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Dear friends, compatriots,
people of Cyprus, thank you from the bottom of my heart for the honour you
have bestowed upon me. For the honour to elect me in the supreme office of
the Republic of Cyprus. I am grateful for your trust, your love and your
support. I shake hands with you all tonight, I look you in the eye. I look
you in the eye and, in all honesty, I make you a promise. I will do
everything in my power to prove worthy of your trust. I will spare no effort
to realize the vision I have shared with you, so that we may create a free
country that offers all citizens conditions of security and prosperity. A
country without discriminations and separations.
The
elections, dear friends, have come to an end. I would like to thank the
Ministry of Interior and all the people who have worked for the election
process. The people of Cyprus have spoken.
Dear
friends, the election campaign belongs to the past. We leave behind what has
hurt us and caused us bitterness. Tomorrow marks the dawn of a new day, which
will find us united and determined to put into practice everything we have
promised the Cypriot people. I would like to thank you all. I thank the
citizens. I thank the people of Cyprus for honouring me with their vote. I
extend my thanks to the political forces who supported our efforts. I would
like to thank the Democratic Party. I thank EDEK. I thank DEPA. I thank the Solidarity
movement. I thank the Hunters Movement. I thank the Animal Party. I thank all
the organizations that supported us, all the organized groups and of course,
our volunteers. Our volunteers throughout Cyprus who have stood by my side
selflessly throughout all these months, assuming a leading role in this
effort. Allow me dear friends, to make a special reference to my family that
stood by my side throughout this exceptionally difficult journey. I would
like to thank my wife, my children, all my family members in Cyprus and the
United States, who have been a source of support throughout all these months.
But I would also like, dear friends, to thank all of our fellow citizens
tonight, who made other choices. This is the essence of democracy. I honour and
respect them all. In the Cyprus that I envision, dear friends, there are no
“us” and “them’’. In Cyprus, the way I envision it, I will be President of
all Cypriots.
At
this point, I would like to thank all the political forces. I am sending,
tonight, a sincere message of cooperation and readiness to join forces for
the benefit of our country, for our Cyprus. I respect and honour AKEL, the
great party of the Left. I respect and honour its leadership under Mr.
Stefanos Stefanou as well as to its supporters. I send my unlimited respect
to Mr. Andreas Mavroyiannis for the nice race we shared. But I would like,
dear friends, to make a special reference to the Democratic Rally.
I
would like to refer to the Democratic Rally, to its president Averof
Neofytou, its leadership, its people. I am very well aware of the fact that
during this election campaign we went through hard times both on a personal
and political level. I want everyone to know and I would like to assure them
tonight that I will not disappoint them. I have spoken to Averof Neofytou,
who has congratulated me. I would like to sincerely thank him and I intend to
have a meeting with him, as soon as possible.
I
would like, dear friends, to warmly thank tonight the President of the
Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, for the long-term cooperation that we
have had throughout all these years and for the confidence he has shown in me
through the important positions he has assigned to me. I am especially
grateful.
Dear
friends, I am deeply moved that our pre-election program was welcomed by the
majority, a program that was based on the dialogue with citizens, with civil
society, with all Cypriots, with our youth as well as those who have retired.
I would like to assure you tonight that this unprecedented effort of
participatory democracy that began before the elections will continue
throughout our term of office.
I
would like to set out before you my priorities as President-elect of the
Republic of Cyprus tonight. My greatest concern is to put an end to Turkish
occupation, to reunify our country. I will do everything in my power in order
to break the deadlock, to resume the dialogue, to create the conditions for
the solution to the Cyprus problem, so as to find, dear friends, a solution
that ensures for our children a reunified country on the ground, in the
institutions, in the economy. A homeland that will respect the rights of all
the legitimate citizens, Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Maronites,
Armenians and Latins. I would like to address, tonight in particular, our
Turkish Cypriot compatriots who have been going through difficult times
recently. We participate in their mourning and I would like to assure them
that we are standing by their side.
I
would like to reiterate that the current status quo cannot be the solution to
the Cyprus problem. It cannot be the future of our country. Cyprus cannot be
the last crippled state of the European Union. I have just spoken to the
Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and the President of the
Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou. Greece is our source of support
and our selfless ally. I want to assure you that our relations will be
further strengthened in all fields. I also spoke tonight with the President
of the European Parliament, with the President of France, with Senator
Menendez and other personalities from the wider Middle East.
Our
European Western orientation constitutes our constant compass. This
orientation will be further strengthened. At the same time, dear friends, we
will continue to expand our relations with all countries in the region, as
well as with all the forces that can play a significant role in ending the
occupation and resolving the Cyprus problem, always within the agreed
framework of the United Nations, and with full respect for the principles and
values of the European Union.
Tonight,
I would like to send a message of unlimited respect to our refugees, the
enclaved, the victims, the relatives of our missing persons, to all those who
are still suffering from the trauma of the invasion and the ongoing
occupation. They remain at the forefront of our effort to put an end to
illegitimacy and injustice. Dear, friends, with full awareness, I assume the
enormous responsibility of looking at you, tonight. in the eyes. I want to
promise you that I will do my best to live up to your hopes and expectations.
I am ready to take over the governance of the country. I am ready to deal
with the major challenges and with the important problems of everyday life. I
am ready to work with you in order to build a future with a horizon, with
hope and perspective for all. I am determined to form a government of broad
social acceptance, with capable people from all the political spheres. People
from the civil society and, of course, from the new generation of whom we are
proud. National unity, dear friends is not a slogan. National unity, dear
friends, is a historical necessity. I am focused on the next day for the
immediate implementation of specific actions, for the economy, for
society, for everything you have pointed out to me as priorities. I have
completed the preparation and I have a specific action plan for each ministry
so that we can start working immediately.
Dear
friends, my goal is to create a society that is inclusive, empathetic and
that leaves no one behind. To create a extroverted economy that is resilient
and competitive. A flexible, efficient state. A citizen-friendly state with
transparency, meritocracy, justice and accountability. For a better quality
of life in the city and in our countryside for all without exceptions. A
homeland that will immediately ensure that it is not an attractive
destination for irregular immigrants. A state that will effectively support
the farmer and the breeder and which will effectively regenerate the primary
sector in our country and revitalize the countryside. A Cyprus, which will be
by the side of families and young people in practice, that will give decent
pensions and support our vulnerable fellow citizens, offering equal
opportunities to all those in need of special care and special support. A
homeland that will set as high as possible the bar for education and culture,
with good public schools and promotion of sport, arts and letters. A Cyprus
with quality health services. Yes, dear friends, we will strengthen and
improve the General Health System, the greatest conquest in recent years that
ensures equal and universal access to health services for every citizen.
Fellow compatriots, beginning from tomorrow we will take the first steps for
better days. With unity, determination, self - confidence and pride. All
these, to achieve tomorrow’s Cyprus together. Tonight, all of you are the
winners. Together we embarked on this journey, we walked together and
together we will continue it. From the bottom of my heart, I warmly thank
you. Thank you for your support. Thank you for the courage, but also for the
inspiration you gave me in this great race. The winner tonight is Cyprus. The
winner tonight is our homeland. Let’s move on. Let’s move on in a hopeful
spirit. Let’s move on, united, for Cyprus. Thank you very much!
(EP)
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