George Vasiliou
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
George Vasos Vasiliou (Greek: Γιώργος Βασιλείου) (born 1931 in Famagusta, Cyprus) was President of the Republic of Cyprus 1988-93. He was the founder and leader of the Cypriot United Democrats party (EDI).
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| In office 1988 – 1993 |
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| Preceded by | Spyros Kyprianou |
| Succeeded by | Glafkos Clerides |
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| Born | 1931 Famagusta |
| Political party | United Democrats (Enomeni Dimokrates) |
| Religion | Eastern Orthodox |
Vasiliou's father Vasos was a member of the central committee of AKEL, the Cypriot Communist party. He was a doctor by profession, and fought on the side of the Communists in the Hellenic Civil War. After the end of civil war, Vasiliou's family settled in Eastern Europe. Vasiliou himself went to university in Hungary and was a student of Imre Nagy.
He fled Hungary following the Soviet invasion and continued his studies in London.
He was elected president with the support of AKEL in 1988, succeeding Spyros Kyprianou, who had served two presidential terms. As President, he stopped the police practice of keeping files on Cypriot citizens' political beliefs. He worked towards a negotiated solution to the Cyprus dispute based on the Ghali set of ideas, although the dispute remained unresolved by the time he left office in 1993.
After he lost the elections by Glafkos Klerides, he founded the Free Democrats Movement and he was elected president of the party. He was elected member of the Cypriot Parliamient, while his political party won two seats (out of 56) in the Parliamentary Elections in 1996. The same year the party was merged with the political party ADISOK and formed a new party United Democrats. He elected as well president of United Democrats and remained president until 2005. In Cyprus reunification referendum, 2004 he was a big supporter of the Annan Plan for Cyprus.
He has also served as Chief Negotiator for the accession of Cyprus to the EU from 1998 to 2003, and is widely regarded to be the father of Cypriot accession to the EU, alongside the late Giannos Kranidiotis.
| Preceded by: Spyros Kyprianou |
President of Cyprus 1988– 1993 |
Succeeded by: Glafkos Klerides |
