Cyprus’s former Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides has been elected president of the country, becoming its youngest leader at 49.
Christodoulides won 51.9 percent of the vote in the run-off that took place on Sunday, edging out the communist-backed candidate, Andreas Mavroyiannias, who received 48.8 percent.
Christodoulides ran as an independent candidate and had the backing of centrists and centre-right parties that usually had hardline stances on solving decades-old divisions in the island country.
This is the first time ever that a candidate has won the presidency without having the backing of two of the most prominent political groups, the conservative DISY and the communist AKEL.
In his winning speech, Christodoulides said: “I look you in the eyes and give you a promise – I will do everything to be worthy of your trust.”
