Fidias Panayiotou was elected president of the Direct Democracy of Cyprus party on Sunday evening, securing 4,006 votes in an online internal election and defeating six other candidates.

Around 7,000 members participated in the vote conducted through the Agora application, representing 56.79 per cent of total votes.

Diana Constantinides was appointed vice-president, with Panayiotou saying future elections for party president will be held every two and a half years.

The leadership contest followed the selection of 56 candidates for the upcoming parliamentary elections, also conducted electronically via Agora.

Panayiotou, a serving MEP, said the party’s first priority under his leadership will be to register members of the public on the electoral rolls, adding that policy positions across various sectors would be published shortly.

“We will ensure transparency and full engagement with our members,” he said.

The final tally placed Diana Constantinides second with 1,923 votes, followed by Minas Giorkas on 459, Andreas Varosiotis on 259, Andreas Pigkas on 176, Stefanos Christodoulou on 120 and Tasos Anastasiou on 105 votes.

The vote drew participation from over a third of the party’s 21,874 eligible members and supporters.

Panayiotou said, in consultation with Constantinides, decisions on the roles of party secretary and treasurer will be made in the coming days.

“We will build a leadership team capable of delivering on our electoral promises and strengthening our organisational structure,” he said.

The election comes amid scrutiny of the Agora application itself, which was challenged by the Cyprus data protection authority for alleged non-compliance with the European general data protection regulation (GDPR).

The data protection dispute follows wider criticism of Panayiotou, including past remarks about individuals with intellectual disabilities, which prompted complaints from disability organisations.

Direct Democracy has faced further scrutiny over its candidate selection, with Turkish Cypriot media reporting a past drug conviction for Valery Tarapai, a parliamentary candidate in Kyrenia, who since stood down.

Tarapai confirmed serving a two-year prison sentence in the north and said she was released early for good behaviour.

Panayiotou founded the recently renamed Direct Democracy of Cyprus party in 2025, positioning it as a platform emphasising public engagement and digital participation.