REUTERS
Communist wins Cyprus presidential vote
Communist party leader Demetris Christofias won Cyprus's presidential election on Sunday and vowed to revive efforts to re-unite the island, whose division is a hurdle in Turkey's troubled path to the European Union... "I love you," Christofias, 62, told a noisy crowd. "From tomorrow we unite our strengths, we shall work collectively and in unison to achieve reunification of our homeland." Political analyst Hubert Faustmann said Christofias "was talking about the need to communicate with his Turkish-Cypriot compatriots all the time and he will deliver on this. I think this will substantially improve the climate." Christofias will be the island's first communist president and the only one in the 27-member European Union. Although proud to be a communist, he says he will leave the free market economy alone... Negotiations froze under outgoing President Tassos Papadopoulos, who had rejected the U.N. plan in 2004. His surprise elimination in the first round of voting on February 17 raised hopes of breaking the deadlock. Soviet-educated Christofias, who won the vote after securing support from Papadopoulos's party, favours a structured approach to fresh talks through the United Nations. Turkish Cypriots, who have watched wealthier Greek Cypriots enjoy the benefits of EU membership alone, welcomed the result, saying they were keen for negotiations to re-start. "We see the change as an opportunity, and we expect negotiations to start immediately and without the need for preliminaries," said Turkish Cypriot spokesman Hasan Ercakica. Initial reaction from Turkey was more lukewarm, with a Foreign Ministry official saying the election result was positive but there were many factors to follow up on. "We are a little cautious at the moment," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity. "We have to see whether Christofias gave promises to Papadopoulos or not. (Christofias) will face a sincerity test."
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Cyprus Elects Communist President
Christofias Promises to Restart Talks to Reunify Island Nation
Communist leader Demetris Christofias won a crucial presidential runoff in Cyprus on Sunday. He pledged to restart moribund talks to reunify the island and immediately agreed to meet the leader of the breakaway Turkish Cypriots... We have a common vision . . . to reunite our people, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots," Christofias said in his victory speech. "I extend a hand of friendship to the Turkish Cypriot people and their leadership," he said, thanking Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat for telephoning to congratulate him and saying he looked forward to "substantial cooperation for the benefit of both communities."... According to an official at Talat's office, the two men said they wanted to meet "soon" but had not set a date or venue. The win by Christofias makes the strategically important island a rarity among its European Union partners -- a country led by a president with firmly communist roots... Reunification would remove one of the obstacles to Turkey's efforts to join the E.U. And it could ease strong objections to Kosovo's new independence among Greek Cypriots, who fear it would act as a precedent for Turkish Cypriots in north Cyprus. A solution would also "improve the prospects for diplomatic breakthroughs between NATO allies Greece and Turkey . . . and stabilize the eastern Mediterranean region," said John Sitilides, of the Washington-based Woodrow Wilson Center. Christofias's election campaign sought to distance him from his communist roots, presenting him as a "progressive socialist" and pointing out that some of his policies support the free market...
TELEGRAPH
Cyprus election winner aims to heal divide
One of Europe's oldest conflicts has taken a step towards resolution after Greek Cypriots elected a new president committed to negotiations with the Turkish north... This historic election ended the career of Tassos Papadopoulos, Cyprus's hardline president, who was beaten in the first round last Sunday. In 2004, he urged a "no" vote in a referendum on a United Nations plan designed to reunite Cyprus, which has been divided since 1974... Mr Christofias, by contrast, has promised immediate talks with Mehmet Ali Talat, the president of the self-styled "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus". After casting his vote on Sunday, Mr Christofias said: "I want to send a message of friendship to ordinary Turkish Cypriots, a message of a common fight to reunite our homeland." Last night, Mr Talat called Mr Christofias to congratulate him on his victory and agreed to hold talks shortly... During the campaign, Mr Christofias urged a solution to the Cyprus conflict that would "reunite the state, the people, the institutions and the economy"... But negotiations may not go smoothly. In 2004, Mr Christofias also opposed the UN plan to reunite the island. Niazi Kizilurek, a Turkish Cypriot academic who lives in the mainly Greek Cypriot south, said this had "created considerable disappointment" amongst Turkish Cypriots... However, to win Sunday's vote, Mr Christofias made an alliance with the hardline party of Mr Papadopoulos, promising to make one of its leading figures foreign minister. The issues at stake are immensely sensitive. They include the return of property to Greek and Turkish Cypriot refugees, the presence of 35,000 Turkish troops in the north, and the island's constitution. Hubert Faustman, from Nicosia University, said that Mr Christofias "has to sell any solution to a population that considers the rejected plan to be unjust, unfair and one-sided in favour of the Turkish Cypriots."
FINANCIAL TIMES
Communist wins Cyprus run-off vote
Demetris Christofias, the Cyprus Communist party leader, yesterday won a run-off presidential vote by a clear margin, opening the way for fresh negotiations on re-unifying the island's Greek and Turkish communities. Yiannakis Kassoulides, the rightwing candidate, conceded defeat an hour after the polls closed. With 97 per cent of the vote counted Mr Christofias was leading with 53.5 per cent to 46.4 per cent - a result that makes him the first unreconstructed communist to head a European Union member-state. Mr Kassoulides, a European parliament member and former foreign minister backed by the right-of-centre Democratic Rally party came first in last Sunday's first-round poll. But he lost ground amid bitter political infighting at the end of the campaign. Mr Christofias is committed to reviving UN-backed talks on re-unifying the Greek and Turkish communities on Cyprus as soon as possible, although he has avoided giving details during the campaign of how a peace settlement might be reached. Mr Kassoulides yesterday said he would support the new government's efforts to find a solution. Bi-communal negotiations stalled under the presidency of Tassos Papadopoulos, a hardline nationalist who was eliminated in last Sunday's vote. Mr Papadopoulos persuaded Greek Cypriots to reject a UN peace plan at a referendum in 2004, held two weeks before Cyprus entered the EU - a result that prevented the Turkish Cypriot community from enjoying the benefits of accession...
THE INDEPENDENT
Leftist victory revives hopes for a united Cyprus
The leader of the Cypriot Communist Party, Demetris Christofias, won the presidential election yesterday, reviving hopes for a solution on the divided island that could have ramifications well beyond Cyprus... While much of the focus beyond Cyprus has been on Mr Christofias's communist background and education in Moscow, on the island voters have been more concerned with a solution to Europe's longest running conflict... The outgoing president, Tassos Papadopoulos, surprisingly defeated in a first round of voting last weekend, was a hardliner who put all his energy into scuppering the so-called Annan plan. Mr Christofias has made it clear he has no intention of continuing with Mr Papadopoulos' intransigence. "We will roll up our sleeves and work hard so that our island is reunified," he told reporters after voting in Nicosia. A deputy in Mr Christofias's Akel party, Takis Hadjigeorgiou says he expects the new President to start pushing for a restart to talks "as of Monday". While 76 per cent of Greek Cypriots voted against the Annan plan in 2004, sabotaging four and a half years of negotiations, recent polls suggest that most now support efforts to find a solution. Once a pariah state recognised only by Turkey, Turkish northern Cyprus has begun creeping out of three decades of international isolation since 2004, and getting wealthier. Greek Cypriots from the north are aware this is probably their last chance to recuperate lost property, or get financial restitution. "If we can't solve this problem, life will solve it," said Makarios Drousiotis, a prominent Greek Cypriot commentator. "If no common ground is found within a year, de facto separation will become permanent." Cypriots are not the only ones likely to be affected by the election result. It looks set to give a major push to Turkey's struggling European Union bid, boosting Brussels' tarnished credentials as a truly international actor in the process... The fear among Turkish pro-Europeans is that, while both sides in Cyprus, the EU, the US and the UN are keen to see talks resume, Cyprus' diplomatic guerrilla tactics have so angered Turkey that it might be less enthusiastic. "We gave a hand and they took an arm", a senior Turkish government official said, referring to Turkey's 2004 decision to back the UN plan after three decades of hawkish posturing had convinced the world that it was the main obstacle to a solution on the island...
GUARDIAN
Cyprus elects its first communist president· Christofias victory raises hopes of reunification
Supporters waving red flags and Che Guevara banners poured on to the streets after Demetris Christofias, 61, clinched 53.4% of the vote in an unprecedented victory for the island's communist Akel party... The result opens a new chapter in Cypriot politics with a younger generation of politician taking over the reins of government in a country that has remained partitioned since a coup aimed at uniting it with Greece prompted Turkey to invade in 1974. For the first time in the post-invasion era, Greek and Turkish communities will both be headed by leaders who are willing to negotiate - a prospect that has raised hopes of a settlement being reached. In the run-up to the poll, Christofias, like Kasoulides, had repeatedly pledged to overturn the nationalist policies of the outgoing president, Tassos Papadopoulos, whose rejectionist approach to reunification had lead to the international isolation of the Greek Cypriots. "My priority will be the salvation of this island, to reunify it with Turkish Cypriots under the umbrella of a bizonal, bicommunal federation," Christofias said before the election.Yesterday's result showed that Greek Cypriots wanted a solution, despite voting against a 2004 UN plan outlining a federal union on the island, said Philippos Savvides, a political analyst. "If there is no serious attempt this year to secure a peace deal, the status quo and partition of the island will be solidified. It simply will be too late." Christofias stands out among Greek Cypriot politicians for enjoying good relations with Turkish Cypriots including Mehmet Ali Talat, the president of the self-declared Turkish republic in the north...
BBC WORLD
Can Christofias heal the Cyprus divide?
A new era in the political history of Cyprus has begun with the victory of left-winger Demetris Christofias in presidential elections. It was the first time that a leader of the Greek Cypriot communist party (Akel) had entered the presidential race... The election may have been presented as a contest between left and right. But the campaign was ultimately all about the Cyprus problem and the candidates' proposals for reuniting the divided island... According to Mr Christofias' party spokesman, Andros Kyprianou, the new president's links with Turkish Cypriot leaders "will make it relatively easy to have bilateral talks with them". During the election campaign Mr Christofias called for a solution to the Cyprus problem that would "reunite the state, the people, the institutions and the economy." But any future negotiations may not go as smoothly as Mr Christofias would wish. Turkish Cypriot confidence in the left-wing leader was undermined when, in 2004, as a junior coalition partner he joined with then president Tassos Papadopoulos, in calling on Greek Cypriots to reject the UN re-unification plan. Academic Niazi Kizilurek, one of a handful of Turkish Cypriots who live in the mainly Greek Cypriot south, believes that "the 'no' vote of Christofias created considerable disappointment amongst the Turkish Cypriot community". At the time, Mr Christofias argued that this was a tactical decision. But the votes of his left-wing supporters in effect perpetuated the island's division, leaving the Turkish Cypriot community internationally unrecognised, while their Greek Cypriot compatriots joined the European Union. The new president has said that he will immediately request meetings with Mr Talat and the UN secretary general, with a view to resuming negotiations. There is another possible complication. In order to secure victory, Mr Christofias revived his partnership with the party of the defeated president, promising it the influential foreign ministry in exchange for support in Sunday's poll. In addition, there are still major issues to be resolved, like territorial claims, the return of property to Greek and Turkish Cypriot refugees, the presence of Turkish troops in the north of the island, and the constitution of a unified state. Nevertheless the hope of many European governments will be that the Cyprus problem can be solved in order to clear the way for Turkey's EU accession... In seeking a settlement Mr Christofias will also need to take into account the overwhelming Greek Cypriot rejection of the UN plan. Hubert Faustman, a political analyst at Nicosia University, says Mr Christofias "has to sell any solution to a population that considers the rejected plan to be unjust, unfair and one-sided in favour of the Turkish Cypriots. He has to come up with something substantially different". Diplomats in Cyprus had hoped that the Greek Cypriot negotiator in future talks would be Mr Kasoulides, a strong supporter of European co-operation and a former MEP. Mr Christofias, by contrast, has in the past sounded ambivalent on Europe. "He has a track record of being a Euro-sceptic," one diplomat said, "we will be watching carefully."
TIMES ONLINE
Unity tops agenda as an easy-going communist takes the helm in Cyprus
Demetris Christofias, a builder’s son with the common touch, became the European Union’s first communist head of state yesterday, defeating a right-wing rival in Greek Cypriot elections that have renewed hopes of a peace deal to reunify Cyprus... Mr Christofias replaces a septuagenarian hardliner who led Greek Cypriots in a rejection of a UN reunification plan four years ago. Tassos Papadopoulos was surprisingly dumped by voters in last week’s first round, leaving two moderates on the Cyprus problem from opposite ends of the political spectrum contesting yesterday’s run-off. Mr Kasoulides and Mr Christofias promptly pledged last night to work together to help to reunite Cyprus. Mr Christofias, 61, has better contacts with the Kremlin than with the White House or Downing Street and once declared that Britain, the island’s former colonial master, had “proved our bad demon” for the past half a century. Yet Mr Christofias’s victory will cause few jitters in Brussels or London. Akel, the Progressive Party of the Working People, puts pragmatism before its Marxist-Leninist ideology and is social democrat in practice. Mr Christofias has assured the business community that he will not tamper with the booming economy and rejects claims that he is Eurosceptic. Diplomats liken Akel to old Labour in Britain. Hubert Faustmann, an analyst at Nicosia University, told The Times: “I expect Christofias to sometimes rhetorically pay tribute to his communist roots but in substance being very, very pragmatic, particularly in relations with the EU.” More important to the EU than his communist colouring is Mr Christofias’s commitment to reach out to the estranged Turkish Cypriot community to explore how to reunite the island. Cyprus’s 34-year-old division is an irritant to the EU and a main obstacle to Turkey’s hopes of joining the bloc. “At this time I want to send a message of friendship to ordinary Turkish Cypriots, a message of a common fight to reunite our homeland so we are in charge of our own affairs without foreign intervention,” Mr Christofias said after casting his own vote. The UN, jaded by repeated failures, is now due to back another drive to clinch a Cyprus settlement after four years of stalemate. A senior UN mission is expected on the island next month to test the waters... The first-round success of conciliatory candidates was hailed across the island’s divide by Mehmet Ali Talat, the Turkish Cypriot leader, who telephoned Mr Christofias to congratulate him. There is a wind of change according to the elections in southern Cyprus,” Mr Talat said. “We hope to begin negotiations with the new Greek Cypriot leader soon.” An aide to Mr Talat said that the two leaders had already agreed to meet.
Sunday, February 24
CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY
Christofias to fight for just settlement of Cyprus problem
Christofias, addressing a huge crowd of supporters after his election victory, said he was elected by the people and would be President for the people, adding that he would implement his pre-election commitments. House President and General Secretary of AKEL Christofias was proclaimed President of the Republic on Sunday evening, having won the runoff presidential elections with a majority of 53.36%. Speaking to cheering fans, party members and supporters after the proclamation, Christofias said he would fight for a just settlement of the Cyprus problem and called on the Turkish Cypriots to cooperate for the common goal, which was the best for Cyprus and its people... Christofias said the people made their decision in the runoff election and thanked all the political parties and movements that supported him and trusted him with their votes in the first and second round of the elections, especially leftwing AKEL. He paid tribute to his opponent in the runoff election Ioannis Kasoulides, noting that ''beyond our differences, above all we are united by a common ideology, our Cyprus and its salvation.'' Christofias also thanked Papadopoulos for their cooperation and his service to the country, adding that ''our communication will be maintained and his participation in the National Council is given.'' He said ''our democracy worked excellently, as it will work excellently throughout my term in office,'' adding that his pre-election commitments were ''a contract of honour that we have signed with the people.'' ''We will implement it punctually. As President of the Republic of Cyprus I have the responsibility of uniting and representing all the citizens,'' Christofias said, adding that ''we have a clear vision, a vision to reunite our Cyprus, rid the country of the Turkish occupation and its consequences, turn it into a happy homeland for all its children, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.'' Christofias thanked the Greek political leadership, as well as the Turkish Cypriot leaders, for their wishes, noting that ''we look forward to substantive cooperation to the benefit of both communities, above all a just, viable and functional settlement of the Cyprus problem.'' ''We are pursuing a just settlement, a solution based on UN resolutions and decisions, the high level agreements of 1977 and 1979, the European and international law,'' he said, adding that ''we will fight for a just settlement.'' ''Cyprus, as an EU member, is proceeding with dignity and pride,'' Christofias said and called on the Turkish Cypriots and their political leadership ''to work together for our common goal, which is the best for Cyprus and its people.'' Christofias added that ''our vision is a fairer society with economic development, coupled with more social justice, a modern state that will stand by its citizens in need.'' Christofias said the government he would be forming would comprise competent and progressive personalities, adding that he would give special emphasis to ''all that unites us.'' ''I am President from the people and will be President for the people,'' he concluded.
CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY
Wurtz congratulates Christofias
Chairman of the Confederal Group of the European United Left - Nordic Green Left Francis Wurtz has described the result of the presidential elections in Cyprus as a great day for those who wish for the reunification of Cyprus. Wurtz said he was certain that Demetris Christofias, who won the elections, would do everything he could to resume the process that would lead to a just and viable settlement of the Cyprus problem. He added that Cyprus has turned a page and hope could be reborn. ''I express my warm congratulations and friendship to tomorrow's President,'' Wurtz said.
CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY
State Department congratulates Christofias
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza congratulated President-elect Demetris Christofias on his election victory, saying the US looks forward to working with him for a comprehensive Cyprus settlement. In a statement earlier today, Bryza said ''we congratulate President-elect Christofias on his election and the citizens of the Republic of Cyprus on a free and fair election.'' ''We look forward to working with President-elect Cristofias' new government, once it is sworn in, to deepen our bilateral relations and pursue a comprehensive Cyprus settlement that reunifies the island into a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation,'' he concluded.
CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY
Britain to work with new Cyprus President
Britain has stated it will work with the newly elected President of Cyprus Demetris Christofias both on European and on bilateral issues. British High Commissioner spokesperson Paul Lakin said that High Commissioner Peter Millett has congratulated Christofias on his election victory. “The High Commissioner looks forward to working with him in the future on a range of issues in the European Union and in our bilateral relations,” Millett said.
CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY
Greek leadership congratulates Christofias
Christofias was congratulated on Sunday by Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, President of the Hellenic Republic Carolos Papoulias, President of the Hellenic Parliament Demetris Shioufas, and the leaders of Greek political parties. He was also congratulated by Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs Dora Bakoyiannis and Greek Ambassador to Cyprus Demetris Rallis. Shioufas thanked Christofias, who is currently President of the House of Representatives, for their close cooperation and expressed certainty that this cooperation would continue when Christofias takes on his new duties. He wished Christofias every success and expressed hope that ''in the new period that begins we will achieve a viable and functional settlement of the Cyprus problem,'' adding that the Hellenic Parliament would always be beside the people of Cyprus. PASOK President George Papandreou said the victory of Christofias ''is a victory for a just society, a just settlement of the Cyprus problem,'' adding that ''we continue the struggle for a solution of the Cyprus problem on the basis of international law, UN decisions and with respect to the acquis communautaire, a settlement that will be based on the will of the people of Cyprus, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.'' General Secretary of the Greek Communist Party (KKE) Aleka Papariga congratulated Christofias and wished him every success in his difficult duties. President of SYN Alexis Tsipras said Christofias' victory was historic and gave a message of hope to the people of Cyprus, adding that ''it is also a message of optimism for the Left forces in the whole of Europe.'' President of the Coalition of the Radical Left Alecos Alavanos said ''we believe that in this great trial for the Cypriot Left, to govern in an alternative way and make its mark in solving problems such as the Cyprus question and rapprochement between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities, you will respond with great success.''
CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY
Christofias: collective work needed to reunify Cyprus
Christofias has called for collective action to help reunify Cyprus and said that unity will help achieve this goal. Addressing the crowd that gathered outside his election office to cheer him, Christofias said his election victory belongs not only to the party he has led for years now AKEL but also to all the forces that supported his candidacy. ''Tomorrow a new day will dawn. We will encounter many difficulties ahead. As of tomorrow we join forces. We work collectively and with unity to achieve the reunification of our homeland,'' Christofias said. He added that ''at this time we only have one ideology, Cyprus and its salvation and a fairer society.'' In a statement after conceding defeat, Kasoulides said he had contacted Christofias to congratulate him, assuring that he would always stand by him in the struggle to solve the Cyprus problem. Kasoulides thanked all those who honoured him with their vote and said he was proud because the values he held high during the pre-election period were embraced by many people, especially the young. ''We did not win this great battle, but our party, the Democratic Rally, is now stronger,'' he said and called on his supporters to come closer to the party and its leadership. He furthermore said he would be present in all the struggles of the people of Cyprus for progress, justice and freedom. President of the Democratic Rally (DISY) Nicos Anastasiades said ''we are ready to cooperate with the new government and all the political forces above all for the Cyprus problem and in an effort to reunite our homeland,'' adding that the decision of the people was fully respected and ''we expect the new President to implement everything he has been declaring.'' He also congratulated Kasoulides on his ''efforts and clear political word'' during the pre-election period. President of the Democratic Party (DIKO) Marios Karoyan said DIKO, which supported Christofias in the runoff election, was committed to continue struggling with determination to defend the rights of the people and guarantee the right course of a Cyprus settlement. The people of Cyprus have given Christofias and the political forces that supported him a clear mandate, he added. President of the Movement of Social Democrats EDEK Yiannakis Omirou, whose party supported Christofias in the runoff election, expressed satisfaction over the result of the elections, adding that ''we will be present, with creative participation, in the new government.''
CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY
Christofias: we shall work together to reunite Cyprus
Christofias, in his first remarks after his election victory, said he would work to reunite the country. “Today the people have spoken, this victory does not belong to AKEL but to a lot of people, parties, personalities and the ordinary man,” he said to jubilant supporters who gathered at his headquarters to celebrate his election victory. “Tomorrow a new day will dawn, we have many difficulties ahead, we will join forces as of tomorrow, we will work together to reunite our country,” he added. “I have often said that today our ideology is one: Cyprus and its salvation, this is the vision we are going to work for.” Christofias thanked his opponent Ioannis Kasoulides for his telephone call to congratulate him. “I promised him we shall work together,” Christofias said. “I thank President Tassos Papadopoulos for his congratulations and the cooperation we have had these past years,” he said, extending particular thanks to the younger generation.
CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY
Kasoulides to stand by elected President Christofias
Kasoulides has assured Christofias that he would be by his side in the effort to find a negotiated settlement in Cyprus. Speaking after the outcome of the election was announced, he said, “I shall be always present in the struggle of the people of Cyprus for justice and progress and for a country free of Turkey’s occupation.'' “Today our ideas are stronger than before, they have won a large part of Cypriot citizens, and these ideas have won a battle of principles against organised party mechanisms. Nearly 47% of the people have embraced with warmth these ideas and this gives us hope,” he added. He expressed regret for having lost this election battle and pointed out: “we should be proud because today we are stronger. We have healed wounds of the past; we have strengthened our unity and overcame issues that divided us.” “Throughout my political career, I have fought with consistency, honesty and responsibility for specific proposals and principles. I struggled to promote our national interests, to rid our country of the Turkish occupation and make the life of the citizens better, to ensure that our country gets the place it deserves in a modern democratic Europe,” he told his supporters. “We began this journey alone, at a time when nobody gave our candidacy any possibility of success, we rallied together and confronted organised interests and very powerful party mechanisms which operated on the basis of their own agenda and we have managed with hard work, with clear messages and faith in our principles and values to get very close to the biggest political reversal in the country’s electoral history,” he said. Kasoulides said the foundations have been laid for DISY (Democratic Rally) to become again the largest political force in Cyprus and added “we have to invest in this, very soon we shall be called upon to give answers to the concerns and the expectations of the people of Cyprus and fight battles for the interests of the people and the future of our country.” Kasoulides thanked the thousand of people who voted for him, political parties who backed him in his election campaign and above everybody he thanked DISY, his party and in particular the party president Nicos Anastasiades who “fought next to me at a high personal cost.”
CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY
Presidential elections - Christofias - Vote
Christofias expressed his absolute respect for the decision of the people in Sunday's run off presidential elections, adding that ''this time is sacred, it is the time when the people will decide who will be the President of the Republic for the next five years.'' Speaking after casting his vote at a polling station in Nicosia, Christofias said ''I bow before the people and express my absolute respect for their decision.'' ''I shall not hide my feelings, I hope they decide in our favour. We have a vision, we unfolded it before the people, we have our struggles, our past, our everyday relationship with the people, in the effort to reunite our country. We want the country to be free of foreign troops, a Cyprus that will be truly independent, united, with the human rights of all the people guaranteed, the end of illegal immigration of Turkish settlers and the demilitarisation of the country. Our vision is a fairer society, in which man is the focus,'' he added. Christofias thanked all those who would vote for him and those who would not. ''We insist on expressing our decision in a civilised manner as free citizens of the Republic of Cyprus,'' he said. He furthermore sent a message of friendship towards the Turkish Cypriots, noting “we have a joint struggle to reunite the country, be masters of our homeland, Greek and Turkish Cypriots together, without any interventions.” Christofias thanked his party, AKEL, for making him what he is today and all the political parties and other groups that support his candidacy. “The consolidation of division is detrimental for the country and the people. The main duty of every Cypriot who loves his country is to contribute, in a spirit of mutual understanding and on the basis of principles, towards freeing our homeland, reuniting the country and building a fairer and more humane society,” he added. Replying to questions, Christofias said his vision was for ''all of us to roll up our sleeves, work hard and reunite our country.''
CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY
Presidential elections - Kasoulides - Vote
Kasoulides said on Sunday he had complete faith in the conscience of the people of Cyprus who would place the interests of the country above their own. Speaking after casting his vote at a polling station in Nicosia, Kasoulides said that ''after a long pre-election campaign, I feel the need today, above all, to congratulate every Cypriot on their deep-rooted democratic conscience,'' adding that ''I have total confidence in their judgment because today it is the citizens who are deciding, everything is in their hands.'' Kasoulides noted that ''no one can decide on their behalf,'' adding that it is for this reason that ''the citizens are placing the interests of their country above their own and are deciding by weighing these interests.'' ''They will decide if we will be moving forward in the heart of Europe, using all the structures and all the rights a member state enjoys for progress and prosperity, and in efforts to rid ourselves of the invasion and occupation'' by Turkey of Cyprus' northern third, Kasoulides said. He added that the citizens are deciding ''if we will move forward, defending the free market system with a social face, the financial system which we will enrich and enhance through the EU and if we are to move forward on the basis of the values, the principles and the tradition of our history and our civilisation.'' ''This is what is at stake today for all the citizens and it is in their hands to make a decision,'' Kasoulides said.
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