With 14 candidates running, opinion polls point to a race between the top three.
People in Cyprus have begun voting for their eighth president in the ethnically divided island’s 63-year history as an independent nation, with three leading candidates.
Herald the end of the incumbent conservative President’s two terms Nicos Anastasiadessome 561,000 Greek Cypriots are eligible to vote in Sunday’s election after an election campaign dominated by issues such as corruption, labor disputes linked to rising inflation, irregular migrationand a deadlocked peace process with estranged Turkish Cypriots living in the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
Polling stations open at 7am (05:00 GMT) and close at 18:00 (16:00 GMT). Weather forecasters say there will be heavy rain and storms on Sunday, which could affect voter turnout.
With 14 candidates running, opinion polls point to a race between the top three.
Nikos Christodoulides, 49, a former government spokesman and foreign minister who has consistently led all opinion polls throughout the months-long campaign, is running as a candidate Members can bridge party lines and ideological rifts to unite a fractious constituency.
Opinion polls consistently show Christodoulides going up against right-wing DISY leader Averof Neophytou or professional diplomat Andreas Mavroyiannis, who is backed by the left-wing AKEL party.
An editorial in the liberal daily Politis said Cyprus had been called to elect a president to govern “with honesty, fairness and transparency”, while the best-selling Phileleftheros emphasized expectations of proportions. high voter turnout.
Cypriots will expect the new president to move quickly to bolster an economy that has been hit by Russia’s war in Ukraine and its knock-on effect on the cost of living.
Cyprus has complied with all sanctions against Russia and Belarus, following invasion of Ukraine.
Migration is also a burning issue as the influx of asylum seekers continues to grow, making Cyprus one of the top countries in the European Union in terms of asylum applications per capita.
Taking advantage of Cyprus’ offshore natural gas fields amid the energy crisis and returning to the negotiating table with Turkish Cypriot breakaways to resolve ethnic divisions on the island are also issues. prioritize.
Many United Nations mediators to overcome division failed. Cyprus has been a member of the EU since 2004, but EU laws and regulations apply only to the south of Greek Cyprus.
