President Nikos Christodoulides and former auditor-general Odysseas Michaelides are the likeliest to run for president in the 2028 elections, a new poll published on Monday showed.

Asked who they think will definitely stand as a candidate in the next presidential elections, 52 per cent of respondents said Christodoulides, followed by Michaelides at 51 per cent.

Next came Disy leader Annita Demetriou at 40 per cent, and former party leader Averof Neophytou at 39 per cent. Meanwhile, 29 per cent thought Paphos mayor Phedonas Phedonos would run for president.

On who would make it to the runoff in the presidential elections, Michaelides scored 26 per cent, Disy’s Demetriou 22 per cent, and Christodoulides 19 per cent.

The survey also gauged public sentiment ahead of next year’s parliamentary elections. Here, 16 per cent of respondents said they intend to vote for some new political party or movement, with 17 per cent shunning the ‘traditional’ parties.

One in two respondents said they would not vote for the party they have traditionally supported. Also, nearly 60 per cent would vote for the candidates they “know and trust”.

As to who they’d vote for if parliamentary elections were held today, 17 per cent of respondents picked Akel, and 16 per cent said Disy. Elam got 13 per cent, followed by Michaelides’ new party Alma at 9 per cent, then Diko at 6 per cent; Edek, the Greens and Volt each scored 2 per cent.

According to pollsters Cypronetwork, if the current trends persist, this would see all the ‘traditional parties’ lose support compared to the last elections.

The next parliamentary elections are scheduled to be held in May 2026, and the next presidential elections in February 2028.

The poll surveyed 1,000 respondents between July 8 and July 31.