Epilogue

Abstract

Clerides and most of his party wanted elections for Makarios’s successor as President to be held early in September, within the time-limit laid down by the constitution. He argued that any uncertainty about the leadership would create yet more troubles for the Greek Cypriots, and he obviously thought his own chances of securing it were good. To head him off, the other three parties — AKEL, EDEK and the right-of-centre Democratic Front, representing virtually the whole House of Representatives, or the Greek Cypriot part of it — came to an agreement that Kyprianou should be confirmed as President until February 1978, when Makarios’s term would have expired. Clerides had to accept this but he made it clear that he would still be a candidate, and there was every prospect of a bitterly-contested election in the spring. However, Clerides subsequently withdrew, after the temporary kidnapping of Kyprianou’s son by EOKA-B in December had rallied much sympathy for the sitting President and his handling of the affair and reduced Clerides’s chances because of the suspect support he had from the extreme Right. In the event Kyprianou was proclaimed President unopposed for a full new term.