Christodoulides urges voter participation in parliamentary elections

Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides cast his vote in Paphos on Sunday, urging citizens to participate in the parliamentary elections and dismissing abstention as an option. Speaking after voting at the First Primary School of Yeroskipou, he described the electoral process as critical for shaping the country’s legislative power. Christodoulides emphasized the government’s commitment to working with the newly elected parliament, regardless of its composition, while stressing that cooperation would be based on shared ideological principles rather than compromise. The president highlighted recent electoral reforms, including automatic voter registration and lowering the voting age to 17, as steps to boost voter turnout. He criticized the campaign for focusing too little on substantive issues, such as the Cyprus problem, and called for a more constructive political debate. Despite his concerns, Christodoulides assured that the election result would be fully respected, regardless of the outcome. When asked about future political cooperation, he reiterated that collaboration would depend on aligning with the government’s ideological framework of ‘social liberalism.’ Christodoulides declined to disclose how many preference votes he cast, stating only that he exercised his right to vote. He also mentioned following the election results while keeping an eye on the football final in Athens, where his supported team, Olympiacos Piraeus, was playing. The president defended the importance of ideological direction in politics, rejecting claims that such divisions no longer matter. He affirmed that the government’s approach to selecting MPs and governing would remain rooted in its political principles.