VZCZCXRO7123
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHNC #0134/01 0570924
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 260924Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY NICOSIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8604
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1085
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NICOSIA 000134 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL CY
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT-ELECT CHRISTOFIAS PROMISES TO REVIVE 
REUNIFICATION EFFORTS 
 
Reference:  Nicosia 123 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  Greek Cypriots on February 24 elected their 
first-ever Communist president, AKEL Secretary General Dimitris 
Christofias.  The Soviet-educated Christofias defeated Democratic 
Rally (DISY)-backed challenger Ioannis Kasoulides by nearly seven 
points, 53.6 percent to 46.4 percent.  In his first statement as 
Republic of Cyprus President-elect, Christofias pledged to work for 
the reunification of the island and also for internal political 
unity.  Kasoulides and DISY reciprocated, offering their support for 
settlement efforts and committing their good offices to improving 
Cyprus's lately-negative image in Brussels.  Christofias owes his 
second-round win primarily to backing from centrist Democratic Party 
(DIKO) and Socialist EDEK, both of which will obtain cabinet 
postings in the new administration.  DISY will not participate in 
Christofias's "government of wide acceptance," but is expected to 
support the new president's more-engaging (compared to his 
predecessor's) Cyprus Problem policies.  End Summary. 
 
-------------------------------- 
"Red" Candidate Gets Green Light 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) Dimitris Christofias, the 61-year-old AKEL leader, was 
elected February 24 as the sixth president of the Republic of 
Cyprus.  The son of a builder from the village of Dikomo (now in the 
area under Turkish Cypriot administration), Christofias, educated in 
the former Soviet Union, defeated right-wing challenger Kasoulides 
by an impressive six points in a race most experts believed would be 
closer.  It was AKEL's first-ever stand-alone bid for the presidency 
in its 80-year history. 
 
¶3.  (U) Christofias's first speech as president-elect emphasized his 
desire to revive reunification efforts and restore positive 
relations with the Turkish Cypriot community.  He called on T/C 
leaders "to work with him for the good of Cyprus and its people," 
and thanked community leader Mehmet Ali Talat, CTP boss Ferdi Soyer 
and other Turkish Cypriot political and labor union leaders who had 
called to congratulate him on his election.  At the same time, he 
extended a hand of friendship to the Greek Cypriot opposition, 
calling on his supporters to applaud Kasoulides's efforts (an 
election-night first, to the best of our recollection.)  Christofias 
pledged to represent all Cypriots regardless of their ethnic origin, 
religion or political affiliation, and "to focus on the things that 
unite the Greeks, Turks, Maronites, Armenians and Latins of Cyprus." 
 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Kasoulides and DISY leader Nikos Anastassiades publicly 
and privately congratulated the President-elect and pledged to 
support his efforts to get the stalled Cyprus process back on track. 
 They also offered to help the new government build alliances in the 
European Union and restore Cyprus's negative image there, which in 
the short-term could actually worsen owing to the country's election 
of a Communist president.  Anastassiades also hinted that DISY was 
considering ending its two-year boycott of the National Council, a 
consultative body of all major parties which debates Greek Cypriot 
Cyprus Problem policy. 
 
------------------------------------ 
DIKO and EDEK cash in on their votes 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Christofias's election confirmed once again DIKO's role as 
political kingmaker in Cyprus.  According to various exit polls, the 
party of incumbent President Tassos Papadopoulos managed to deliver 
60 - 70 percent of its voters to Christofias, crushing DISY's hopes 
that right-wing leaning DIKO voters would disobey official party 
instructions (Reftel).  Some 75 percent of EDEK voters, who 
ideologically feel closer to AKEL than DISY, obeyed their leaders' 
instructions to support Christofias. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) AKEL's deal with DIKO promised the latter three cabinet 
seats, including that of foreign minister, as well as Christofias's 
former post of House Speaker.  AKEL spokesman Andros Kyprianou told 
the Embassy February 22 that the new Foreign Minister will be 
Cypriot EU Health Commissioner Marcos Kyprianou; he believed that 
DIKO leader Marios Karoyian would become House Speaker.  Media is 
speculating that the new Minister of Education will also come from 
DIKO's ranks, with Christofias allegedly attempting to alleviate the 
Church of Cyprus's fears that an AKEL-led government may change the 
Greek Orthodox-centric character of education.  EDEK was promised 
two cabinet seats, the Ministry of Defense likely one of them. 
 
------------ 
But Not DISY 
------------ 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Andros Kyprianou clarified February 24 that the 
much-trumpeted "government of wide acceptance" would include only 
the parties that supported Christofias (most analysts had inferred 
 
NICOSIA 00000134  002 OF 002 
 
 
that the term referred to a more inclusive cross-section of the 
political scene, meaning even DISY would get a seat at the table.) 
Simultaneously, he warned DIKO and EDEK that Christofias "will not 
be a president under guardianship" -- regardless of those parties' 
presence in the administration, the new President would be calling 
the shots.  In our earlier meeting with the AKEL spokesman, he 
discounted rumors that Papadopoulos would exercise a leadership role 
on the Cyprus Problem, domestic policy, or anything else. 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Christofias's positive words to Kasoulides and DISY, as 
well as their reciprocal remarks, sent the positive signal that, 
despite ideological differences, Cyprus's two largest parties 
realize they must cooperate to spur progress on the Cyprus issue. 
DISY's possible return to the National Council merits particular 
mention and bodes well for future settlement efforts, as that body, 
post-boycott, has favored hard-line policies that resulted in 
near-zero progress in the last two years. 
 
SCHLICHER