— First results, exit polls expected at 1700 GMT
Just over half a million Greek Cypriots go to the polls on Sunday in what has been described as the longest parliamentary election campaign since the Republic was established 46 years ago.
The May 21 elections will determine the 56 new members for the next four-year term of the House of Representatives, a mainly legislative body with no executive powers as the island’s president is elected by direct vote.
In all, 487 candidates are contesting a seat in the new parliament, with six veteran politicians retiring from the previous assembly.
Chief among them is long-time socialist leader Dr. Vassos Lyssarides, 85, better known for his rhetoric and staunch opposition to the United Nations plan to reunite the island which was rejected by most Greek Cypriots in a referendum two years ago.
Another significant withdrawal is that of Androulla Vassiliou, wife of former President George Vassiliou who was in office from 1988 to 1993 and later headed the small United Democrats party.
The campaigning period, that effectively started in September 2005 but entered its final phase in January this year, focused primarily on the UN’s peace efforts, dubbed the “Annan Plan”, that was rejected on the lack of guarantees that Turkey would pull out its 40,000 troops stationed in the north of the island since its invasion in 1974.
Although all parties have agreed that the Annan Plan is no longer subject to negotiation, the ruling coalition parties focused their attacks on the opposition’s support of the plan two years ago.
This was the only uniting ingredient for the coalition parties as differences emerged on social and economic issues, while the opposition Democratic Rally (DISY) capitalised on the disagreements and criticised the present administration of mismanaging the economy in its three years in office.
The main coalition partner, communist AKEL, and their rival DISY, a member of the European Popular Party, are each expected to gain about 30 to 32% of the votes and some 19 or 20 seats each in a highly polarised society.
President Tassos Papadopoulos’ Democratic Party (DIKO) has been billed by pollsters as gaining a few percentage points and could end up with 16 to 18% of the votes, winning more than the six seats it had in the previous assembly.
Political analysts say that this outcome will also determine if Papadopoulos’ party will have enough public support to seek a second term in office in 2008, or whether coalition partner AKEL will have the upper hand and put forward its own candidate for president.
The socialist EDEK, that underwent various phases of name changes and an identity crisis a few years ago, but controls three municipalities, is expected to recover with just under 10% of the votes.
Smaller parties are also vying for seats, with the recently created European Party (Evroko) aiming for 5 to 6% of the vote and three seats in parliament, while the Cyprus Green Party hopes to win a second seat for the first time.
Voting in Cyprus is supposed to be compulsory for ther 500,606 who are on the voter register and 22,000 are taking part in elections for the first time. The whole process is expected to cost the state about 2.5 mln Cyprus pounds (5.25 mln dollars, 4.3 mln euros).
The House of Representatives 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 deputies, 56 of whom are Greek Cypriots in a bi-communal chamber. This has not been implemented since inter-communal troubles and division started in 1963.
Only one Turkish Cypriot candidate, poet Nese Yiasin, came forward to challenge a seat in parliament on the United Democrats’ ticket.
A further three non-voting seats are reserved for the 6,000 voters of 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.
Foreign residents cannot vote but can register for the municipal elections in December.
