Former chief negotiator and 2023 presidential candidate, Andreas Mavroyiannis, said on Wednesday that he will announce no later than January whether he will run in the 2028 presidential election, and that he will not wait for Akel to choose its own candidate.

Speaking on Alpha TV, he said it would be “highly desirable” for the party to back him, “but I will not wait for Akel to decide before taking our own decisions”.

Akel is expected to make its choice by next spring, with a candidate to be selected in the first quarter of next year and approved by an extraordinary party conference.

Mavroyiannis said he respects those procedures and understands why Akel prefers March or April.

Asked whether he was imposing “suffocating timetables” on the party, he disagreed and said an early announcement gives it time to decide whether it wants to support him.

He said the decision will depend on whether the current momentum behind his possible candidacy holds and how electable he appears.

He said an announcement in January would not be irreversible.

“If the momentum fades, if Akel makes different choices, or if other political forces do not support us, and by the summer we’re polling at 5 per-cent, it is not the end of the world to withdraw,” he said.

If Akel chose differently while his momentum held, he would seek backing from other parties.

He said he met Akel secretary-general Stefanos Stefanou three weeks ago.

“It went extremely well and we simply agreed to remain in contact,” he said.

He said neither a rejection of his possible candidacy nor an alternative political role was raised.

Some in Akel see Mavroyiannis as a tested option with support among the base, though critics have questioned the prospect of backing another independent and aspects of his handling of the Cyprus issue in previous years.

Other names reported to be under discussion within Akel are Christos Stylianides, currently serving in Mitsotakis’ cabinet, economist Tasos Yiasemides, lawyer Achilleas Demetriades and negotiator Menelaos Menelaou.