— DISY, AKEL aiming for 17-18 seats, DIKO gains seats
The opposition Democratic Rally (DISY) was ahead in most exit polls released just after voting ended at 17.00 local time Sunday to elect the 56 new members of the House of Representatives.
The state-owned broadcaster CyBC placed DISY in equal first place with the main ruling coalition partner, communist AKEL, where both clocked 32.7% in the surveys.
The private television station Antenna exit poll placed DISY ahead with the main opposition party gaining 29.1 to 32.9% of the pollsters, marginally ahead of AKEL, while another channel, Sigma, placed AKEL ahead with 30.5 to 32.5% and DISY just behind with 29.5 to 31.5%.
Analysts were quick to suggest that DISY and AKEL would each get 17 or 18 seats in the new parliament, with the opposition losing a seat from the outgoing assembly and the communists dropping as many as three deputies.
The clear winner in these elections is the Democratic Party (DIKO) of President Tassos Papadopoulos that seems to have raised its voter strength by two or three percentage points and is seen as gaining up to two new seats, rising to 11 deputies.
The social democrats EDEK, who have two ministers in Papadopoulos’ present cabinet, also seem to have improved slightly despite earlier predictions of a loss, with exit polls giving them a range of 6.4 to 8.6% and possibly five or six seats, gaining one new deputy.
The European Party (EvroKo), created by four deputies who left DISY two years ago and merged with the nationalist New Horizons and the single-seat ADIK, has recorded a net loss, as it is doubtful if it will gain more than 4.6%, while four seats in the new parliament is seen as a distant hope.
The Green Party/Ecologists Movement has made few gains with most exit polls giving them 1.7 to 1.8% of the vote and just one seat, while the party had been hopeful it would get a second deputy.
It is doubtful if the United Democrats of former President George Vassiliou will reach the threshold of 1.8% in order to enter the House of Representatives.
Even though voting was mandatory, a 90% turnout was expected of the 500,606 registered on the electoral list. Many voters were slow to go the election centres as they stayed up late for the Eurovision song contest on Saturday night, while others were apathetic to the arduous election campaign that saw most arguments focusing on the United Nations’ “Annan Plan” rejected by the Greek Cypriots in April 2004 and little debate on social, community and economic issues.
In all, 487 candidates contested a seat in the next four-year term of parliament, a mainly legislative body with no executive powers as the island state’s president is elected by a direct vote.
The first results showing party strength and the allocation of seats is expected at about 20.30 local time (1830 GMT) with the final announcement of each new deputy expected early Monday.
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.
