AKEL of Cyprus is marking the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of Cyprus (CPC) with an extensive programme of political, cultural, historical and educational activities. The CPC was founded on 15 August 1926, while AKEL itself was established in April 1941 as its legal successor. AKEL describes the centenary as a milestone marking the beginning of the party’s second century of activity.
AKEL marks centenary with extensive programme
The anniversary is being presented not simply as an opportunity to commemorate the party’s past, but as a means of connecting its historical legacy with current political struggles and its future political objectives. In an address outlining the centenary programme, AKEL Central Organisational Secretary Charis Karamanos said the purpose was to honour earlier generations while transmitting their values, ideals and experiences to younger generations.
Centenary events and international symposium
The central public event of the anniversary programme will take place on 6 November 2026 at the Strovolos Municipal Theatre. The large political-cultural event will feature Cypriot artists and is intended to be the principal mass gathering of the centenary celebrations.
On 7 November, AKEL will host an international symposium entitled “The Left in the Contemporary World.” Representatives of fraternal and partner parties from countries around the world are expected to participate. According to AKEL, the symposium will examine the major challenges facing the contemporary world and the role, political proposals and prospects of the Left in the 21st century.
The party is also organising anniversary events at district and local level, with the stated aim of ensuring that the centenary is not confined to central ceremonies in Nicosia but becomes an activity involving AKEL members, supporters and friends throughout Cyprus.
Historical research, publications and preservation of the party archive
A major component of the centenary programme is devoted to documenting and preserving the history of the Cypriot Left.
The Prometheus Research Institute is preparing a major collective academic volume entitled “Studies on the History of the Left in Cyprus: 100 Years of CPC–AKEL.” The volume is the product of several years of research into different periods and aspects of the history of the Cypriot Left. Its main presentation is scheduled for 21 October in Nicosia.
AKEL is also intensifying a long-running project, together with the Prometheus Research Institute, to digitise, catalogue and document the party’s historical archive. The party has appealed to individuals and families to contribute documents, photographs, letters, leaflets, audio and audiovisual material, personal testimonies and other historical evidence concerning AKEL and the wider People's Movement of the Left.
Several further publications are being prepared, including a volume of decisions of AKEL Central Committee plenums, the memoirs of CPC veteran Joseph Mavrou, and a collection of testimonies from pioneering women of the Cypriot Left. AKEL is also planning new editions of the complete works of poets Theofilos Anthias and Theodosis Pieridis, whose work was closely associated with the Left and the struggles of the Cypriot people.
A special centenary commemorative album containing photographic and archival material is scheduled for publication in April 2027.
Digital and educational initiatives
AKEL is also attempting to present its history through contemporary media. The programme includes a series of podcasts and recorded interviews dealing with historical events, personalities, personal testimonies and lesser-known aspects of the party’s century-long history. The initiative is explicitly intended to establish a connection with younger generations.
The party is organising open discussions and educational lectures, while AKEL’s 2026 educational school programme in all districts is dedicated to the history of the party.
Anniversary articles have also been launched in Haravgi, AKEL’s newspaper. A special supplement was published on 15 August, the anniversary of the CPC’s founding, with further anniversary material planned.
The centenary also includes a special membership campaign, with AKEL presenting the recruitment of new members as one of the most meaningful ways of continuing the work of earlier generations. The party has also produced a commemorative collection box, a limited-edition centenary medal and a series of anniversary posters.
Commemorating the CPC and AKEL's historical role
AKEL's centenary narrative places particular emphasis on the continuity between the CPC, founded in 1926, and AKEL, founded in 1941.
In its centenary statement, the party describes the founding congress of the CPC as a landmark in Cypriot history because it marked the first major political intervention of the organised working class. AKEL emphasises the CPC's Marxist-Leninist orientation and its commitment to internationalism, solidarity, peace and socialism.
The party also highlights the early communist movement's efforts to organise workers, establish cooperation between Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot workers, build alliances between workers and farmers, fight British colonial rule, promote equality between men and women and expand access to education and culture.
AKEL pays particular tribute to generations of party members who faced persecution under colonial rule and subsequently experienced imprisonment, exile, assassination, underground activity and political repression. It presents these sacrifices as part of the historical foundation of the contemporary party.
From the centenary to current political struggles
The anniversary programme has a clear contemporary political dimension. AKEL General Secretary Stefanos Stefanou, speaking at a centenary event on 9 September, argued that the party should use its history as a basis for addressing present and future challenges rather than simply looking backwards.
Stefanou linked the centenary directly to the party's political preparations for the 2028 presidential election. He said AKEL's objective was to build a broad social majority capable of producing progressive political change.
He also outlined criteria for any future presidential candidate supported by AKEL. The party would not support a candidate who does not pursue a solution to the Cyprus problem on the agreed basis and framework, who prioritises economic indicators over citizens' needs, or who perpetuates what AKEL describes as corruption and political entanglement associated with the previous Anastasiades–DISY administration and the current Christodoulides administration.
The party therefore presents the centenary as a bridge between its historical identity and a new political mobilisation. Stefanou argued that AKEL's century-long history continues whenever Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots overcome division, workers fight for their rights, young people become politically active and society challenges injustice.