Annita: I do not wake up for 2028 like some

Disy leader Annita Demetriou on Wednesday said she does not “wake up for 2028”, when asked about Cyprus’ next presidential elections.

Asked by TV channel Sigma if she would run, she said, “I do not sleep and wake up for 2028, like some others who I see and hear.

“I really wonder with all these problems in the world and all the challenges which exist if our only concern is where we will personally be in 2028… but Disy will have a choice, as always.”

Asked whether Averof Neophytou, who was Disy’s candidate in 2023, may be the party’s candidate again, she said she was unsure.

“Averof was tried a year ago, the people gave their verdict, and now we move on,” she said.

Her comment on Neophyou’s chances came just days after the pair had locked horns over the Great Sea Interconnector.

Appearing on CyBC just minutes apart last Friday, Neophytou first on the radio and Demetriou shortly after on television, they offered differing outlooks on the project, which, if completed will connect the electricity grids of Cyprus and Israel to Greece and the rest of European Union.

Neophytou said that while the Cyprus problem remains unresolved, “no energy project will be completed in Cyprus.”

Instead, he said, “we will produce nice energy stories, as has been demonstrated throughout the course of recent years.”

He added that “no reliable research so far has shown that when the project is completed, the Cypriot consumer will pay cheaper tariffs for their energy.”

Demetriou then responded in kind minutes later, asking whether “any far-reaching plans should not be made due to the Turkish occupation.”

“Everyone has the right to express their opinions, but Disy’s position is positive towards the project,” she said.

Demetriou doubled down on this position on Wednesday, describing the interconnector as “a project of outstanding geostrategic importance to end Cyprus’ energy solution and give people cheaper electricity.”