New president-elect Nikos Christodoulides arrived at parliament shortly after 11am on Tuesday, as he is set to be officially sworn in, as stipulated by Article 42 of the Cypriot constitution.
Christodoulides’ fist task of the day consisted in a private meeting with House President Annita Demetriou, who said the institution she represents will be by his side in the interest of Cyprus and of its citizens.
On his part, Christodoulides vowed to work together with parliament and MPs “for the good of the country”.
Later, Christodoulides will state his “respect for the constitution and the laws made thereunder and the preservation of the independence and the territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus.”
Outgoing president Nicos Anastasiades arrived at parliament at around noon to meet Demetriou and Christodoulides.
He thanked the House president for her cooperation and wished the new president-elect a successful term.
“I also want to thank all MPs. Without their support while I was serving as President for ten years, we would not have been able to achieve all our goals,” Anastasiades said.
“I will continue to serve my country and cooperate with the new president-elect in order to build a better Cyprus.
“What people need right now is hope and hope only comes wit mutual understanding and cooperation,” he concluded.
The session will also mark the resumption of parliament, which has been on recess since the announcement of the state budget before Christmas, bar some extraordinary House committee meetings.
Earlier in the morning, police announced the closure of Nehru Avenue in Nicosia due to Christodoulides’ investiture ceremony.
Nehru Avenue, in front of the parliament building will be closed to traffic starting at 10am until the completion of the ceremony, which is expected to begin at 11.30am.
Police report no particular problems on any other parts of the road network Tuesday morning.
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