President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides called on Cypriot citizens to participate actively in the 2026 parliamentary elections, stressing that abstention “is not an option”.
Speaking after casting his vote, Nikos Christodoulides emphasised the importance of strong democratic participation and the role of citizens in shaping the composition of the new House of Representatives.
Cooperation with new parliament
Nikos Christodoulides underlined that the election directly concerns the functioning of the legislative branch and expressed the government’s intention to maintain “excellent cooperation” with the new parliament.
He said effective collaboration between the executive and legislative branches is essential for the progress of the country and the benefit of society.
Electoral reforms and participation
The President also referred to reforms introduced by the executive to strengthen voter participation, including automatic voter registration and lowering the voting age to 17.
He noted that the voting age reform will be implemented in the next electoral cycle.
“Abstention is not an option”
Nikos Christodoulides reiterated his message on participation, stating that abstention should not be considered a choice.
He added that he is not concerned about the electoral outcome, stressing that any result will be fully respected by the government.
Post-election cooperation and political framework
The President said the government will work with the new parliament to continue the country’s progress and benefit citizens and society.
Referring to post-election alliances, he stressed that cooperation must be based on shared ideological and political positions rather than “transactions”.
He described the government’s ideological direction as “social liberalism”, adding that his vote aligned with this framework.
Comments on political climate and Cyprus issue
Christodoulides noted that a more substantive pre-election debate on key issues, particularly the Cyprus problem, would have been preferable, adding that “developments are coming”.
He also said he would follow both the election results and the football cup final in Athens later in the evening.
Also read: Voter turnout reaches 49.8% by 3 pm, higher than 2021
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