Disy leader Annita Demetriou has described managing the party’s internal affairs as a “minefield of disagreements and backstabbing”, as she rejected claims that blackmail forced her out of its 2028 presidential nomination race.

Speaking on Tuesday on Alpha TV, Demetriou called the allegations “vile and shameful” and said she stepped aside solely to protect party unity.

She also admitted she felt hurt by former Disy leader Averof Neophytou’s conduct during negotiations.

“I won’t hide the fact that I was bitter at the time, and it’s perfectly human and normal,” she said.

Demetriou said her withdrawal followed a political assessment, as she concluded that Neophytou might have stood as an independent should he have failed to win the party nomination, and she believed her candidacy would then deepen divisions.

“It’s not a matter of blackmail. It’s a matter of political reality,” she said, calling it “a conscious political decision”.

Demetriou has repeatedly rejected claims that she was blackmailed by Alithia’s publisher Frixos Koulermos into stepping aside, calling them “slanderous”.

She said the claims were designed to damage her, insinuating that many found it “difficult to accept a woman holding her position with the public’s vote”.

Demetriou said she would have preferred to speak directly with Neophytou instead of hearing messages relayed through third parties and the media.

She said both Neophytou and his rival George Pamboridis would have her full support should either be chosen as the party’s candidate.

Asked why she should not resign as leader, she replied by asking why she should, given that she had “acted to preserve unity”.

She said she did not believe her leadership was under threat and intended to carry on, recalling that Disy had “weathered serious crises before” and did not rule out standing for the party presidency again.

Looking to the 2028 election, Demetriou said she was confident the party’s nominee could reach the second round and that the campaign would rest on its political programme.

She also drew a line between Disy and President Nikos Christodoulides, saying the direction of the centre right was for the party to decide.

She criticised two appointments involving figures from the party, strongly disagreeing with Nikos Tornaritis having accepted the post of Special Political Representative for the Cyprus issue in Asia and Africa, as well as Tina Pavlou’s appointment as deputy welfare minister, which she expected advance notice of.