The candidate for the Presidency of the Republic Mr.Nicos Christodoulides, in an official statement to journalists after the announcement of the final results of the first round of the presidential elections, said the following:
Ladies and gentlemen, friends, today our country Cyprus has spoken. Ladies and gentlemen, our country, our homeland, our dear citizens, has spoken. I look at the result of the elections with immense respect, with satisfaction for the vote of confidence, realizing at the same time that I am ready to take on a very great responsibility. It is my strong conviction that civil society has today amply confirmed that it is seeking consensus, it is seeking renewal, it is seeking new ethics in politics, it is seeking perspective and hope for the entire Cypriot people. I am particularly touched because society accepted our message and embraced our proposal to step into the next day united, away from rigidities and without the divisions, tactics and approaches of the past. The results of today's elections give us a sincere feeling of pride and gratitude for the ordinary citizen, for civil society, for all of you thousands of volunteers who were and are the protagonists of this unprecedented effort of participatory democracy, who all these months have been the courageous companions on the journey of renewal, modernisation, perspective and hope. It is to all of you in all the towns and villages of free Cyprus but also in our occupied Karpasia, in our occupied Maronite villages, that we owe this first victory of our effort and you deserve warm congratulations. Today democracy has won, today collectivity has won, today the will of society to join forces that will harness the best and lead Cyprus to a new era, to a European rule of law, inclusive and empathetic, giving equal opportunities to all, fairer with more meritocracy and with the strengthening of all democratic institutions in our country.
It has been a long, difficult day for all of us.
I do not wish to dwell on it tonight. We will have time in the next twenty-four hours to assess the results in detail and to discuss them with everyone in a practical and always serious manner. I would like to congratulate my runner-up Mr. Andreas Mavroyiannis for second place as well as all the other candidates.
In democracy and especially when we are talking about a country under occupation there are no winners and losers. There is only the ruling of the sovereign people.
I stand with the utmost respect to all the other candidates who ran for president. I want to reiterate what I stated onerously during the campaign none of the presidential contenders were or are our opponents. Our opponent in this effort is the problems of our country, our people and our common concern is the next day for our country. I envision a reunited, free Cyprus, a safe and prosperous homeland for all its citizens. A country for all its legal inhabitants, Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Armenians, Latins and Maronites, for every European citizen in this country. All those who embrace this vision have a place in our vision. Our door is open from tomorrow for those who share our concern for the future of our homeland for us and our children. Neither we nor the Cypriot people will risk setbacks or anachronistic political models. Resolving the Cyprus problem on the basis of the agreed framework, making use of our EU membership, through an assertive and proud foreign policy remains my priority. And of course, economic stability and fiscal discipline away from experimentation and policies that have led our country to misery and bankruptcy. They are not our opponents. All views are respected and together we must all stand together on election night. I have absolutely no doubt that the day after the elections, society and the worthy people of Cyprus who have embraced our candidacy in an unprecedented way will crown all of you as winners. I will proceed next week with the same political ethos, with prudence and consensus, so that in a spirit of competition and in a perfectly civilised manner we can lead to the second and final round of elections and you can be sure that we will win. I remain faithful to my decision for a government of broad social acceptance, making use of the most competent people from all ideological, political areas, technocrats and civil society. We do not exclude anyone and everyone. Our goal is a strong, socially cohesive, prosperous Cyprus. A homeland that will regroup and will be able to claim with more vigour and strength the reunification and freedom from Turkish occupation. In conclusion, I would like once again to express my gratitude to those who supported me, to all of you, ordinary citizens from the left to the right, disappointed, unaffiliated, young voters, but also to the parties that also went above and beyond because they put the homeland above any other ambitions. I would also like to thank all those who went to the polls and exercised their sacred right to vote. I want to call on them to continue and intensify our efforts so that next Sunday finds us victorious, finds the society of Cyprus victorious. Unity for us, and I conclude with this, is not a slogan. It is the basis on which our effort for a better country is founded. Thank you all very much. Mr. Christodoulides, with whom are you talking about the second round of the elections?[/B]
Tomorrow morning I will ask for a meeting with the President of DISY, Mr. Averof Neophytou.
Q. Have you spoken with the President of the Republic and what did he say to you?
Yes, I have spoken with the President, we exchanged some views on the result of the elections. There is nothing else that is publishable.
Q. Mr. potential President of the Republic of Cyprus, I would like you to tell us whether the information is true that the outgoing President has just recommended to the President of DISY to officially and openly support your candidacy in the second round of the elections.
Mr. Viktos you understand that I do not have such information to be able to either confirm or deny. I cannot speak on behalf of the President of the Republic.
Thank you very much. We are going strong until next Sunday. Let's go strong.
Q What does Monday on mean for you?
As I mentioned before tomorrow morning, I will ask to have a meeting with the leader of the Democratic Rally, Mr Averof Neofytou, in order to discuss about the second round of the elections.
Will you change the way?
No, I will continue the same way as we started. Mr Christodoulides, Andreas Mavroyiannis came second with a not insignificant percentage. Are you satisfied with the result and with regard to the opponent you will have in the second round or is it considered to be an uphill battle?[/B]
The second Sunday of the elections is a new electoral process. Who would be second was not chosen by us, it was chosen by the Cypriot people and you understand that it is totally respected. Of course, I am absolutely satisfied with the result of this effort and I look to next Sunday with great optimism and, if you like, with a certainty that through the meetings that will take place this week we will ensure our victory next Sunday in the elections. What we are most interested in, what we will fight for is through a collective effort, without exclusions, without divisions, to face the challenges that the Cypriot people have before them, such as the resolution of the Cyprus problem, the end of the occupation, a prosperous economy. We must do our utmost not to return because the Cypriot people have a memory and remember periods that led us to bankruptcy. I am sure that neither we nor the Cypriot people will allow this to happen. When will you see Mr. Neophytou, have you made an appointment?[/B]
No, we have not made an appointment, I will ask to visit him.
Q. Will you seek a meeting with the President of the Republic?
Yes, I will seek a meeting with the President of the Republic as well.
Q How will you tackle problems like inflation, migration?
We have a very specific plan to tackle all those challenges. We believe that through a collective effort we can tackle all those challenges.
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5/2/2023
(ΜΧ)
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