Dimitris Christofias

Demetris Christofias ( ; 29 August 1946 – 21 June 2019) was a Cypriot politician, who served as President of Cyprus from 2008 to 2013. He was previously President of the House of Representatives from 2001 to 2008 and General Secretary of the Progressive Party of Working People from 1988 to 2009.

Taking on the challenge of responding to the 2008 financial crisis, he implemented a wide-ranging social program, increasing pensions and the minimum wage. At the end of his term, however, the 2012–2013 Cypriot financial crisis led to a collapse in the banking system. Putting blame on the banks, he attempted to raise taxes on them as a way of funding the island's recovery, but failed to pass this into legislation. Also citing deadlock in reunification talks, he announced that he would not seek re-election, becoming the first Cypriot leader to opt out of running for a second term. He remains the only communist head of state in the history of both Cyprus and the European Union.

Early life Demetris Christofias was born on 29 August 1946 in Kato Dikomo, British Cyprus, to a Greek Cypriot family. He had a sister who once donated her kidney to him for a life-saving kidney transplant. He received his high school education at Nicosia Commercial Lyceum, from which he graduated in 1964. He spent five years in Moscow, where he earned a PhD in history from the Russian Academy of Sciences. for which Christofias received the backing of Papadopoulos's party DIKO. Christofias went on to win the election with 53.37% of the vote. After his success, he stated his support for the closure of Cyprus' British military bases and pledged to restart talks to find a solution to the Cyprus problem. Addressing a crowd in Nicosia, he said he looked forward to "substantial cooperation for the benefit of both communities".

Christofias was sworn in as president at a ceremony in the House of Representatives on 28 February 2008, vowing that "the solution of the Cyprus problem will be the top priority of [his] government". Although he was proud to be a communist, he said he would leave the free market economy alone. While much of the focus outside of Cyprus was on his communist background and education in Moscow, voters were more concerned with a solution to the Cyprus problem.

Christofias appointed his government on 29 February 2008. His first government was a coalition between his own party AKEL, Marios Garoyian's Democratic Party and Yiannakis Omirou's Movement for Social Democracy. Christofias started talks with Mehmet Ali Talat on the reunification of Cyprus as a bizonal federal state, but his hopes for Greek Cypriot approval of such a plan were soon scotched by the nationalists' victory in Northern Cyprus' 2009 parliamentary elections. '

Christofias announced on 14 May 2012 he would not seek re-election for a second term in the next year, citing a deadlock in talks on the island's reunification. He left office on 28 February 2013, following the presidential elections, and remains the only Cypriot president not to seek re-election.

Controversies

Mari Naval Base explosion On 28 July 2011, Cyprus's cabinet tendered its resignation bowing to political and public pressure after a massive munitions blast at Evangelos Florakis Naval Base on 11 July 2011. Several thousand people upset by the Cypriot government's failure to dispose of the explosives had held a demonstration in the capital Nicosia on 12 July, demanding the resignation of Christofias.

On 3 October 2011, the results of the investigation regarding the Evangelos Florakis Naval Base explosion were released to the public, placing the blame for the incident mainly on President Christofias, holding him “personally and institutionally responsible” for the blast. Christofias rejected the results of the investigation and denied any personal responsibility for the tragedy.

Six days later, the police report, "prepared by head of CID at police HQ", recommended the prosecution of 12 people; the police rejected claims they were trying to protect the Presidential palace officials with their report, instead asserting that the "police perform their duties “impartially and objectively”". The police also report that they "carefully avoided saying who and how many we propose to take to court, because the final word on who will be brought to justice rests with the AG...in no way did we want to stigmatise someone who the AG may later judge there is insufficient evidence to prosecute”. Although the state investigation concluded that he should have been arrested and charged, the Attorney General did no such thing.

Personal life Christofias met Elsie Chiratou while studying in Moscow, and they returned to Cyprus together before marrying in 1972. In addition to his native Greek, he was fluent in Russian. He died on 21 June, aged 72. A period of national mourning was later announced, and a state funeral was held.

Honours and awards Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold with Sash of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria (10 May 2007) Medal of Pushkin (10 December 2007) Order of Friendship (30 August 2010) Jubilee Medal "70 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (31 May 2015) Grand Collar of the Order of the Redeemer (2008) Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Mark (9 April 2009) Order of José Martí (28 September 2009) Grand Collar of the Order of Pope Pius IX (2010) Grand Collar of the Order of the Unity of the Nation (4 November 2010) First Class of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise (4 July 2011) Grand Cordon of the National Order of the Cedar (2012) Order pro Merito Melitensi (25 October 2012) Grand Cross of the Order of the Republic of Serbia (30 January 2013)