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Kaiti Clerides, a prominent figure in Cypriot politics and daughter of the late President Glafkos Clerides, has died at the age of 76.
The Democratic Rally (DISY) announced her passing on Monday, saying party flags will fly at half-mast until her funeral. The party also said it is taking care of all arrangements related to the service.
Born in London on May 10, 1949, Clerides grew up surrounded by politics and public service. Her grandfather, Ioannis Clerides, was once mayor of Nicosia, and her father led Cyprus through some of its most defining moments as president. Yet, Kaiti Clerides carved her own path, one focused on social policy, women’s rights, and community engagement.
She founded and headed DISY’s Secretariat for Community Reunification and Civil Society Empowerment and was a founding member and first secretary of the party’s women’s organization, GODISY. Over the years, she also chaired the party’s Social Policy and Women’s Rights Committee, served as vice-chair of DISY, and was a member of its Supreme Council and Politburo.
Her political career included several terms in parliament, representing Nicosia under the Democratic Rally–Liberal Party coalition. First elected in 1991, she served two consecutive terms and returned to the House of Representatives in 2004 following the election of Panayiotis Demetriou to the European Parliament. During her time in office, she was vice-chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs and a member of the EU–Cyprus Joint Parliamentary Committee.
A tireless advocate for equality, Clerides was known for her sharp intellect, her commitment to dialogue, and her ability to bridge divides, traits that reflected her family’s legacy of public service but also her own sense of purpose.
Her passing marks the end of a political lineage deeply woven into Cyprus’s modern history. Funeral details have yet to be announced.
