Andros Kyprianou, General Secretary of the main opposition left wing AKEL party which backed Stavros Malas in his bid for the presidency of the Republic, said he was not satisfied with the election result but stressed that the people’s choice is respected.
At the same time he called on President elect Nicos Anastasiades to convince AKEL that he considers the Cyprus problem a top priority.
In a statement after Anastasiades won a second term in office with 55.99% of the vote, Kyprianou said the result of the election confirms that AKEL is, politically and morally, the winner.
Kyprpianou blamed the parties of the centre, noting that if they had remained firm on their goal for change, then they would have been successful.
He thanked those who supported Stavros Malas’ candidacy and the volunteers who worked hard to bring a change.
Kyprianou congratulated Nicos Anastasiades on his re-election, saying that AKEL remains in the opposition. He said his party will serve the goals and the interests of the people, adding that his party has fundamental perceptions of a socio-economic policy.
As regards the Cyprus problem, he said Anastasiades proved to be unreliable and untrustworthy, noting that AKEL considers the Cyprus issue as the top priority and Anastasiades will have to convince the party that he considers it to be top priority.
Kyprianou turned to the parties of the “so-called centre” which as he said, “while they passionately insisted on their goal, at the critical time”, they backed down and proved inconsistent. If they had remained firm on their goals, the change would have been achieved and the people’s expectations would have been met, he added.