euro|topics - Cyprus chooses a communist president

05/07/2009

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Main focus of Monday, February 25, 2008

Cyprus chooses a communist president

Demetris Christofias, General Secretary of the progressive workers party (AKEL), won Cyprus' presidential election on February 24th. On the second round of the elections, he obtained 53,36 % of votes ahead of conservative Ioannis Kasoulides' 46.64%. Will the new Head of State manage to unblock negotiations and bring on the reunification of the divided island?

Neue Zürcher Zeitung - Switzerland

"Cyprus is the first state within the European Union to elect a communist president,” writes Victor Kocher. "The 61-year-old career politician Demetris Christofias - a Moscow-educated historian, longtime leader of the Cypriot communist party Akel, with a parliamentary mandate since 1991 and president of the parliament since 2001 - turns out in fact to have some characteristics of an apparatchik. But his party, under societal pressure well before the fall of the Soviet Union, generally turned into a socialist movement, similar to the German Left-wing PDS Party. There are some traces to be felt in Christofias' campaign promises, primarily in his emphasis on social policy and on the use of historical ties between left-wing groups in both parts of the Island to forge a just solution." (25/02/2008)

Open Democracy - United Kingdom

James Ker-Lindsay, director of the Civilitas network, notes a general assumption that the election results will lead to an immediate resumption of peace talks between the two sides. "While it would certainly be good to see the Greek and Turkish Cypriots re-engage in discussions as soon as possible, the international community must be careful not to be seen to put too much pressure on the new leader if he doesn't make an immediate dash for the negotiating table. For domestic reasons, the next president may have to act with a certain degree of caution. If he appears to be rushed into a settlement, and have simply accepted whatever was put on the table, it could well backfire. ... The new president will also have to build up support amongst Greek Cypriots. This will be tougher than many outside observers perhaps realise. ... Many people will want to be sure that questions relating to security, property, refugees, settlers, the economy and the constitution are dealt with properly." (22/02/2008)

Politis - Cyprus

Andres Parachos considers that reservations expressed by certain foreign newspapers regarding Demetris Christofias are unfounded. "As if Aphrodite's island had gone back a century in time and was about to become the Mediterranean's Cuba. But us Cypriots know very well, the Communist Party (AKEL) is not and never has been a traditional Communist party. ... Since independence in 1960, the party has always been part of the various governments. It is more a moderate party, like the social democrats, than anything else. His reaching power gives hope, hope for a fast resolution of the problem that has cut Cyprus in two for almost 34 years. ... Christofias has sent a message to the Turkish Cypriot leader [Mehmet Ali Talat], also a Communist, a message of union, aiming for the resumption peace talks. The two leaders of the island have affinities. They are moderate and could turn their backs on the major powers that are arguing over the island but doing nothing to solve the problem." (25/02/2008)

» To the complete press review of Monday, February 25, 2008

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