Democratic Rally
Δημοκρατικός Συναγερμός
AbbreviationDISY
PresidentAnnita Demetriou
Deputy PresidentEfthimios Diplaros
Vice PresidentsSavia Orfanidou
Marios Pelekanos
Georgios Karoullas
FounderGlafcos Clerides
Founded4 July 1976 (1976-07-04)
Preceded byEK[1]
DEK
PP
HeadquartersNicosia, Cyprus
Think tankONEDISY
Student wingPROTOPORIA
Youth wingNEDISY
Women's wingGODISY
Membership (2022)50,660[2]
Ideology
Political positionCentre-right[3]
European affiliationEuropean People's Party
International affiliationCentrist Democrat International
International Democrat Union
European Parliament groupEuropean People's Party
Colours  Blue
House of Representatives
17 / 56
European Parliament
2 / 6
Municipal Councils
168 / 478
Website
www.disy.org.cy

The Democratic Rally (Greek: Δημοκρατικός Συναγερμός, romanized: Dimokratikós Sinagermós, ΔΗΣΥ/DISY) is a Christian-democratic[4][5] and liberal-conservative[6] political party in Cyprus led by Annita Demetriou.[7] The party was founded on 4 July 1976 by veteran politician Glafcos Clerides. Clerides served as the president of Cyprus from 1993 until 2003. From 11 March 2023, the leader of the party is Annita Demetriou, who also serves as the president of the House of Representatives from June 2021.[8][9]

Overview

DISY is a member of the European People's Party (EPP). In the 2014 European Parliamentary Election it elected 2 MEPs, who joined the EPP Group.

DISY serves a widely diverse spectrum of voters, ranging from hard-line Greek Cypriot nationalists and anti-communists to humanist liberals with post-materialist and post-modern values who advocate human rights.[10] DISY's platform focuses on free enterprise economic policies, lower direct taxes and higher indirect taxes, economic development, opposing government deficits, investments in infrastructure, and a practical solution to the Cyprus dispute (though the party base is traditionally more hawkish and hard-line than the party leadership). It is the most explicitly Atlanticist and pro-NATO of Cyprus's parties, and draws its support from middle-class professionals, businessmen, and white-collar employees.[11]

The leadership of the Democratic Rally is generally less hard-line than the party base, and in 2004 supported the Annan Plan for the re-unification of Cyprus, believing that further adjustments could be made afterwards. Following the Plan's overwhelming rejection by the Greek Cypriot Community, four MPs (Sillouris, Prodromou, Erotokritou, Taramoundas) who had opposed the party line were expelled and a number of members willingly resigned. The expelled MPs formed a party called European Democracy. In 2005 European Democracy merged with New Horizons and created European Party. Former party president Yiannakis Matsis headed a splinter coalition called For Europe in the European Parliamentary Election. Matsis gained a seat in the European parliament, also joining the EPP group (while still remaining a member of DISY).

In 2013, Nicos Anastasiades of the Democratic Rally, was elected as the President of Cyprus. In 2018, President Anastasiades was re-elected tor a second term with a wide margin over his communist opponent.[12]

Election results

Parliament

In the legislative elections of 21 May 2006, the party won 30.52% of the popular vote and 18 out of 56 available seats, and in the legislative elections of 22 May 2011, the party won 34.27% of the popular vote and 20 out of 56 available seats.[13] The party's candidate, Nicos Anastasiades, won the 2013 presidential elections, ending five years of rule by the Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL).[14] In the legislative elections of 2016, the party won 30.68%, taking 18 seats in the parliament and remaining the party with the largest representation.[15]

Current President of the Democratic Party, Annita Demetriou
House of Representatives
Election Votes Seats
#  % Rank # ±
1981 92,886 31.9 2nd new
1985 107,223 33.6 1st Increase 7
1991 122,495 35.8 1st Increase 1
1996 127,380 34.5 1st Steady 0
2001 139,721 34.0 2nd Decrease 1
2006 127,776 30.3 2nd Decrease 1
2011 138,682 34.3 1st Increase 2
2016 107,824 30.7 1st Decrease 2
2021 99,328 27.8 1st Decrease 1

European Parliament

European Parliament
Election Votes Seats
#  % Rank # ±
2004 94,355 28.23 1st new
2009 109,209 35.65 1st Steady 0
2014 97,732 37.75 1st Steady 0
2019 81,539 29.02 1st Steady 0

Presidential elections

Presidential Elections
Year Candidate 1st Round 2nd Round
Votes % Result Votes % Results
1978 Spyros Kyprianou (Democratic Party) no opponent
1983 Glafcos Clerides 104.294 33,9 2nd place Lost in first round
1988 111.504 33,3 1st place 157,228 48,4 2nd place
1993 130.663 36,7 2nd place 178.945 50,3 1st place
1998 158.763 40,1 2nd place 206.879 50,8 1st place
2003 160.724 38,8 2nd place Lost in first round
2008 Ioannis Kasoulidis 150.996 33,51 1st place 210.195 46,63 2nd place
2013 Nicos Anastasiades 200.591 45,46 1st place 236.965 57,48 1st place
2018 137.231 35,50 1st place 215.281 55,99 1st place
2023 Averof Neofytou 103.748 26.11 3rd place Didn't qualify

Party leaders

No. Leader Portrait Term of office President
1 Glafcos Clerides 1976 1993 1993–2003
2 Yiannakis Matsis 1993 1997
3 Nicos Anastasiades 1997 2013 2013–2023
4 Averof Neofytou 2013 2023
5 Annita Demetriou 2023 incumbent

See also

References

  1. ↑ Neofytos Loizides (2012). Transformations of the Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot Right: Right-wing Peace-makers?. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 186. ISBN 9780230338548. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  2. ↑ "Κύπρος: Δημητρίου εναντίον Δημητρίου για την ηγεσία του ΔΗΣΥ". gr.euronews.com (in Greek). 11 March 2023. Archived from the original on 11 March 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  3. ↑ Neophytos Loizides (2015). Challenging Partition in Five Success Stories. I.B. Tauris. p. 181. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  4. ↑ Nordsieck, Wolfram (2021). "Cyprus". Parties and Elections in Europe.
  5. ↑ Slomp, Hans (30 September 2011). Europe, A Political Profile: An American Companion to European Politics. ABC-CLIO. p. 690. ISBN 978-0-313-39182-8. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  6. ↑ "Appendix A3: Political Parties" (PDF). European Social Survey (9th ed.). 2018.
  7. ↑ OmegaLive (2023-03-11). "Εκλογές ΔΗΣΥ: Σαρωτική νίκη Αννίτας - Τα ποσοστά". OmegaLive. Retrieved 2023-03-11.
  8. ↑ Newsroom (2023-03-11). "Κύπρος: Νέα πρόεδρος του ΔΗΣΥ η Αννίτα Δημητρίου". Documento (in Greek). Retrieved 2023-03-19.
  9. ↑ "House of Representatives - Οι Πρόεδροι της Βουλής των Αντιπροσώπων από το 1960 έως σήμερα". 2021-07-04. Archived from the original on 2021-07-04. Retrieved 2023-03-19.
  10. ↑ Giorgos Charalambous (2015). The Party Politics of the Problem. p. 50. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  11. ↑ "Cyprus - Political Parties". Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  12. ↑ "Cyprus country profile". BBC News. October 19, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Republic of Cyprus — Parliamentary Elections 22 May 2011 — OSCE/ODIHR Election Assessment Mission Final Report" (PDF). Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. 7 September 2011. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  14. ↑ "Greek Cypriots elect Nicos Anastasiades as president". the Guardian. February 24, 2013.
  15. ↑ Kambas, Michele (May 22, 2016). "Cyprus parliamentary vote puts far-right in parliament". Reuters – via www.reuters.com.

Further reading

  • Neophytos Loizides (2012). Transformations of the Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot Right: Right-wing Peace-makers?. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 185–201. ISBN 9780230338548. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
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