RULING LEFT-wing party AKEL re-elected Andros Kyprianou as the party general secretary on the closing day of its 21st pancyprian conference on Sunday.
Ninety-eight members of the party’s newly-elected 105-member Central Committee voted for Kyprianou, the sole candidate for the top spot, while three voted against and four abstained.
In his speech, Kyprianou said it was imperative to support President Demetris Christofias in his effort to find a solution to the Cyprus problem, noting that only this would ensure stability and peace in Cyprus and give people a chance to prosper.
The AKEL leader called for national unity among political forces. A unity which must take into consideration the commitments of the Greek Cypriot side towards the international community and the Turkish Cypriot community, as well as decisions taken at the National Council, he said.
A day before the leadership vote, a total 1,314 people voted on Saturday night for the make-up of the new Central Committee. The result was a strong showing for party members in the government, including the First Lady, as well as the daughter and son-in-law of the president. Former general secretary Demetris Christofias did not submit his candidacy for the central committee. A tie for the 105th position on the committee resulted in a draw to decide the winner, as stipulated in the party rule book.
Government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou got the highest number of votes in the central committee (1,237), with party leader Kyprianou coming second (1,230). Third was Yiannakis Kolokasides (1,227), followed by Interior Minister Neoclis Sylikiotis (1,225), Labour Minister Sotiroulla Charalambous (1,217), presidential constitutional adviser on the Cyprus problem talks Tselepis Toumazos (1,199), party official responsible for international affairs Georgios Loukaides (1,175) and party spokesman Stavros Evagorou (1,156).
Newly-appointed Director of the President’s Office, Christos Christofides came 11th (1,148), followed by former candidate for AKEL leader Nicos Katsourides (1,141) and the First Lady Elsi Christofias (1,128).
Nicosia Mayor Eleni Mavrou came 17th (1,110), while Limassol Mayor, Andreas Christou dropped a number of places to 32nd with 991 votes.
According to yesterday’s Politis, a substantial number of members of the AKEL’s youth wing, EDON, also made it into the committee. The paper also reported that former foreign minister under the previous government, Georgios Lillikas, was formally stricken off the party members’ list, to the surprise of some members who were not aware he was still on the list.
The 21st conference was attended by left-wing and communist parties from other parts of the world, including Cuba, Palestine, Portugal and Russia.
