It is with deep grief that the Central Committee of AKEL announces the passing away of Dimitris Christofias, former President of the Republic of Cyprus and former General Secretary of the Central Committee of AKEL. Dimitris Christofias was for some time treated in the Nicosia General Hospital his health being in a severe condition.

At this time the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Party is convening to decide in agreement with the family the details of the funeral.

The Central Committee of AKEL expresses deep condolences to his wife, comrade Elsie, and his whole family.

Brief biography of Dimitris Christofias

Dimitris Christofias was born on August 29, 1946, in the now occupied village of Kato Dikomo, in the district of Kyrenia.

At the age of 14 he became member of the Pancyprian United Organization of Secondary Students (PEOM). In 1964 he became a member of AKEL, joined the Pancyprian Federation of Labour (PEO), and the United Democratic Youth Organization (EDON). 

In 1969 at the 5^th Congress of EDON he was elected to the Central Council of the organization. In 1969 he went to Moscow to study, where he studied history at the Academy of Social Sciences of the Soviet Union.

In 1974 after completing his studies in Moscow, he returned to Cyprus and became a full time cadre of EDON, of which he was elected Central Organising Secretary. In 1977 he was elected General Secretary of EDON, a position he held until 1987.

In 1982 he was elected to the Central Committee of AKEL, in 1986 he was elected to the Political Bureau of the Central Committee and in 1987 member of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Party. Following the death of AKEL’s General Secretary Ezekias Papaioannou on 10 April 1988, the Political Bureau of the C.C. of the Party designated him temporary General Secretary.  On April 22, 1988, the plenary session of the Central Committee elected him to the post of General Secretary, a position he held until January 21^st, 2009.

He was elected Member of the House of Representatives for the Kyrenia district on the AKEL-Left-New Forces ballot in the elections of May 19^th, 1991. He was reelected on the subsequent elections of May 26^th 1996, of May 27^th 2001 and of May 21^st 2006.  He held the post of President of the House of Representatives from 2001 to 2008.

In the Presidential elections of February 2008, he was elected 6^th President of the Republic of Cyprus.

In 2004 Dimitris Christofias was awarded an honorary doctorate of the International and European Studies Department of the University of Macedonia.  On November 20^th, 2008, in the framework of his official visit to the Russian capital, he was awarded an honorary doctorate of the Moscow Institute of International Relations.

Dimitris Christofias was married to Elsie Chiratou, and they had two daughters – Marianna and Christina, and a son – Christos.

THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF AKEL

Nicosia

21 June 2019

• Details for the funeral will be announced tomorrow

Contact:

• email: interbureau@akel.org.cy
• Fax: *357-22767144
• Tel: *357-22817346, *357-22589586, *357-99568184