A Green Party candidate has withdrawn from the 2026 parliamentary elections after receiving threats and being forced to leave his home, he told philenews on Thursday.
Datis Kalali, a fifth-year medical student at the University of Cyprus, said his candidacy triggered a dispute with his landlord that culminated in him and his mother being made to leave their flat, spending their last savings living elsewhere for several days. He filed a complaint with police over the threats he received.
“It caused me a lot of trouble. I tried to enter politics with no personal interests, to offer something good. Never mind — in a few months I will be a doctor,” he said.
Kalali said he emailed the Interior Ministry on Thursday morning to formally withdraw, and would also send a letter to the Nicosia District Officer, as required by procedure. “I will not change my mind,” he said.
The landlord had questioned him about the €500 deposit candidates are required to pay, and was reportedly unsatisfied with Kalali’s explanation that the party had covered the cost. Kalali said the tension with his landlord worsened after the landlord discovered he had stood as a candidate.
The dispute came on top of an existing rent problem. The Social Welfare Services cover most of the family’s rent, with Kalali contributing €220 himself. Over the past three months, a delay in the services renewing his contract held up their payments, though he said the outstanding amount is expected to be paid back retroactively within the month.
Kalali said he belongs to a vulnerable group. He is a final-year student from a single-parent family with very limited means, and works part-time as a nursing assistant at a private clinic. His mother receives a minimum guaranteed income benefit and his salary, he said, is minimal but the only regular income the household has.
The family were left homeless once before, in 2024, and only found a solution after their situation was made public. They are now looking for a new flat.
Originally from Iran, Kalali has lived in Cyprus since the age of nine. In 2018, the then-government granted him and his mother Cypriot citizenship in recognition of medals he won at international mathematics olympiads. He later secured a place at the University of Cyprus medical school.
Ballots will not change
The General Electoral Commissioner and Interior Ministry Director General, Dr Elikkos Ilias, confirmed to philenews that Kalali had emailed the ministry on Thursday morning requesting withdrawal. The ministry responded that a formal withdrawal requires a letter to the relevant District Officer.
“A candidate can withdraw at any time, or even be elected and decline to accept,” he said, adding that ballots had already been printed in the thousands and would not be amended. If Kalali receives a preference vote, he said, it will be counted towards his party.
