The president of Cyprus, officially the president of the Republic of Cyprus,[a] is the head of state and the head of government of Cyprus, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Cypriot National Guard. The office was established by the Constitution of 1960, after Cyprus gained its independence from the United Kingdom.
President of the Republic of Cyprus | |
---|---|
Πρόεδρος της Κυπριακής Δημοκρατίας (Greek) Kıbrıs Cumhuriyeti Cumhurbaşkanı (Turkish) | |
since 28 February 2023 | |
Executive branch of the Government of Cyprus | |
Style | Mr President (informal) His Excellency (diplomatic) |
Status | Head of state Head of government Commander-in-chief |
Member of | European Council |
Residence | Presidential Palace |
Seat | Nicosia, Cyprus |
Appointer | Popular vote |
Term length | Five years, renewable once consecutively |
Constituting instrument | Cypriot Constitution |
Formation | 16 August 1960 |
First holder | Makarios III |
Deputy | Vice President of Cyprus (de jure) President of the House of Representatives (de facto) |
Salary | 119,000 EUR annually[1] |
Website | www |
The combination of the role of head of state and that of government is unique among member states of the European Union, making Cyprus the only EU state with a full presidential system of government.
The constitution, which was negotiated during the London and Zürich Agreements that divided power between the Greek Cypriot community and Turkish Cypriot community, requires the president to be a Greek Cypriot. Other requirements are that the officeholder must be over the age of thirty-five and elected directly in a two-round system. The president's term lasts for five years, and in accordance with the thirteenth amendment to the constitution, no person can serve more than two consecutive terms.
Nikos Christodoulides is the eighth and current president of Cyprus, having assumed office on 28 February 2023.
Powers and limitations
editAccording to the Constitution, the president of the Republic is the head of state, and is elected for a five year term through direct, universal and secret ballot.
Among the most important powers granted to the president of the Republic by the Constitution, are the power to put into effect laws passed by the House of Representatives or the right of veto to prevent legislation passed by the House from being enacted, if a given law concerns issues of the external policy, security and defence of the Republic, the right to refer such legislation back to the legislative body, as well as the right to refer it to the Supreme Court for the purposes of checking its constitutionality.
In addition, the president convenes the meetings of the Council of Ministers and draws up their agenda, while maintaining the right of veto for council meetings as well, provided that they concern issues of external policy, security and defence of the Republic, as well as the right to refer them back to the aforementioned body.
Today, under the doctrine of necessity, the president appoints eleven ministers, who constitute the country's Cabinet, and with the exception of the powers reserved by the constitution explicitly for the president and vice president of the Republic, exercise the executive authority of the state.
Furthermore, the Constitution grants the president the power to unilaterally appoint independent state officials and Supreme Court judges.
There are two ways for the president of the Republic to be removed from office. In the first case, they must be convicted by the Supreme Court for high treason, following prosecution by the prosecutor general and the deputy prosecutor general, which has to be approved by a resolution of at least three-quarters of members of parliament. In the second case, they must be convicted of a dishonorable offense or an offense of moral turpitude, following prosecution by the prosecutor general and the deputy prosecutor general, which has to be approved by the president of the Supreme Court.
List
edit- Key
§ Elected unopposed
† Died in office
No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term | Political Party | Elected | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||
1 | Archbishop Makarios III (1913–1977) | 16 August 1960 | 15 July 1974 (deposed) | 13 years, 333 days | Independent | 1959 1968 1973[§] | |
– | Nikos Sampson (1935–2001) | 15 July 1974 | 23 July 1974 | 8 days (De facto, Acting) | Progressive Front | – | |
– | Glafcos Clerides (1919–2013) | 23 July 1974 | 7 December 1974 | 137 days (Acting) | Eniaion | – | |
(1) | Archbishop Makarios III (1913–1977) | 7 December 1974 (restored) | 3 August 1977 † | 2 years, 239 days | Independent | – | |
2 | Spyros Kyprianou (1932–2002) | 3 August 1977 | 28 February 1988 | 10 years, 209 days (Acting for first 209 days) | DIKO | 1978[§] 1983 | |
3 | George Vassiliou (born 1931) | 28 February 1988 | 28 February 1993 | 5 years | Independent | 1988 | |
4 | Glafcos Clerides (1919–2013) | 28 February 1993 | 28 February 2003 | 10 years | DISY | 1993 1998 | |
5 | Tassos Papadopoulos (1934–2008) | 28 February 2003 | 28 February 2008 | 5 years | DIKO | 2003 | |
6 | Demetris Christofias (1946–2019) | 28 February 2008 | 28 February 2013 | 5 years | AKEL | 2008 | |
7 | Nicos Anastasiades (born 1946) | 28 February 2013 | 28 February 2023 | 10 years | DISY | 2013 2018 | |
8 | Nikos Christodoulides (born 1973) | 28 February 2023 | Incumbent | 1 year, 298 days | Independent | 2023 |
Timeline
editLatest election
editCandidate | Party | First round | Second round | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Votes | % | Votes | % | |||
Nikos Christodoulides | Independent[b] | 127,309 | 32.04 | 204,867 | 51.97 | |
Andreas Mavroyiannis | Independent[c] | 117,551 | 29.59 | 189,335 | 48.03 | |
Averof Neofytou | Democratic Rally | 103,748 | 26.11 | |||
Christos Christou | National Popular Front | 23,988 | 6.04 | |||
Achilleas Demetriades | Independent[d] | 8,137 | 2.05 | |||
Constantinos Christofides | New Wave – The Other Cyprus | 6,326 | 1.59 | |||
Georgios Colocassides | Independent | 5,287 | 1.33 | |||
Alexios Savvides | Independent | 2,395 | 0.60 | |||
Charalampos Aristotelous | Independent | 866 | 0.22 | |||
Celestina de Petro | Independent | 575 | 0.14 | |||
Andronicos Zervides | Independent | 341 | 0.09 | |||
Ioulia Khovrina Komninou | United Republican Party of Cyprus | 330 | 0.08 | |||
Andreas Efstratiou | Independent | 299 | 0.08 | |||
Loukas Stavrou | National Communitarian Reconstruction | 165 | 0.04 | |||
Total | 397,317 | 100.00 | 394,202 | 100.00 | ||
Valid votes | 397,317 | 98.27 | 394,202 | 96.95 | ||
Invalid votes | 5,333 | 1.32 | 8,428 | 2.07 | ||
Blank votes | 1,671 | 0.41 | 3,986 | 0.98 | ||
Total votes | 404,321 | 100.00 | 406,616 | 100.00 | ||
Registered voters/turnout | 561,273 | 72.04 | 561,273 | 72.45 | ||
Source: Central Electoral Service, Central Electoral Service |
Statistics
edit# | President | Date of birth | Age at inauguration (first term) |
Time in office (total) |
Age at retirement (last term) |
Date of death | Longevity |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Makarios III | 13 August 1913 | 47 years, 3 days | 16 years, 211 days | 63 years, 355 days | 3 August 1977 | 63 years, 355 days |
2 | Spyros Kyprianou | 28 October 1932 | 44 years, 310 days | 10 years, 178 days | 55 years, 123 days | 12 March 2002 | 69 years, 135 days |
3 | Georgios Vassiliou | 20 May 1931 | 56 years, 284 days | 5 years, 0 days | 61 years, 284 days | Living | 93 years, 216 days (Living) |
4 | Glafcos Clerides | 24 April 1919 | 73 years, 310 days | 10 years, 0 days | 83 years, 310 days | 15 November 2013 | 94 years, 205 days |
5 | Tassos Papadopoulos | 7 January 1934 | 69 years, 52 days | 5 years, 0 days | 74 years, 52 days | 12 December 2008 | 74 years, 340 days |
6 | Demetris Christofias | 29 August 1946 | 61 years, 183 days | 5 years, 0 days | 66 years, 183 days | 21 June 2019 | 72 years, 296 days |
7 | Nicos Anastasiades | 27 September 1946 | 66 years, 154 days | 10 years, 0 days | 76 years, 154 days | Living | 78 years, 86 days (Living) |
8 | Nikos Christodoulides | 6 December 1973 | 49 years, 85 days | 1 year, 298 days (Ongoing) | Incumbent | Living | 51 years, 16 days (Living) |
See also
editNotes
edit- ^
- ^ Supported by DIKO, EDEK, DIPA, Solidarity, Active Citizens – United Cypriot Hunters Movement and Animal Party Cyprus
- ^ Supported by AKEL and Generation Change
- ^ Supported by Famagusta for Cyprus
References
edit- ^ "Γενικό Λογιστήριο της Δημοκρατίας Απολαβές Αξιωματούχων". treasury.gov.cy. 26 May 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2024.