Demetris Christofias, Cyprus's first communist president, stressed in his election campaign that he wanted to "build bridges" between Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

Just before he was proclaimed president on Sunday night, at a football stadium crammed with supporters waving as many red flags as Cypriot ones, Mr Christofias received a congratulatory phone call from Mehmet Ali Talat, the Turkish Cypriot president. "We foresee a productive co-operation," he told the crowd. But Mr Christofias still has to convince the international community and Turkish Cypriots that he is serious about reaching a political deal to re-unify the island.