“Unity is not a slogan. It is the basis on which our own effort for a better homeland is founded”, said on Sunday (5/2) the independent candidate for the Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulidis, after the result of the first round of the presidential elections in Cyprus.

Nikos Christodoulidis is expected to contest with the also independent candidate Andreas Mavroyiannis for the position of President of the Republic next Sunday February 12, when the final winner of the election will be announced.

“Today our homeland, Cyprus, spoke. He spoke clearly”, he said and pointed out: “I look at the result of the elections with immense respect, with satisfaction for the vote of confidence, aware and ready to take on the great responsibility”.

Nikos Christodoulidis pointed out that he envisions “a Cyprus reunited, free, a safe and prosperous homeland for all its citizens. A country for all its legal residents, Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Armenians, Latins and Maronites. For every European citizen in this country. In this vision of ours, everyone who embraces it has a place. Our door is open from tomorrow for those who share our concern for tomorrow, for our children.

The moments are especially critical. Neither we nor the Cypriot people will risk setbacks and anachronistic policy models”.

Focusing on the solution of the Cyprus problem, he said “on the basis of the agreed framework, taking advantage of the status of an EU member state, through an assertive and proud foreign policy, remains my top priority. And of course, economic stability and fiscal discipline, away from experimentation and policies that led us to misery and bankruptcy.

The citizens who chose other anti-candidates have our unlimited appreciation. They are not our rivals. All opinions are respected and together we must all accompany their future elections. I have absolutely no doubt that the day after the elections, all of you, the society and the worthy people of Cyprus who embraced our candidacy in an unprecedented way, will be crowned winners”.

“I will march the next day, the next day, the next week with the same political ethos, with prudence and consensus, so that in a competitive but also completely civilized spirit we can lead to the second and final round of the presidential elections and you can be sure, we win. I remain faithful to my decision for a governance of broad social acceptance by utilizing the most capable of all ideological, political spaces, technocrats and civil society. We exclude no one and no one and our goal is a strong Cyprus, with social cohesion, prosperous, a homeland that will be reorganized and will thus be able to claim with more vigor and power the reunification and liberation from the Turkish occupation.

I want to once again express my gratitude to those who supported me, to all of you, ordinary citizens from the left to the right, disillusioned, unaffiliated, young voters and also the parties who also went above and beyond because they put the country above them any other ambitions.

I also want to thank everyone who went to the polls and exercised their sacred right to vote. I want to call on them to continue and intensify our efforts so that next Sunday finds us victorious, finds society and Cyprus victorious.

For us, unity is not a slogan. It is the basis on which our own effort for a better homeland is founded,” he emphasized in closing.