At 105 years old, Argyri Achillea is Cyprus oldest voter, and she once again headed to the polls on Sunday, continuing a lifelong tradition of voting in every election held in Cyprus.
“I want to live to vote for the next president”
Achillea, who lives in the village of Tala in Paphos district, said she planned to head to the polling station at 11:30 a.m., accompanied by her granddaughter Sofia.
“Once I get dressed, my granddaughter Sofia will take me to vote,” she told CNA simply.
The centenarian had previously said that one of her wishes was to live long enough to vote for the next President of the Republic as well.
Her wish for Cyprus remains equally simple: “Peace and love for the whole world.”
A life shaped by hard work
Achillea’s life reflects an entire chapter of rural Cyprus history.
She is the mother of eight children- five sons and three daughters- and today is surrounded by a large extended family including 23 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren, and 23 great-great-grandchildren.
She spent much of her life working the land and supporting her family through agricultural labour.
She worked during harvest seasons, in crop cultivation, with carobs and even on roadworks to raise her children.
At the same time, she operated a traditional coffee shop in Tala, which became a gathering place for villagers and local stories.
Strong family bonds
Today, her youngest son Alexandros Achilleos remains constantly by her side, although all her children regularly visit her.
Some family members now live abroad or in Nicosia- “the city”, as she calls it- but family ties remain strong.
She was interviewed sitting beside the stove, surrounded by children and grandchildren, in a scene reflecting more than a century of memories and family life.
With pride, she recalled teaching her children the value of work from an early age.
Remembering traditions and hardship
Her third son, Dinos Sophocleous, remembered the sacrifices his mother made to raise her children.
“We remember her going to Mesaoria to harvest crops, working with carobs and on the roads to raise her children,” he said emotionally.
He also recalled the halloumi she used to make, while describing her determination and work ethic as her defining qualities.
Granddaughter Sofia Georgiou, who accompanied her to vote, remembered her grandmother’s coffee shop and the children who gathered there.
“She was a woman who suffered greatly,” she said.
She also spoke about learning traditional recipes from her grandmother, including flaounes and sausages passed down through generations.
Connection to Cat Stevens
Achillea also spoke about her relative, the internationally known singer and songwriter Cat Stevens, who later converted to Islam and changed his name to Yusuf Islam.
She revealed that his father and her mother were siblings.
Still deeply religious at 105, Achillea continues to attend church regularly and remains devoted to her faith.
A symbol of resilience
Carrying with her more than a century of memories, hardship and contribution, Achillea once again crossed the threshold of the polling station in Tala on Sunday.
She did so not only as the oldest voter in Paphos, but as a living symbol of perseverance, family and Cypriot history.
Also read: LIVE: Parliamentary Elections- Polls open
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