In the June 9th elections, Cypriot-Armenian Ari Habeshian won a seat on the Strovolos City Council, reports Zartonk Media.
Strovolos is the most populated municipality in Nicosia and the second most populated in Cyprus, after Limassol.
Born and raised in Strovolos, Habeshian graduated from Terra Santa High School and completed his military service before enrolling at the University of Cyprus, where he is in the final stages of his political science studies. He is fluent in five languages: Greek, Armenian, English, Arabic, and Turkish.
“Politics is something that I will continue to engage with since it is my studies and this is what I wanted to engage with since childhood. My main aim is to let people know that the new generation is here and is ready to be involved in politics and make as much changes as possible, and also serve my country in any way possible giving my knowledge and experience,” Habeshian told Zartonk Media before the election.
From a young age, Habeshian has been active in public life, serving as an organizing member of the Armenian Youth of Cyprus. He has participated in numerous educational conferences on topics ranging from student life to Armenian affairs. Notably, he represented the Armenian community of Cyprus at the Pan-European Armenian Congress in Brussels, Belgium.
For the past two years, Habeshian has been involved with the Youth of the Democratic Alignment Party (DiPa), serving as its general organizer. Through this role, he has participated in various European conferences of the European Youth of the Liberal Democrats, representing Cyprus in cities such as Brussels, Berlin, Vienna, and Warsaw.
The Democratic Alignment (DiPa) is a centrist political party in Cyprus, led by Cypriot-Armenian Marios Garoyian. Garoyian, a former President of the House of Representatives in Cyprus, held the highest elected position by an Armenian outside of Armenia. DiPa currently holds four seats in Cyprus’s parliament.”
After his election, Habeshian released the following statement: “Dear friends, It is with great pleasure and gratitude that I stand before you as one of the new Strovolos City Councillors. My election is an honor and I pledge to work with dedication for the good of our municipality. The trust you have placed in me is my driving force to try even harder. I am confident that together we can bring change and improve our daily lives. Finally, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the party Dipa for the support they have given me during this long and difficult journey of the election campaign.”
Habeshian’s victory marks a significant step for the representation of the Armenian community in Cyprus’s political landscape.
