Anastasiades’ main concern is Cyprus solution, not presidential elections

President Nicos Anastasiades said on Friday his main concern was resolving the island’s division and not next year’s presidential elections.

“Others may care,” the president said of the elections. “I do not feel insecurity, I do not care about the elections, I care about what everyone cares about, to achieve through unity is possible, the ultimate objective we all have in mind.”

The president said he did not feel any bitterness towards party leaders who criticised him.

“On the contrary, and they know and can confirm it themselves, I feel friendliness towards them.”

The president was attending a Christmas event at private television station Megaone with Archbishop Chrysostomos, who sought to convince all those present that he was the kingmaker.

The outspoken primate said the election period would be arriving soon.

“Take my opinion into serious consideration because the one that I will support will be the one who is elected,” he said. “Do not believe on your abilities. Only one will be elected.”

On the Cyprus problem, the archbishop expressed hope to achieve a good, functional solution.

“Because Mr. President, you, and I, and everyone, all our people, want a solution. But a good one,” he said. “It is our country and we must all unite for the good of this place and the people we all pledged to serve.”

Chrysostomos raised eyebrows on Thursday when he told Anastasiades not to be bothered if there is no solution.

“Because a bad solution would bring unending suffering to our people. The Church will be by your side but it demands that your policy is assertive,” he said.

Akel criticised the archbishop’s comments, saying they promoted compromising with the occupation.

“As Akel, we will never compromise with the occupation, we will never compromise with the de facto division, and that is why we will continue to fight for achieving a solution in the Cyprus problem that will liberate and reunite the country and its people,” spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said.

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.