The sudden death of Makarios, on August 3, 1977, brought changes to the legislature. On the basis of the relevant provisions of the Constitution, Spyros Kyprianou, President of the Parliament, assumed the presidency of the State. As a result, a by-election was held to fill his seat in the House for the constituency of Nicosia. DIKO’s nominee was the lawyer and old member of AKEL, Georgios Ladas, against DISY member Yiannakis Matsis an EOKA fighter of the anti-colonial struggle. The candidacy of Ladas was supported also by AKEL and EDEK, that continued the alliance of the popular front of 1976. For Glafcos Clerides, this by-election was a test of the strength of his party and his own in view of the presidential elections scheduled for February 1978, which he intended to contest. George Ladas won the seat with almost twice as many votes as Giannakis Matsis.