Galanos ousts Christou as chief of municipalities union

FAMAGUSTA Mayor Alexis Galanos has been elected chairman of the union of Cyprus municipalities, ousting Limassol’s Anderas Christou.

Galanos received 61 votes, 32 more than Christou, who had served as chairman during the previous term.

“I am fully aware of the responsibilities of the chairman of the union of municipalities,” Galanos said after his election, pledging to work on behalf of all municipalities. “We are going through very difficult times and have very big problems to tackle, especially in local administration.”

Galanos said there must be decentralisation, adding that democracy starts with municipalities.

The union of Cyprus municipalities was established in 1981 and although membership is voluntary, all municipalities, 39, accounting for 65 per cent of the population of Cyprus, are represented.

Among other objectives, the union acts as the highest representative of municipalities on a national and international level, with a view to promote and defend their interests and objectives.

It also strives to strengthen the political, administrative and financial autonomy and independence of the municipalities.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.