The absences, the applause, and the omissions

The ceremony to confirm the new President of the Republic began at 11:39 a.m. The outgoing President of the Republic, Nicos Anastasiades, was the first to enter the House of Representatives packed plenary session. He exchanged many handshakes and smiles with the guests, MPs from all parties, and his ministers before taking his seat to the right of Speaker of the House Annita Demetriou. In contrast, the new President of the Republic, who took over from the outgoing one, only exchanged handshakes with the departing ministers. This was repeated when he exited the plenary chamber at the end of the ceremony.

The omissions

Absences at the assurance ceremony included Democratic Rally president Averof Neofytou and AKEL secretary-general Stefanos Stefanou. Neofytou had previously written to Christodoulides, informing him that he would not be attending the ceremony because he would be abroad, but that he would seek a meeting with him when he returned. On the other hand, AKEL General Secretary Stefanos Stefanou is limiting his activities due to coronavirus infection. On Sunday, he announced it on Twitter.

There were 9 DISY MPs, 11 AKEL MPs, 7 DIKO MPs, and the entire DIPA delegation.

The applause

Those in attendance applauded the new President of the Republic twice during the ceremony. Except for the AKEL MPs, who remained expressionless on the parliamentary benches, all MPs applauded Nikos Christodoulides. Some lawmakers applauded the new President of the Republic loudly, while others were more subdued.

The attendance

The presence of Nikos Koshis at the ceremony for the confirmation of the new President of the Republic did not go unnoticed. First Lady Andri Anastasiades sat in the middle of the guest seating, between Archbishop George of Cyprus and Attorney General George Savvidis. Nikos Christodoulides greeted the entire outgoing Cabinet after his speech and before accepting the congratulations of the Parliamentary groups in the Speaker's office. He walked in front of the party benches, as did DIKO President Nicolas Papadopoulos.

The 'cliques'

After 11 a.m., the plenary hall began to fill up. MPs and members of the outgoing Cabinet had formed small 'cliques' in the center of the chamber by the time the outgoing and incoming Presidents arrived. The same scene had been set up in the visitors' back central seats, which were occupied by government deputy ministers and institutional officials. The seats in the upper gallery of the Chamber had been taken by new members of the government and associates of the new President of the Republic.

The ceremony was held in a packed hall, and attendees included, among others, the wife of the President of the Republic, the outgoing President's wife.  Outgoing Commissioners, Directors General of Ministries, the Deputy Attorney General, the President of the Supreme Court, the Auditor General, the Governor of the Central Bank, representatives of the Police, National Guard, ELDYK, and the Union of Municipalities, as well as the Mayors of Strovolos and Thessaloniki, were also present.

Former First Lady Fotini Papadopoulou attended, as did former European Commission member Androulla Vassiliou and former Speakers of the Parliament, Adamos Adamou and Dimitris Syllouris. Ambassadors and representatives of foreign countries accredited to Cyprus, as well as religious leaders from the Armenian, Maronite, and Anglican communities in Cyprus were also present.

[This article was translated from its Greek original]