Left-wing Christofias elected Cyprus' president

Cyprus Parliament Speaker and General Secretary of the left-wing AKEL Demetris Christofias won a crucial runoff on Sunday and becomes the island state's new president.

Obtaining 53.36 percent of all the valid votes, Christofias defeated his rival right-wing backed former Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides, who has conceded his defeat.

Kasoulides has called Christofias and congratulated him for his victory.

Christofias will be formally declared the new president of Cyprus late Sunday night. But his victory has already sent supporters to the streets of capital Nicosia, waving Cyprus' national flags and portraits of Che Guevara, the Latin American legend.

Christofias and Kasoulides, both more conciliatory towards Turkish Cypriot, had knocked out the incumbent President Tassos Papadopoulos, a hard-liner in reunification talks, in the neck-and-neck first round poll on Feb. 17.

Christofias successfully rallied two other parties supporting the outgoing President Papadopoulos behind him in the second round.

Speaking to jubilant supporters in front of his campaign headquarters after the election, Christofias pledged that he will work with all Cypriots to reunite the divided island.

"Tomorrow a new day will dawn, we have many difficulties ahead," he said.

"We will join forces as of tomorrow, we will work together to reunite our country."

"I have often said that today our ideology is one: Cyprus and its salvation, this is the vision we are going to work for," he added.

Christofias thanked his rival Kasoulides, the outgoing President Papadopoulos and particular the younger generation during his speech.

Cyprus has remained divided since 1974 when Turkey militarily intervened and occupied the north of the island following a coup by a group of Greek officers who pushed for a union with Greece.

In 1983, the Turkish Cypriot authorities declared a breakaway territory and set up the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is recognized only by Turkey.

In a referendum held in April 2004, Greek Cypriot under the leadership of Papadopoulos rejected the Annan Plan for fear that it would be in Turkey's favor, while Turkish Cypriot approved it.

After the presidential election, fresh efforts to revive the deadlocked reunification process are expected by both Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities.