PRESIDENT-ELECT CHRISTOFIAS PROMISES TO REVIVE

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.

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"Red" Candidate Gets Green Light
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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.

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DIKO and EDEK cash in on their votes
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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.

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But Not DISY
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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

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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.

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Comment
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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