NICOSIA, Jan 10 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Cyprus’s Foreign Minister, Nikos Christodoulides, announced yesterday that, he has resigned from his post and indicated that he would probably be a candidate in the presidential elections, due in Feb, 2023.
Christodoulides said, he submitted his resignation to President Nicos Anastasiades “some days ago” and it was accepted on Friday. He added that, the resignation will take effect tomorrow.
Christodoulides, a politician with a long diplomatic career, was appointed as Foreign Minister in Mar, 2018.
His resignation was announced amid friction with the president of his own ruling Democratic Rally party, Averof Neofytou, who has also said that, he will be seeking the party’s nomination for the presidential elections.
Media reports said that Christodoulides would contest the presidential elections as an independent candidate. Neofytou challenged him to clarify his intentions, by seeking the party’s nomination for the presidential candidacy, in a process starting today.
Neofytou said, he would step down as party leader and Christodoulides would become both party leader and a presidential candidate, if he contested the party candidacy and won the vote.
Christodoulides turned down the challenge, saying that, he was not interested in leading the Democratic Rally party. He also said, he would make an announcement about his candidacy when he made a final decision.– NNN-AGENCIES
