Just over half a million Greek Cypriots and a thousand Turkish Cypriots will go to the polls on May 21 to elect a new parliament after the present assembly dissolved late Thursday.
But six of the 56 deputies said Friday they would not seek reelection among the 500 candidates contesting a seat in the new parliament.
The most important of those retiring is veteran socialist leader Dr. Vassos Lyssarides, who is standing down after 46 years in politics. He chaired his last session in parliament as the most senior member.
He has pledged to stay on to guide his socialist democrat party, EDEK, as well as the Greeks of Cyprus in general, away from national disaster, as he calls the recent United Nations plans to reunite the island.
Lyssarides, 85, better known for his rhetoric and staunch rejection of the “Annan Plan” which was rejected by most Greek Cypriots in a referendum two years ago, was the personal physician of Archbishop Makarios in the 1960s.
He founded EDEK in 1969 and stood firm on nationalist principles thanks to the support from legendary Greek socialist leader Andreas Papandreou who founded PASOK.
The party went through an identity crisis and after several name changes adopted its present calling, losing voter support along the way. EDEK’s strength now lingers at 6 to 7% with little hopes of gaining more than three seats in the new parliament, half its traditional strength.
Another significant withdrawal is that of Androulla Vassiliou, wife of former President George Vassiliou who was in office from 1988 to 1993.
Their small United Democrats party is only expected to secure a single seat, with Vassiliou probably stepping down to make way for party leader Michalis Papapetrou.
The main coalition partner, communist AKEL, and their rival Democratic Rally (DISY) aligned with the European Popular Party, are each expected to gain about 30 to 33% of the votes and some 20 seats each in a highly polarised society.
Candidacies for the House of Representatives will be submitted on May 3 and the list of polling stations will be finalised on May 5.
Cyprus has an executive president elected every five years directly by the people, while parliament is a four-year legislative body with the power to introduce or halt new laws and approve or block state budgets.
Voting in Cyprus is compulsory and 30,000 are taking part in elections for the first time. The whole process is expected to cost the state about CYP 2.5 mln (USD 5.25 mln, EUR 4.3 mln).
The House unanimously voted in January to allow the Turkish Cypriots who live in the south the right to vote in these elections.
It is the first time since the Republic of Cyprus was established in 1960 that Turkish Cypriots are taking part in parliamentary elections, which should technically have 80 seats, 56 of which reserved for Greek Cypriots in a bi-communal chamber. This has not been implemented since intercommunal troubles and division started in 1963.
So far, only one Turkish Cypriot candidate, poet Nese Yiasin, has come forward to challenge a seat in parliament with the United Democrats.
A further three non-voting seats are reserved for the ethnic and religious minorities of the Armenians, the Catholic Maronites, who hail from neighbouring Lebanon, and the Catholic Latins, who trace their roots to the Venetians who ruled the island up to the fifteenth century.
Cypriots who live abroad cannot vote in overseas election centres and the main political parties have subsidised special flights to allow overseas Cypriots and students to travel home and vote.
