[11][12] DISY serves a widely diverse spectrum of voters, ranging from hard-line Greek Cypriot nationalists and anti-communists to humanist liberals with post-materialist and post-modern values who advocate human rights.

[15][16] The newly established DISY was a pro-Western[17] and anti-communist[18] party, that brought together the moderate centre-right and former EOKA B sympathisers, both of whom opposed the return of Archbishop Makarios to the presidency.

[21] Five years after its electoral defeat, in the 1981 legislative election, DISY secured 12 seats in the House of Representatives, establishing itself as the official opposition to Spyros Kyprianou's government.

[40] Faced with a high budget deficit inherited from the previous administration, Clerides' finance minister implemented measures to reduce public spending and increase taxation.

[58][59] During 1997–1998, Clerides' government made the decision to acquire Russian-made S-300 missile systems, heightening tensions with Turkey, which threatened military action in response.

[65] Although he had the official support of his party, a notable former DISY MP and Attorney General of Cyprus, Alecos Markides, opposed Clerides' candidacy and ran independently in the election.

Clerides received 38.8% in the first round, while Tassos Papadopoulos, supported by DIKO and AKEL, won the election outright with 51.5% of the vote, making DISY the official opposition.

The plan outlined a federal government that would feature a collective Presidential Council, a bicameral legislature, a Supreme Court with equal representation from both communities, and mechanisms for reconciliation and troop reductions.

Former DISY president Yiannakis Matsis, who had previously clashed with Anastasiades' leadership, initiated plans to form a new political party called "European Rally", receiving support from expelled MPs Prodromos Prodromou and Demetris Syllouris.

[82] Despite initially endorsing the alliance, Demetris Syllouris refused to join EvroDi and promoted the foundation of a new political movement, the European Party (EVROKO).

Their candidate, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and MEP Ioannis Kasoulidis, received backing from several small parties, including the splinter European Democracy.

[95] The administration of President Demetris Christofias faced significant challenges that led to widespread protests, notably the Naval Base Explosion in Mari[96][97][98] and the 2012–2013 Cypriot financial crisis.

[99][100][101] Opinion polls indicated that the Christofias' government was largely perceived as responsible for the economic downturn,[102][103] resulting in low approval ratings by the end of his term.

[116][117] Anastasiades inherited the 2012–2013 Cypriot financial crisis, forcing him to break his campaign promises and implement a strict banking bailout in collaboration with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.

[132][133] In early 2016, the splinter party EVROKO, led by former DISY MP Demetris Syllouris, withdrew its support from Anastasiades' government and merged with Theocharous' Solidarity Movement ahead of the 2016 legislative election.

[143] During his presidency, Nicos Anastasiades was involved in multiple corruption scandals, including the Pandora papers,[144] the Cyprus Confidential[145][146] and the trilogy of Makarios Drousiotis' political thrillers.

[147][148][149] In 2024, Drousiotis' third publication, "Mafia State," instigated a criminal investigation against Anastasiades, prompting the involvement of international legal practitioner Gabrielle Louise McIntyre.

[150][151][152] In December 2021, the president of the Democratic Rally, Averof Neofytou, announced his candidacy for the 2023 presidential election, positioning himself as the official party nominee.

[159][160][161][162] Despite this, Christodoulides, a prominent politician who secured official support from DIKO,[163][164] EDEK,[165] DIPA,[166] and the DISY splinter party Solidarity Movement,[167] led to a division among Democratic Rally voters.

[168][169][170] Nikos Christodoulides used to be the absolute favourite to win the election, with approximately 50% of the public expressing support for him in May 2022, giving him a substantial 30-point lead over Averof Neofytou in the first round.

[172] Throughout his campaign, Christodoulides was generally hesitant to criticise the 10-year administration of Nicos Anastasiades, often stating that his approach would focus on continuing successful policies while aiming to improve or abolish those that had not produced the desired outcomes.

[174] This proposal was promptly rejected by Averof Neofytou, who stated that the Democratic Rally would not participate in any government led by Christodoulides and, should DISY lose the election, the responsible course of action would be to respect the will of the electorate and assume a constructive role in opposition.

[177][178][179] This internal division intensified, leading influential figures, including former parliamentary candidates Pantelis Poietis and Konstantinos Letybiotis,[180] to resign from DISY and endorse Christodoulides.

The second round of the election resulted in an equal division among the DISY electorate between Andreas Mavroyiannis and Nikos Christodoulides, the latter of whom was viewed by some, including Averof Neofytou, as a "renegade".

[189]Following the defeat in the 2023 presidential election and the internal divisions resulting from Nikos Christodoulides' independent candidacy, three politicians announced their intention to run for the presidency of the Democratic Rally.

[190] However, to prevent further conflicts, both Neofytou and Georgiadis withdrew their candidacies and endorsed Annita Demetriou, the President of the House of Representatives, as a unity candidate.

Pelekanos expressed profound dissatisfaction and subsequently resigned from his position within the party leadership, citing a series of underlying events that had undermined his standing.

[207][208] Marios Pelekanos, who had also held the position of government spokesperson in Anastasiades' administration from 2021 to 2023, became the Press Representative of ELAM[209] Despite numerous challenges, including the candidacy of Marios Pelekanos with ELAM,[207] Eleni Theocharous (leader of the splinter Solidarity Movement) with DIKO,[210][211] and Pantelis Poietis (former DISY MP candidate) with DIPA,[212][213][214] as well as many corruption scandals from Anastasiades' administration[144][215][216][217][218][219] and widespread dissatisfaction with DISY's role as the main opposition in Christodoulides' government,[189] the centre-right party managed to achieve another first-place finish, maintaining its two seats in the European Parliament.

[220] In a podcast on July 8, 2024, former President Nicos Anastasiades criticised Averof Neofytou's campaign for the 2023 presidential elections, suggesting that his detachment from the sentiments of DISY supporters contributed to the party's defeat.

[228][229] Averof Neofytou, along with Kyriakos Hadjiyiannis, remains among the only two DISY MPs opposing the interconnection, which has been primarily developed during the presidency of Nicos Anastasiades.