NINE candidates waltzed into the Nicosia Hilton Park between 9am and midday to have a quick drink with elections registrar Lazaros Savvides, talk to the press and pay a hefty sum of money (€1,200) in order put forward their candidacy for the highest electoral post of the country.
First in was the incumbent, whose stated profession was ‘President’ rather than ‘lawyer’, and place of residence to be the ‘Presidential Palace’ rather than ‘Strakka’.
President Tassos Papadopoulos said it was “an honour” to be proposed by the veteran doctor-politician Vassos Lyssarides.
His first witness (candidates had to have eight in total) was Spyros Kyprianou’s widow, Mimi.
Papadopoulos repeated his “together we shall succeed” slogan and called the experience “symbolic and emotional”.
Second was Presidential hopeful from Paphos Andreas Efstratiou who arrived in a chauffeur-driven limousine.
The candidate seemed to get ahead of himself, as the Mercedes he was in bore a tiny Cypriot flag at the front, not unlike that of the President’s.
At 10am, AKEL candidate Demetris Christofias arrived, holding his mother Anna, laboriously hobbling on her cane.
The whole affair resembled a wedding, with more than a score of people hot on Christofias’ heels, applauding as he entered the room.
Having signed his name on the form, the communist party’s leader got up and hugged Priest Papalazaros Georgiou – the man “who gave two sons to the altar of democracy” said Christofias, whose eyes welled up as he addressed the press.
The real star of the show, Anna, gave her own mini-conference, as the old lady sat down and modestly told reporters that “God will decide the outcome of the elections.”
Speaking to the assembled journalists, Papalazaros enlisted God’s help in electing Christofias.
Fourth in, clenching the hand of the mother of his child – Jacqueline Grivas – was MEP Marios Matsakis.
Matsakis appeared to be divided on whether the toll which had to be paid was worth it.
“It is money for a good cause,” he said at first, but after having finished his Cypriot coffee in record time (he was the only one to opt for coffee over water) he quipped: “€1,200 for a cup of coffee!”
Two more independents followed: Anastasios Michael and Christodoulos Neophytou.
Michael had reportedly got lost on his way over, an event which may have racked his nerves since he sped through his two-minute speech to reporters.
Like Michael, Neophytou seemed very alone as he made his way through the room. Refusing the offer of a brief chat with Savvides on the couch, the self-professed income-collector from Varosi took his time at the press conference.
Savvides politely cut him off.
At 10.50am, the last of the major hopefuls came in.
DISY candidate Ioannis Kasoulides also received applause from his many-headed entourage, which included former Nicosia mayor Lellos Demetriades.
Heading for the couch before the candidacy had been made official, former President Glafcos Clerides – there to propose Kasoulides – had to be urged by the candidate himself to get up.
After speaking to reporters in a less emotional manner than Christofias had, Kasoulides was hugged and embraced by his supporters.
The penultimate candidate was independent Costas Themistocleous, accompanied by his family and renowned psychiatrist Yiangos Mikellides who wore black Reeboks and a long black coat.
Themistocleous was in a cheerful mood, jesting to a witness that, “since we are not at a bank, your signature does not bear any consequences.”
Last, but not least, came Costas Kyriakou, also known as Outopos.
In jeans and a tracksuit top, as well as his trademark Rambo-like black headband, Outopos had been warming up by doing some jogging outside the hotel.
Albeit accompanied by the Nokia-tune ringtone throughout, Outopos was otherwise alone, carrying the signatures of the men and women who were to propose and act as witness of his candidacy in his hand.
Speaking to the media, the writer-farmer from Paphos said that in 2003 he had won 73 per cent of the vote, Papadopoulos 14 per cent and Clerides 10 per cent, but the results had been tampered with by party leaders and media barons.
“I will not stand another injustice of this sort. I should already be ruling the whole world,” blazed Outopos, whose speech received applause from the cameramen.
Savvides signaled the end of the procedure promptly at noon, much to the dismay of a hopeful tenth candidate, Stavros Mestanas.
Stranded outside of the room, Mestanas looked like a fish out of water and told reporters that he had been told to go the Interior Ministry instead of the Hilton Park.
His tardiness ensured that 2008 went down as the election year with the second largest ballot, 2003 having seen ten candidates vying for the Cypriots’ vote.
