Presidential candidates on the move as campaign heats up

The presidential election campaign trail over the weekend ended with the Cyprus Green Party deciding next month on the name of the presidential candidate it will support. Candidates also welcomed the S&P upgrading of the Cyprus economy and repeated their positions on the Cyprus problem and the economy.

Democratic Rally leader and presidential candidate, Averof Neofytou said the government’s correct economic policy has been confirmed by the new upgrading of Cyprus’ long-term credit rating by the Rating agency Standard and Poor’s (S&Ps). Neofytou said these results show the path that needs to be followed in the years to come.

In a speech at the memorial service of EOKA Liberation struggle heroes, Ionas Nicolaou and Kyriakos Kolokasi in Yeri, Neofytou stressed the need for all sides to be united in efforts to achieve a solution to the Cyprus problem. “Our desire to free our island remains our top priority”, he added.

Independent candidate Nikos Christodoulides on Sunday visited Kiti village in the Larnaca district, where he was informed about the problems that producers and the agricultural sector face in the region. The two sides exchanged views on the price of products, exports, subsidies, increasing production costs, price of fuel and fertilizers, employment of workers from third countries and others.

Christodoulides noted the significance of the agricultural sector, and the need to reinforce it with specific incentives making the sector more attractive and using innovative production methods. The agricultural sector, he added, is one of the top priorities of his pre-election campaign and includes actions that will strengthen rural areas, making them attractive for young couples who wish to enter the sector.

Candidate Giorgos Kolokasides meanwhile, in a press release reiterated that he is against a bizonal, bicommunal federation, does not want any borders on the island and will not accept any kind of a solution where there will be guaranteed majorities on the basis of ethnic or religious criteria.

The Central Committee of The Movement of Ecologists - Citizens' Cooperation decided on Sunday that a poll will be carried out among party members on the positions presented by the presidential candidates during their meeting with the Movement’s officials.

The results of the poll will be presented on the 2nd of October to the movement’s central committee which in turn is scheduling a Pancyprian meeting on 23 October to take a final decision on the candidate which the movement will support for the February 2023 elections.