Cyprus ruling DISY adds two more to MEP candidates

The ruling Democratic Rally (DISY) chose two more candidates on Saturday for the list of six who will vie to become Members of the European Parliament on May 25.
Deputy party leader Lefteris Christoforou and government spokesman Christos Stylianides made the list with the most votes from a membership poll on Saturday, while current MEP Andreas Pitsillides and Cyprus MP Sotiris Sampson were left out.
Dr Eleni Theocharous, a two-time MEP has already been chosen as a candidate, as well as former DISY deputy and current leader of the smaller European Party (Evroko) Demetris Syllouris. The fifth candidate is Rena Choplarou, representative of the ‘We are staying in the EU’ initiative, while DISY leader Averof Neofytou will announce the sixth candidate next Saturday when the list will be approved by the party’s Supreme Council.
Since 2004, DISY has elected two MEPs, the main opposition communist party AKEL also two, the centre-right Democratic Party has one MEP and the socialist EDEK one.
AKEL also finalised its list of candidates on Friday. They include current MEP Takis Hadjigeorgiou, Cyprus deputy Stavros Evagorou, former trade and interior minister Neoclis Sylikiotis, Vera Polykarpou, political advisor to the European United Left–Nordic Green Left (GUE-NGL), Haris Polycarpou, economist and Panayiotis Stavrinides, professor of psychology at the University of Cyprus.