Katie Clerides, only child of former President and DISY founder Glafkos Clerides, has passed away at 76, leaving behind a legacy marked by innovative social engagement, both as an activist and a politician.
DISY is in mourning and flags at the party's central headquarters, as well as district offices are flying at half-mast.
Who was Katie Clerides
She was well loved, not merely for the name she carried, but also her social dynamism, strength and political activism, particularly her role towards achieving a settlement of the Cyprus problem, being a frontrunner in bicommunal action.
She studied Sociology at the University of London and spoke English, French and German. She continued with a postgruadate political sciences degree in New York and law at Gray's Inn.
Between 1970-71 she worked at the Republic's Statistical Service and from 1972-74 at the Social Research Centre. She then moved to London between 1975-77 where she worled at the International Federation of Family Programming and later moved to Bank of Cyprus, employed as a legal advisor until 1991. In 1994 she took over as Press and Information Office Spokesperson working to inform foreign journalists on the Cyprus problem as well as refugee issues.
Katie Clerides was married to businessman Costas Siammas.
She was a great champion of rapprochement, establishing and heading up DISY's Community Rapprochement Secretariat. She was also a founding member and the first secretary of her party's women's organisation and a high ranking official at the party, sitting both on the Supreme Council and Political Office, while also serving as Vice-President.
Her political career
She was elected municipal councillor in 1986 and in 1991 an MP in Nicosia, becoming the third female parliamentarian following Rina Katselli and Klairi Angelidou. She was re-elected in 1996. Missing out in 2001, she did enter parliament three years later after Panayiotis Dimitriou took an MEP seat.
Katie Clerides was one of the few successful female politicians in 65 years of Cyprus Republic history.
As an MP, she took on several roles, including vice-president of the Legal Affairs Committee and member of the parliamentary representation in the Mixed EU-Cyprus parliamentary Committee.
Beyond her political path, she was a prominent social activist, in ecology, sustainable development, Conflict Resolution, Mental Disability, Sexual Harassment in the Workplace, child protection and Road Safety. She founded many non-governmental organisations and was a member of the Grigorion AIDS clinic.
Her love of animals was also highly visible, being honorary president of three animal protection associations.
She had been battling cancer for several years and passed away this morning at the Arodafnousa palliative care centre.
DISY in mourning
'It is with deep sorrow and pain that we announce the passing of our beloved Katie Clerides,' the party said in a statement.
The Democratic Rally's political emblems will fly at half mast until the funeral of the former President's daughter.
Arrangements and funeral costs have been taken over by DISY which also uploaded a message on X.
