Presidential Elections 2023 – The President of the Republic exercised his right to vote for the Presidential Elections of 2023
The President of the Republic, Mr Nicos Anastasiades, accompanied by his spouse Mrs Andri Anastasiades and the members of their family, exercised today his right to vote in the Presidential Elections, at the Lanition Lyceum polling station, in Limassol.
After exercising his vote, President Anastasiades told reporters that “it is said that today is a celebration of democracy. I will not disagree at all. But if we want to turn it into a real celebration of democracy, nobody should remain indifferent, and nobody should abstain from this right that the Constitution has given them so that the will of the people will be exercised to the highest possible degree and not just the will of those who participate.
I want to believe that everything, based also on the democratic tradition of our people, will progress smoothly, and in the evening, of course, we will have the first results of the will of the people.”
Asked about his own feelings today, given the coming completion of his ten-year tenure at the leadership of the country, the President said that he feels “fine. The feelings are mixed. On the one hand, I feel satisfaction because, after 43 years, I believe that I managed to contribute to the political life of the country, even if only a little; and secondly, I have feelings usually held by someone who, by keeping commitments and bringing about constitutional amendments, completes his ten-year presence at the Presidency and 43 years of active involvement in politics, with an advisory role from now on. The time has come to enjoy all those you see around me”, said the President referring to his family.
In response to a remark by a journalist that his grandson, who used to accompany him as a young child to all the votes he cast in elections during his tenure as President, is now of age to vote, President Anastasiades said that "today, he is a voter himself and will exercise his right to vote."
In response to a comment by a reporter that what is at stake in the elections is the issue of voter abstention, and asked if he believes that the message for the need to exercise their right to vote has reached the voters, the President said that “I should hope so. And what I would like to reiterate and stress strongly, is for everyone to realize that voting is a right that becomes a duty, especially in the elections for the highest office of the country”.___________