Announcement by the Political Bureau of the C.C. of AKEL

 

10 February 2026, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

Those running on the AKEL candidate lists are aware that the Party has had a three-term limit since 1991, which was recently reduced to two terms at the 2023 Statutory Party Congress. Party leaders may be granted exceptions just for a single term. All political parties ensure the presence of their political leadership core in the House of Representatives in various ways. Due to the term limit, leading members of the Party, the Movement of the Left and the New Forces have ended their term of service in the House of Representatives.

Taking into account the term limit, we opened discussions with Ms. Irini Charalambidou to continue our cooperation. In this effort, we submitted a proposal for her to head an Observatory on Entanglement and Corruption, an area in which Ms. Charalambidou is particularly active.

At the same time, we expressed our willingness to discuss any proposal she might have for continuing our cooperation, which we have supported all these years with great perseverance and patience, even when, in critical political battles such as the last presidential elections, Ms. Charalambidou found herself opposed to the Party’s choices.

From the moment Ms. Charalambidou rejects our proposal and has not put forward any counterproposals, the cycle of discussions have come to an end. In effect, the discussions cannot continue for another fundamental reason. We cannot discuss continuing our cooperation with Ms. Charalambidou, when she herself has repeatedly stated throughout this period that she is open to the possibility of standing in the upcoming parliamentary elections on another political party’s candidate list. With this unethical and offensive attitude towards the grass roots people of AKEL, she has placed herself in opposition to the Party and outside the parliamentary group of AKEL – Left – New Forces.

Political ethics and code of conduct dictate that the seat be returned to AKEL. This is the Party’s long-standing position, which maintains that seats belong to parties. It is up to Ms. Charalambidou to decide what to do on this matter.

As these developments are not taking place in a political vacuum, we feel the need to clarify a certain things:

AKEL is not a vehicle for career seekers, nor is it a flag of convenience for anyone. The Party of the Left is not a vehicle that anyone can hop on and get off according to their personal ambitions.

For us, political engagement is a matter of principles and is not confined to parliamentary action. Without principles, we risk turning politics and Parliament into a transfer market where, in the run-up to elections, people change their “party colours/allegiance” according to one’s personal ambitions. This phenomenon, which unfortunately has become more common in recent years, negates the very meaning of politics, which must be based, among other things, on collective action, consistency to goals and ideas, ethics, and morality. If some people today believe that they benefit from this phenomenon, they should know that it will eventually backfire. Sooner or later, this is what happens with phenomena that devalue politics and abolish principles.

We are facing a difficult election campaign in view of critical situations for the country and society. Our message is quite clear:

In the upcoming parliamentary election battle, no one is expendable. The people of the Left will defend the Party and its dignity once again, aware that only with a strong AKEL can there be strong hope for the country and society in the very critical conditions we are living through

10.02.2026