Themistocleous lays down challenge to Cyprus presidency

Former Agriculture Minister and deputy leader of the United Democrats, Costas Themistocleous, declared his candidacy for the next presidential election in February 2008.

Themistocleous, whose small party failed to get into parliament in May 2006 and has been attacked by the ruling coalition, said that “we have to bring the Cyprus problem back on track towards a solution by Autumn 2008 and not 15 years from now.”

He said that his platform is clear and wants to see the implementation of the changes to the United Nations’ plan as agreed to by the Greek Cypriot National Council, the advisory body to the president on the Cyprus problem.

Themistocleous said he will call on the U.N. to revive the peace process and allow for a six-month period to discuss and agree on changes to the ‘Annan Plan’, that was rejected by the majority fo the Greek Cypriot in April 2004, but embraced by most fo the Turkish Cypriots.

“We should exhaust the discussion on the changes that have been proposed and which the Turkish Cypriot side is willing to discuss, after which we should go back to a new referendum,” he said.

Themistocloeus said there is a conflict in the government’s handling of the Cyprus problem, with the coalition’s main partner, the communist AKEL party, in a dialogue with the Turkish Cypriot Republican Party on how a new U.N. plan with the necessary changes could become the basis for a solution.

As regards support from other political groupings, the main opposition party, Democratic Rally (DISY) deputy president Averof Neophytou said that, “if Mr. Themistocleous approaches our party through a democratic process, we will not refuse to listen to him.”

One of DISY’s leading members, former Foreign Minister and present-day MEP for the European Popular Party Ioannis Kasoulides, has expressed interest to run in the next presidential elections as an independent candidate.

He will be facing incumbent Tassos Papadopoulos who is hoping to get re-elected on the coalition ticket of the AKEL, his own Democratic Party (DIKO) and the smaller socialist EDEK.

However, many die-hard communists want their party Secretary General and House president Demetris Christofias also to run for president in an effort to show voter strength in the first round.

The president of Cyprus is the chief executive of the government and is elected by direct vote. If no one candidate gets 50% plus one vote in the first round, then the two leading candidates go to a second round, two weeks later. All adults over the age of 18 can vote and voting is limited to the territory of the Republic of Cyprus.

Tassos Papadopoulos is the fifth president.

Archbishop Makarios III reigned from Independence in 1960 to his death in August 1977. He was succeeded by Spyros Kyprianou (1977 – 1988), followed by economist George Vassiliou (1988-1993) and veteran statesman Glafcos Clerides (1993-2003).