Amidst turmoil within other political parties, particularly the Democratic Rally (DISY), ELAM finds its appetite for power growing.
The far-right party is now making unprecedented bids for control of two major municipalities, fielding its candidates and raising the stakes in the upcoming elections.
Following the formal announcement of MP Soteris Ioannou, as a candidate for Larnaca’s mayoral race, speculation mounts that another ELAM MP, Linos Papagiannis, will soon declare his candidacy for Famagusta’s mayoralty.
Michalis Michail is also expected to announce his bid for the position of Paphos deputy mayor.
Larnaca
While Ioannou’s bid for Larnaca faces significant odds against incumbent Andreas Vyras, ELAM’s swift response to fill the void left by other parties demonstrates its opportunism.
The absence of a candidate from DISY and the apparent inability within the party to make decisions have created a void that ELAM has hastened to fill with its candidate.
Observers in Larnaca note that if there is no other right-wing candidate, Ioannou will attract a significant percentage of votes from those who would prefer to vote against left-wing AKEL’s Vyras.
Famagusta
Christos Christou, ELAM’s president, recently announced Papagiannis’s candidacy for Famagusta on Alpha TV, pre-empting announcements from rival parties. Papagiannis’s popularity in his province, coupled with ongoing developments in Famagusta and the stalemate in the Cyprus issue, positions him to attract considerable right-wing support.
EU elections
Additionally, ELAM is expected to unveil its roster for the upcoming European elections within the month, with Geadis Geadi, Polys Anogyriatis, and Linos Hadjigeorgiou expected to feature on it.
These developments signal ELAM’s aspirations for a more significant foothold in Cypriot politics. Initial surveys suggest the party aims for a double-digit percentage, despite its leadership maintaining a cautious approach to avoid provoking other factions.
Garoyan sets the bar at 7.5%
Meanwhile, DEPA is also gearing up for electoral battles. The secretariat and political bureau of the party will meet tomorrow afternoon to discuss local elections, with reports indicating that recommendations will be made for candidates in the five municipalities where the party has not yet announced support.
Final approval will be made by the central committee. Marios Garoyan, the party’s president, discussed on ANT1 TV the preparations for local and European elections.
He even predicted DEPA’s percentage, when asked to comment on the low percentages indicated in the polls. “Now my prediction is 7.5% and up. That’s my estimate; it’s a difficult target but not unattainable,” he said.
