Alma leader Odysseas Michaelides said on Thursday that his party has ruled out supporting Akel secretary-general Stefanos Stefanou as a candidate in the 2028 presidential election.

Asked on Sigma whether Alma could back Stefanou, Michaelides replied, “No, not under any circumstances, we seek a candidate that has no direct party affiliation”.

Michaelides insisted that while he had no personal objection to Mavroyiannis, he regarded him as being politically identified with Akel, and given his failure to secure the presidency in 2018 against Nicos Anastasiades as well as in 2023 against Nikos Christodoulides, was therefore “unelectable”.

He likewise told Politis radio that Mavroyiannis did not fit the independent profile Alma sought, despite a “strong showing in 2023”.

Michaelides left open support for economist Tasos Yiasemides, with whom he has spoken “several times on economic policy”.

Fielding Alma’s own candidacy “remains a fallback”, he said, ahead of its congress in February; Irene Charalambides has said she is not interested in standing for the nomination.

Michaelides said that Alma was presently in talks with Akel, Direct Democracy, Edek and the Ecologists, and has requested to meet with Volt, but has “no contacts” with Disy, Diko or Elam.

He said Diko could not credibly join “a push for change as it belongs to the governing coalition”.

Asked whom he would back in a runoff between President Nikos Christodoulides and Averof Neophytou, he declined to offer support to either candidate, remarking “we cannot make such a decision now”.

On the Cyprus problem he described the current UN effort as “a complete exoneration of Turkey”, and said the government was “cultivating optimism without basis”.

Mavroyiannis himself claimed that the recent poll conducted by Rai Consultants on behalf of Alpha gave him “a very good chance”, and, compared with the political landscape ahead of the last presidential elections in 2023, “strengthened” his belief that he could indeed win the presidency.

He did not rule out running without Akel support if his numbers hold, while saying he would prefer the party’s backing.

He called the outcome of the latest trilateral meeting “meagre” and said no meaningful progress had been made under Christodoulides.

Alpha’s poll put Christodoulides first in all five first-round scenarios on between 26 and 30 per cent.

Mavroyiannis was second on 22 to 24 per cent, Neophytou on 19 to 20 and Michaelides on seven to 11, while in second-round matches Christodoulides led Mavroyiannis 45 to 38 and Neophytou 40 to 35.

The only scenario in which Mavroyiannis appeared victorious would be against Neophytou 41 to 36 and George Pamboridis 42 to 32.