Larnaca, Cyprus. Former Diko MP Nikos Kleanthous died on Tuesday at the age of 78. He was a founding member of Diko and served three terms in parliament.
Political career
Born in Larnaca in 1948, Kleanthous was among Diko’s founding members in 1976. The following year, Archbishop Makarios III’s restored government appointed him to a committee investigating the circumstances surrounding the 1974 coup d’état.
He was elected to parliament in 1996 and became Diko’s deputy leader in 1998. In 2006, he stood for the party leadership but was defeated by Marios Garoyian.
Later years
Kleanthous served three terms as an MP before standing for mayor of Larnaca in 2011. He received the backing of Diko and Akel but was defeated by Andreas Louroudjiatis.
Following the 2011 election, he withdrew from frontline politics.