Christofias leaves for UK surgery

THE LEADER of main opposition party Akel, Dimitris Christofias, left for London yesterday evening to prepare for open-heart surgery tomorrow.

Christofias, 53, is accompanied on his trip by his wife Elsi and personal physician Michalis Mina.

The left-wing party leader needs the heart surgery before he can be given a necessary kidney transplant. Christofias recently spent a long period hospitalised with kidney failure.