Demetris Christofias^[1] (also spelled Dimitris Christofias) , Greek: Δημήτρης Χριστόφιας, Φασίστας, (born 29 August 1946) is a left-wing Greek Cypriot politician who has been the sixth President of Cyprus since 2008. Christofias was the General Secretary of AKEL and is Cyprus's first, and the European Union's first and so far only, communist head of state. He won the 2008 Cypriot presidential elections in the second round of voting. Throughout the election campaign, he pledged to restart talks with Turkish Cypriots in order to find a solution to the Cyprus dispute and reunify the island. He has also supported the closure of the British military bases on Cyprus.^[2]

Biography[link]

Christofias was born on 29 August 1946 in the village of Dhikomo, Kyrenia. Christofias became involved in leftist politics early in his youth and held several positions with the youth movement of AKEL (the Progressive Party of the Working People of Cyprus). His father, who died in 1987, was a builder, member of the Pancyprian Federation of Labour (PEO).

Christofias had his secondary-school education at Nicosia Commercial Lyceum, from where he graduated in 1964. At the age of 14, he joined the progressive secondary-school students organisation PEOM and at the age of 18 he joined EDON (AKEL's United Democratic Youth Organisation), PEO Trade Unions and AKEL. In 1969, at the 5th Congress of EDON, he was elected member of the Central Council.

Christofias studied at the Institute of Social Sciences and the Academy of Social Sciences in Moscow. In Moscow he met his wife, Elsie Chiratou, and later returned to Cyprus and political life.

Dimitris Christofias married Elsie (Chiratou) Christofias in 1972 and they have three children – two daughters, Marianna and Christina, and a son, Christos.^[3]

Career[link]

Public figure[link]

Presidents of Russia and Cyprus annual meeting in Moscow (2008)

Cyprus president Dimitris Christofias and Cyprus first lady with U.S. President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama (2009)

In 1974 Christofias was elected to the post of the Central Organising Secretary of EDON and in 1977 of General Secretary. At this post he served till 1987. In 1976 he was elected member of the Nicosia-Kyrenia District Committee of AKEL, and in 1982 – at the 15th Congress of AKEL – he was elected member of the Central Committee of the Party.

In July 1986 Christofias was elected alternate member of the Political Bureau of the C.C. of AKEL. After the 16th Congress of AKEL, held in November 1986, he was elected full member of the P.B. of C.C. AKEL and in 1987 (after terminating his service as General Secretary of EDON) he was elected member of the Secretariat of C.C. AKEL. In April 1988, following the death of Ezekias Papaioannou, he was elected General Secretary of the C.C. AKEL, a post he held until 2009.

Rise to local leadership[link]

Christofias was elected Member of the House of Representatives for the first time in 1991 and was re-elected in the subsequent parliamentary elections of 1996 and 2001. On 7 June 2001, he was elected President of the House of Representatives. He was re-elected as president of the House of Representatives in 2006. In his function of General Secretary of the C.C. AKEL and President of the House of Representatives, he was a Member of the National Council, a supreme advisory body to the President of the Republic.

Christofias was ex officio chairman of the House Standing Committee on Selection and chairman of the Ad Hoc House Standing Committee on Rules of Procedure and of the Special House Standing Committee on Declaration and Examination of Property. He was also president of the executive committees of the Cyprus Group to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (I.P.U.) and of the Cyprus Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (C.P.A.).

2008 presidential election[link]

Rabbi Arie Zeev Raskin with president Demetris Christofias (2008)

The first round of the February 2008 presidential election, held on 17 February, saw a close result between the three leading candidates—Christofias, Ioannis Kasoulides of DISY, and the incumbent Tassos Papadopoulos—Christofias narrowly placing second with 33.3% of the vote, behind Kasoulidis with 33.5%. Christofias and Kasoulidis participated in a second round on February 24^[4] for which Christofias received the backing of Papadopoulos's party, DIKO.^[5] Christofias went on to win the election with 53.37% of the vote.^[6] After his success he pledged to restart talks to find a solution to reunify the island. In addressing a jubilant crowd in the Cyprus capital Nicosia's streets the new president-elect said he looked forward to "substantial cooperation for the benefit of both communities." ^[7] "Tomorrow, a new day begins. We will see many difficulties ahead of us. As of tomorrow, we unite our forces...to achieve the reunification of our country,"^[8]

Christofias was sworn in as President at a ceremony in the House of Representatives on 28 February 2008, vowing that "the solution of the Cyprus problem will be the top priority of my government".^[9] Although proud to be a communist, he says he will leave the free market economy alone.^[10] While much of the focus beyond Cyprus has been on Mr Christofias's communist background and education in Moscow, on the island voters have been more concerned with a solution to Europe's longest running conflict^[11]—the island's partition since 1974.

Government[link]

Official welcoming ceremony of Dmitry Medvedev by Dimitris Christofias in Nicosia (2010)

On February 29, 2008, Christofias proceeded to appoint his Government. Christofias' first government was a coalition between his own party AKEL, Marios Garoyian's Democratic Party and Yiannakis Omirou's Movement for Social Democracy. Christofias started talks with Mehmet Ali Talat on the reunification of Cyprus as a bizonal federal state,^[12] but his hopes for Greek Cypriot approval of such a plan were soon scotched by the nationalist's victory in the 2009 parliamentary elections.^[12]

Cyprus's cabinet tendered its resignation on July 28, 2011, bowing to political and public pressure after a massive munitions blast at Evangelos Florakis Naval Base threatened to force the island into asking for an EU bailout. President Christofias asked the people of Cyprus in his speech not to re-live episodes of the 1974 invasion, as crowds of citizens demanded his resignation over his alleged involvement in the blast. Both EDEK and DIKO had withdrawn their support for Christofias by the beginning of August 2011.

On 3 October 2011 the results of the investigation regarding the Evangelos Florakis Naval Base explosion were released to the public, placing the blame for the incident mainly on President Christofias, holding him “personally and institutionally responsible” for the blast.^[13][14] Christofias denied any personal responsibility for the tragedy.^[15]

On 9 October 2011, the police report, "prepared by head of CID at police HQ", "recommend the prosecution of 12 people". The police rejected claims they were trying to protect the Presidential palace officials with their report, instead asserting that the "police perform their duties “impartially and objectively”". The police also report that they "carefully avoided saying who and how many we propose to take to court, because the final word on who will be brought to justice rests with the AG...in no way did we want to stigmatise someone who the AG may later judge there is insufficient evidence to prosecute”. ^[16]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Profile in House of Representatives web site (Greek)

v t e Presidents of Cyprus Makarios III • Glafcos Clerides (acting) • Makarios III • Spyros Kyprianou • George Vasiliou • Glafcos Clerides • Tassos Papadopoulos • Dimitris Christofias

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Serzh Sargsyan Սերժ Սարգսյան
President of Armenia
Incumbent
Assumed office 9 April 2008
Prime Minister	Tigran Sargsyan
Preceded by	Robert Kocharyan
Prime Minister of Armenia
In office 26 March 2007 – 9 April 2008
President	Robert Kocharyan
Preceded by	Andranik Margaryan
Succeeded by	Tigran Sargsyan
Personal details
Born	(1954-06-30) 30 June 1954 (age 57) Stepanakert, Soviet Union (now Nagorno-Karabakh)
Political party	Republican Party
Spouse(s)	Rita Sargsyan
Children	Anush Satenik
Alma mater	Yerevan State University
Signature

Serzh Azati Sargsyan (Armenian: Սերժ Ազատի Սարգսյան, born June 30, 1954^[1]) is the third President of Armenia. He won the February 2008 presidential election with the backing of the conservative Republican Party of Armenia, a party in which he serves as chairman,^[2] and took office in April 2008.^[3]

Personal life[link]

Serzh Sargsyan was born on June 30, 1954 in Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, Azerbaijan SSR. He was admitted to Yerevan State University in 1971, served in the Soviet Armed Forces during 1971-72, and graduated from the Philological Department of Yerevan State University in 1979. In 1983, he married his wife, Rita. They have two daughters, Anush and Satenik, and one granddaughter, Mariam.^[1] He is the chairman of the Chess Federation of Armenia. In addition to his native Armenian, he is fluent also in Russian.^[4] He is of no relation to the current Prime Minister of Armenia, Tigran Sargsyan.

Early career[link]

Sargsyan's career began in 1975 at the Electrical Devices Factory in Yerevan,^[5] where he worked as a metal turner until 1979 when he became head of the Stepanakert City Communist Party Youth Association Committee. Then served as second secretary, first secretary, the Stepanakert City Committee Propaganda Division Head, the Nagorno-Karabakh Regional Committee Communist Organizations' Unit Instructor, and finally as the assistant to Genrikh Poghosyan, the First Secretary of the Nagorno-Karabakh Regional Committee.^[1]

As tensions rose over Nagorno-Karabakh between Armenians and Azerbaijanis, Sargsyan became chairman of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Self-Defense Forces Committee and was subsequently elected to the Supreme Council of Armenia in 1990.^[5] He organized several battles in the Nagorno-Karabakh War^{[citation needed]} and is considered to be one of the founders of Nagorno-Karabakh's and Armenia's armed forces. He became the Armenian defense minister in 1993, head of Armenian state security department in 1995 and minister of national security in 1996. In 1999, he became Robert Kocharyan's chief of staff, then secretary of the national security council, defense minister, and prime minister in 2007.^[1]

2008 presidential election[link]

Sargsyan, with President Kocharyan's backing, was viewed as the strongest contender for the post of the President of Armenia in the February 2008 presidential election. Full provisional results showed him winning about 53% of the vote, a first round majority, well ahead of second place candidate Levon Ter-Petrossian.^[6] Ter-Petrossian's supporters, disputing the official results, held large protests in Yerevan for over a week following the election, until they were violently broken up by police on March 1; ten people were killed, and a state of emergency was imposed for 20 days, ending on March 20, 2008.^[3]

Presidency[link]

Serzh Sargsyan was sworn in as President inside the Yerevan Opera House on April 9. Referring to the "painful events" that followed the election, he "urge[d] everybody to look forward, together, to seek and find the way for reconciliation, development, and future of Armenia."^[3] He appointed Tigran Sargsyan, who had been the Chairman of the Central Bank and is not a member of a political party, as Prime Minister.^[7] Vazgen Manukyan, a former member of the Karabakh Committee and a prominent oppositionist, stated that he is optimistic and "will do everything to help this government become successful".^[8] On April 18, Sargsyan launched an unusually blistering attack on the Armenian customs, saying that "corruption within its ranks is 'thriving' and hampering the countrys economic development."^[9] He later authorized an opposition to take place in Yerevan^[10] and pledged to comply with the Council of Europe's demands for an end to the government's crackdown on the opposition.^[11]

Foreign policy[link]

This article's factual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information. Please help improve the article by updating it. There may be additional information on the talk page. (June 2011)

Sargsyan initially stated that he will continue Armenia's policy towards Turkey, to normalize relations without any preconditions while continuing to strive for international recognition of the 1915 Armenian Genocide.^[12] On October 10, 2009, however, by signing the Turkish-Armenian protocols on the establishment of diplomatic relations, he most notably accepted a precondition in regards to the veracity of the Armenian genocide, in that he accepted the proposal of studying the issue through a commission. Moreover, with his acceptance of the current Turkish-Armenian border, he neglected Armenian demands for Western Armenia, which are supported by the Treaty of Sèvres. He also stated that "Armenia's possible recognition of Kosovo's independence will not strain the Armenian-Russian relations" but also noted that the "Kosovo recognition issue needs serious discussion ... Armenia has always been an adherent to the right of nations to self-determination and in this aspect we welcome Kosovo's independence."^[13]

Sargsyan made his first address in front of the 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 25, 2008. In his address he referenced the 2008 South Ossetia conflict and emphasized the need for the United Nations to help bring peaceful resolution to armed conflicts around the world, including the one in Nagorno-Karabakh. He also mentioned how Azerbaijan's military buildup along with increasing war rhetoric and threats risked causing renewed problems in the South Caucasus.^[14]

Protests[link]

Major protests against Sargsyan's regime began in 2011, with the president's 2008 rival Levon Ter-Petrossian at their helm.^{[15][16][17][18]} In a concession to protesters, Sargsyan said on 20 April 2011 that the government would recommit to a thorough investigation of the post-election violence of three years prior.^[19]

Serzh Sargsyan has thus far been conferred the following honors:

• Order of first Degree "Martakan Khach" ("Combat Cross")
• Hero of Artsakh
• Knight of "Voske Artsiv" (Golden Eagle) order
• Order of "Tigran Mets"
• The First Class of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise (Ukraine, 2011)

Other details[link]

Other transcriptions of his given name are Serge and Serj, of the surname Sarkissian, Sarkisyan, Sargsyan, Sarkissyan, the transliteration is Serž Azati Sargsyan (see Romanization of Armenian).

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Official website of the Republican Party of Armenia

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Serzh Sargsyan

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v t e Leaders of Armenia since 1918 Chairmen of the Democratic Republic of Armenia (1918-1920) Avetis Aharonyan Avetik Sahakyan Avetis Aharonyan First secretaries of the Communist Party of the Armenian SSR (1920-1991) Sergey Lukashin Ashot Hovhannisyan Haik Ovsepyan Aykaz Kostanyan Aghasi Khanjian Amatuni Vartapetyan Grigory Arutyunov Suren Tovmasyan Yakov Zarobyan Anton Kochinyan Karen Demirchyan Suren Harutyunyan Vladimir Movsisyan Stepan Pogosyan Aram Sargsyan Presidents of the Republic of Armenia (1991-) Levon Ter-Petrossian Robert Kocharyan Serzh Sargsyan

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