cyprus rector Constantinos Christofides, saying:
“You’ve worked your miracle.”