The countdown has begun for next December's municipal elections and the names give and take in terms of mayoral candidates in the big municipalities. Despite repeated calls from the government to pass the local government reform bill to be submitted to Parliament in September, the scenario for postponing the municipal elections has begun to recede, as the majority of parties disagree with such a possibility. of elections. It seems, in fact, that DISY is not going to move forward if it does not secure a strong majority in favor of postponing the elections, with AKEL considering that the effort to reform the local government is not a serious reason for postponement.
The names that are heard for the Municipality of Nicosia are Chrysanthos Fakas and Giannis Panagiotou, who may not have locked in yet, but they are the most prevalent scenarios for DISY and DIKO.
Chrysanthos Fakas comes from the ranks of DISY and seems to be the party's choice for the upcoming elections. He has been a municipal councilor of the Municipality of Nicosia for the last ten years and in an interview he gave to “P” he expressed his interest in the mayor's office of the capital, expressing his vision for the city of Nicosia.
The name of Giannis Panagiotou is of great interest, as he is at the center of the debate that is taking place inside DIKO for the municipal elections in the capital and, as it seems, gathers wider support inside and outside the party. In fact, it meets a positive response in AKEL as well. Giannis Panagiotou was the president of NEDIK and today he is a manager in an international consulting firm.
As far as Limassol is concerned, the most prevalent names so far are those of the current mayor Nikos Nikolaidis, Giannis Armeftis, Neophytos Harabidis and Angelos Votsis.
Given that from DISY there is no person who has expressed his interest in the city hall of Limassol, the current mayor of the city Nikos Nikolaidis seems to be the dominant choice. Although over time the candidacy of Nikos Nikolaidis is weakening, since, according to information from “P”, he will not be supported by the Movement of Ecologists / Citizens' Cooperation due to his stance on the issue of tall buildings in Limassol, while in the race Other names are actively entering the municipal elections, such as that of the former municipal councilor Giannis Armeftis, who has already announced his candidacy as an independent and it is not excluded that he will be supported by AKEL. In addition, there is the possibility of candidacy by Angelos Votsis of DIPA, who does not open his papers, but is another option for DISY in the context of collaborations against the background of the upcoming presidential election.
The big question concerns the attitude of DIKO towards the candidacy of Giannis Armeftis, since, as it is known, the former municipal councilor had put himself out of the Democratic Party in 2017 due to the attitude of the central faction in Parliament on the issue of the Union Referendum. However, on the table is the name of the current deputy mayor of Limassol and recently elected to the position of vice president of DIKO Neophytos Charalambidis, who has not yet clarified his intentions.
The parties' parliaments in the case of Famagusta are unknown, with AKEL waiting for the current mayor, Dr. Simos Ioannou, to decide whether to run for a second term. Our information states that the attitude of DIKO will also depend on the intentions of the current mayor, who is seriously concerned due to the harsh criticism he receives on social media from the people of Famagusta.
As for the side of DISY, there is still no clear picture, although the name of Andreas Lordos is heard, who came down as an independent candidate for mayor in the previous municipal elections.
In the city of Zenonas things are easier for AKEL, since the current mayor of Larnaca Andreas Vyras has already revealed his intention to run again. It also seems to gather the support of other parties, such as DIKO for example.
The dilemma concerns DISY who will be called to choose between certain persons, such as Stavros Michael who is resigning from the position of general director of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works and the provincial secretary of the party and municipal councilor Theologos Manolis (Folos), who in every electoral contest he sweeps the percentages and comes first in crosses of preference.
Of course, the name of the former DIKO MP George Prokopiou has also been heard, who left the party in 2020 and joined the Cooperation of Democratic Forces, claiming re-election in the 2021 parliamentary elections with DIPA, but was not re-elected. George Prokopiou, may be a joint candidacy of DIPA and DISY.
The Municipality of Paphos tends to become a big headache for DISY, with the two choices of the current mayor Faidonas Faidonos and the former MP of the party Costas Konstantinos to divide the alarm voters and cause embarrassment to the leadership of the Democratic Alarm.
Although Phaedo Phaedo keeps his papers tightly closed, his candidacy is considered a given by many. On the other hand, the candidacy of Costas Konstantinos depends on the attitude of DIKO, and according to information from “P”, he will not run as a candidate if he does not have the support of the specific party.
However, DIKO, according to valid information, is examining all the possibilities and has not yet decided which person will support the upcoming municipal elections. Of course, the name of the former Minister of Health Christos Patsalidis is also heard, who comes from the ranks of DIKO.
For the occupied Municipality of Kyrenia, the most prevalent name at the moment is that of the current mayor Rita Elissaios Komodikis who belongs to DIKO and was supported by AKEL in the previous municipal elections. Rita Elissaiou Komodiki has not yet expressed her interest for a second term. The information states that in case a candidate for mayor comes down again, he will have the support of AKEL. However, from DISY's point of view, there is no name so far.
In the Municipality of Strovolos, the current deputy mayor of the municipality, George Chrysanthou, who belongs to DISY, has already announced his independent candidacy for mayor.
The interest is now focused on the current mayor of Strovolos, Andreas Papacharalambous, who, while coming from DISY, has been elected as an independent candidate in the previous municipal elections and the role of the guerrilla brought him to his party. Maybe this bad precedent that was created in the relations between Andreas Papacharalambous and the official DISY is a reason not to support him in case he puts up a candidacy again.
The name of the party's vice president Michalis Damianos can be heard in DIKO, while there is still no name from AKEL.
In Lakatamia it seems that the tendency of the parties to support their own mayors who are running for a second term will prevail. Hence, AKEL is not considering any other possibility other than the support of the current mayor and doctor Fotoula Hatzipapa, who achieved a comfortable victory in 2016 against the elected of DISY Argyris Papanastasiou and the independent candidacy of Andreas Glafkos Andreou.
In fact, it is not excluded that Fotoula Hatzipapa will also support DIKO in the context of the alliances that are being built against the background of the presidential elections and the exchange of support in other municipalities. Of course, sources within DIKO state that all possibilities are open.
The landscape in DISY is quite cloudy, as it has not yet reached a candidacy, although some names are heard, such as those of the municipal councilor and journalist Socrates Ioakeim and the member of the Politburo and party candidate in the previous parliamentary elections Christos Pallis.
In the Municipality of Aglantzia, the candidacy of the current mayor Andreas Konstantinos is considered certain, who in the by-elections, after the appointment of Charalambos Petridis, was supported by DISY and was elected with 104 votes difference from the second Costas Kortas, AKEL-AKEL candidate. In fact, the messages coming from the citizens are very positive.
The name of the leader of the party's municipal group in Aglantzia, Eugenia Aletra, is loudly heard in the AKEL camp, while in DIKO there is no strong name at the moment, with the question about the intentions of Efi Xanthou of Ecologists remaining unanswered.
In the Municipality of Paralimni, the name of George Nicolettos is heard, who served as a municipal councilor of DISY in the period 2002-2006 and 2012-2016 and as deputy mayor in the period 2007-2011. However, the current mayor Theodoros Pyrillis had stated last year that he will not reclaim a third term. Meanwhile, AKEL's capabilities in the Municipality of Paralimni do not allow it to claim the mayoralty and there is not even a scenario, while from DIKO's point of view the dialogue has not yet matured.
Ayia Napa
In the municipality of Ayia Napa, nothing seems to change regarding DISY, with the candidacy of the current mayor Christos Zannetos being taken for granted. The question is whether it will again receive the support of the other parties (DIKO and DIPA), the cooperation that was set up during the by-elections of 2020. However, at this stage the image within DIKO has not been clarified. AKEL does not even know the party's candidate in the municipal elections, with the prevailing scenario concerning the municipal councilor Emilia Evangelou Xydia, who in the 2020 by-elections received 41% against 59% of Christos Zannetos.
In AKEL, for the Municipality of Germasogeia, the name of the current mayor Kyriakos Xydias can be heard, who seems to be re-claiming a second term, while from DISY there is the name of the engineer and vehicle station manager MOT Marios Oratis, who according to information of “P Is preparing to announce his candidacy for mayor. The debate in the other parties has not matured.
City of Goldsmiths
Although the big parties have not decided who will be elected in the Municipality of Polis Chrysochous, there is the scenario of the re-claim of the town hall by the current mayor Giotis Papachristofis with the support of DIKO.
