LEFKOSA
Reporting by Mehmet Hatipoglu
Nicos Anastasiadis became the new leader of Greek Cypriots after winning 57.48 percent of vote in runoff election on Sunday.
Greek Cypriot authorities said, 445,009 of the 545,493 Greek Cypriot electors cast their votes in the runoff election and Nicos Anastasiadis, the candidate of the Democratic Rally party (DISI) formed by liberals and conservatives, won 57.48 percent of the vote while his rival Stavros Malas, candidate of communist AKEL party, got 42.52 percent of the vote.
According to these results, Anastasiadis has become the seventh leader of the Greek Cypriot administration and he will officially begin serving as the Greek Cypriot leader as of March 1 after resignation of his predecessor Dimitris Christofias on February 28.
The bailout deal with the EU and austerity measures to resolve the Greek Cypriot administration's economic problems and also the Cyprus talks with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which are expected to begin in spring, are among the major issues that await the newly elected 67-year-old Greek Cypriot leader.
Anastasiadis who voted "yes" to Annan Plan referendum in the island in 2004 defends the opinion that Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots can live together on the island in peace and puts forward resolution of the Cyprus issue as a pre-condition of cooperation with Turkey in every field including passage of Cyprus natural gas pipeline via Turkey.
British FM Hague congratulates Anastasiadis, new leader of southern Cyprus
LONDON
British Foreign Secretary William Hague congratulated Nikos Anastasiadis who became the new leader of Greek Cypriots after winning 57.48 percent of vote in runoff election on Sunday.
In a statement Hague said he congratulated Nikos Anastasiadis and the United Kingdom and Greek Cypriot administration shared deep bilateral relations. "I cannot wait to work to strengthen ties between our two countries with Anastasiadis and his government," he said.
Anastasiadis voted "yes" to Annan Plan referendum in the island in 2004 defends the opinion that Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots can live together on the island in peace and puts forward resolution of the Cyprus issue as a pre-condition of cooperation with Turkey in every field including passage of Cyprus natural gas pipeline via Turkey.
Eroglu congratulates Anastasiades
LEFKOSA
President of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Dervis Eroglu on Monday stated that he called and congratulated Nicos Anastasiades, the new leader of the Greek Cypriot administration, for his runoff election victory.
"I hope that your election as leader of the Greek Cypriots will help move onto a new and productive process in the Cyprus issue ongoing for decades," Eroglu said on the phone to Anastasiades according to a statement released by the TRNC presidency.
"I also told him that an early dialogue would make a positive impression internationally and this issue was our historical responsibility for generations to come," said Eroglu where Anastasiades upon thanking him said that he had high priority duties and the Cyprus issue was among them, according to the statement.
