Supported by central parties, 49-year-old Christodoulides took 51.92% (204,680 votes), ahead of veteran diplomat Andreas Mavroyiannis, who reached 48.08%, leading the country’s electoral organization.
Mavroyiannis acknowledged his defeat in the election, the Associated Press news agency reported.
“Today is the end of a journey, a beautiful journey that I have been on with thousands of people,” Nikos Christodoulides told reporters, emphasizing that he intends to remain “an active citizen”.
According to official data, participation in elections was 72.2%.
The winner of today’s election campaigned as a unifying force, avoiding ideological and party divisions, while Mavroyiannis positioned himself as the agent of change, ushering in a new political era after a decade of rule by outgoing President Nicos Anastasiades.
In the first round, held on February 5, the former head of diplomacy won 31% of the vote, a result far short of what was needed to avoid today’s second round of presidential elections.
The European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, expressed his pleasure “to continue working together on important issues for the EU and the people of Cyprus, towards a solution to the Cyprus problem”.
The Mediterranean island has been divided since Turkish troops occupied the northern part of the country in 1974, creating the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognized only by Ankara.
The future head of state was also congratulated by Charles Michel, President of the European Council, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the Commission, and President of the Parliament Roberta Metsola. “We must work together to face the challenges ahead, namely peace and reunification, the invasion of Ukraine, immigration, energy and competitiveness,” said the Maltese leader.
Source: DN
