Lawyer Charalambos Prountzos on Thursday formally declared his intention to run as an independent candidate for the mayoralty of the city.
Prountzos, with a career that spans various sectors including legal reform, project implementation, and renewable energy, emphasised the urgent need for Nicosia to make a significant leap forward.
Central to Prountzos’ campaign are the issues of affordable housing, particularly for the youth, and the integration of the city’s academic and research institutions with the local community.
He asserts, “Nicosia means History. Embracing our past, we aim to build our city’s present and future. A peaceful future for a reunified Nicosia”.
The announcement:
Dear Friends, Fellow Citizens,
I was born in Kaimakli and have been living in Engomi since 1984. I served my military service in the Agios Dometios posts, met my wife in Aglantzia, and for the last 20 years, I have been working in Themistokli Dervi and Makariou Avenues.
Nicosia is my life.
In my professional career, nothing was handed to me. I started from scratch, building my own path with valuable experiences: as a lawyer and manager in a multinational company, and as a technocrat specialising in legal reforms, major project implementation, and renewable energy sources.
I look to the future and set goals that I achieve through hard work. This is what I have learned to do throughout my life. This is what I envision for Nicosia.
I decided to run for Mayor of the new Municipality for two reasons: Firstly because I believe Nicosia urgently needs a significant leap forward. Secondly, because we can create the conditions together to achieve this.
A Mayor’s job is to improve everyday life and enhance our quality of life. A better life means cleanliness, safety, more greenery, culture, schools, and sports fields open all day. It means less noise and cleaner air. Clean energy, autonomy, and accessibility everywhere for everyone. It means less time on the roads and more time for what we love. It also means opportunities for sustainable development and care for those in need.
I want Nicosia to offer affordable housing for everyone, especially our youth. I want our universities and research centres to shine and be connected with the city and its people. I envision a modern, inclusive municipality with transparency, with all services available to citizens, entrepreneurs, investors, and visitors on a digital platform.
Nicosia means History. Embracing the past, we want to build our city’s present and future. A peaceful future for a reunified Nicosia.
None of this can wait because our life is now.
I reach out to you with a sincere willingness to contribute to the public good. I do not belong to any political party. I am an active citizen and resident of Nicosia. I am Charalambos Prountzos, and I ask you to join me in lifting Nicosia to where it deserves to be.
The candidate’s background:
Charalambos Prountzos was born in 1978 in Nicosia.
He originates from the occupied villages of Gerolakkos and Akanthou.
He graduated with an LLB (Hons) from the University of Bristol in 2001 and received his Barrister-at-Law title from the Inns of Courts School of Law in London. He also holds a Diploma in Professional Legal Skills from City University London.
He is a member of Gray’s Inn, the Cyprus Bar Association, and the Board of Directors of the Cyprus Investment Funds Association. He is a registered and licensed Insolvency Consultant and participated until recently in the Cyprus Bar Association’s Committee for Corporate and Tax Affairs as well as in international business initiatives like the Cyprus-Canada Business Association.
He is a lawyer and managing partner of Prountzos & Prountzos LLC, which he founded and has been managing since 2010. From 2019 to 2023, he led the legal services of a major advisory network for Central, Eastern, and Southeast Europe and Central Asia, overseeing teams in 32 different countries totalling over 500 individuals.
He has extensive experience in legal matters related to regulated markets. He has handled significant cases involving competition, mergers, reorganisations, and personal data.
He has worked on legislative and regulatory issues related to energy, both in renewable energy sources and natural gas matters. He was an advisor on major infrastructure projects and is considered a pioneer in renewable energy projects and waste and sewage treatment in Cyprus as a business consultant.
He has also successfully handled significant cases in the Courts of the Republic of Cyprus, including constitutional and labour issues, and public procurement matters.
From 2011 to 2018, he served as a Member and Vice-President of Administration and Finance of the Governing Board of the Open University of Cyprus. In 2018, he was elected as the first President of the Council of the Open University of Cyprus following the institution’s autonomy. The Open University of Cyprus is one of the three public universities in the Republic of Cyprus.
He also served as a Member of the Board of Directors of the Research and Innovation Center CYENS. CYENS is a Center of Excellence that is a consortium of the three public universities of the Republic of Cyprus, the Max Planck Institute of Germany, University College London (UCL), and the Municipality of Nicosia.
He participated as a member of the Working Group on Governance and Power Sharing in the Cyprus problem negotiation process during 2015-2017.
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