Cyprus Presidential elections 2008

[Ellinas]

Presidential elections will be held in Cyprus on 17 February and 24 February 2008. Any related discussions here.

Predictions from cypruselections.org:

-Tassos Papadopoulos 34.5% (33.5%-35.5%)
-Dimitris Xristofias 32.9% (31.9%-33.9%)
-Ioannis Kasoulidis 31.2% (30.2%-32.2%)
-Matsakis ~ 1%
-Themistokleous ~ 0.5%

[Ellinas]

Cyprus: Run-off election on Feb. 24

A run-off election between Ioannis Kasoulides and Demetris Christofias will be held in Cyprus on February 24, after none of the Presidential candidates secured the required 50 percent +1 vote in Sunday's Presidential election.
The vote was split three ways among the three main contenders, with Kasoulides receiving 33.51 percent, Christofias 33.29 percent, and incumbent President Tassos Papadopoulos 31.79 percent.
Chief Returning Officer Lazaros Savvides announced that a run off election will be held on February 24, and that Kasoulides and Christofias would be participating in the run off election, having secured most of the votes.
He added that 462,847 voters cast their ballots, translating into 89.62% of the electorate.
The other candidates were Andreas Efstratiou, who recieved 0.16%, Costas Themistocleous (0.17%), Costas Kyriacou (0.24%), Marios Matsakis (0.77%), Anastasis Michael (0.03%), and Christodoulos Neophytou (0.05%).

ANA

[Ellinas]

Christofias wins Cyprus presidential vote

Communist party leader Demetris Christofias has won Cyprus's presidential election, vowing to revive efforts to reunite the island.

The island's division is a hurdle in Turkey's troubled path to the European Union (EU).

Supporters poured into the streets waving red party banners and Cypriot flags and drove around the capital honking horns as Mr Christofias won 53.36 of the vote and right-wing rival Ioannis Kassoulides garnered 46.64 per cent and conceded defeat.

"I love you," Mr Christofias told a noisy crowd.

"From tomorrow we unite our strengths, we shall work collectively and in unison to achieve reunification of our homeland."

Political analyst Hubert Faustmann said Christofias "was talking about the need to communicate with his Turkish-Cypriot compatriots all the time and he will deliver on this. I think this will substantially improve the climate".

Mr Christofias will be the island's first communist President and the only one in the 27-member EU.

Although proud to be a communist, he says he will leave the free market economy alone.

His AKEL party boasts busts of Lenin and red flags at its headquarters but it also owns a number of large businesses on the island.

It has been instrumental in electing presidents but had never fielded its own candidate.

The division of the Mediterranean island between Greek and Turkish Cypriots since 1974 is a major obstacle to neighbouring Turkey's EU aspirations.


Ending stalemate

Greek Cypriots voted down a United Nations (UN) reunification plan in 2004 and they joined the EU a short time later as a divided island.

The EU recognises the Greek-Cypriot government in the south.

Ankara's EU entry negotiations have been partly suspended because of the stalemate over Cyprus.

The conflict is also an obstacle to better ties between NATO allies Greece and Turkey.

Negotiations froze under outgoing President Tassos Papadopoulos, who had rejected the UN plan in 2004.

His surprise elimination in the first round of voting on February 17 raised hopes of breaking the deadlock.

Soviet-educated Christofias, who won the vote after securing support from Mr Papadopoulos's party, favours a structured approach to fresh talks through the UN.

Turkish Cypriots, who have watched wealthier Greek Cypriots enjoy the benefits of EU membership alone, welcomed the result, saying they were keen for negotiations to restart.

"We see the change as an opportunity, and we expect negotiations to start immediately and without the need for preliminaries," said Turkish Cypriot spokesman Hasan Ercakica.

Initial reaction from Turkey was more lukewarm, with a Foreign Ministry official saying the election result was positive but there were many factors to follow up on.

"We are a little cautious at the moment," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"We have to see whether Christofias gave promises to Papadopoulos or not. (Christofias) will face a sincerity test."

Cyprus has been split since 1974 between the Greek-Cypriot south, seat of the EU-recognised government, and the Turkish-Cypriot north, which is recognised only by Turkey.

It was divided when Turkey invaded the north after a brief coup inspired by the military then ruling Greece.

Reuters