CYPRUS:Cyprus's president Tassos Papadopoulos was yesterday eliminated in the first round of a photo-finish presidential election contest.
Former foreign minister Yiannis Kasolides was ahead with 33.5 per cent of the vote and house president Dimitris Christofias was second with 33.3 per cent, while Mr Papadopoulos took 31.8 per cent.
Next Sunday, Mr Kasolides, the candidate of the right-wing Democratic Rally, will stand against Mr Christofias, secretary general of Akel, the communist party. This is the first time Akel put forward its own candidate. Akel previously supported centre or independent candidates.
First-round voting conformed to the neat three-way split between left, right and centre which has dominated the politics of the Greek Cypriot majority republic since independence. Since Mr Kasolides and Mr Christofias cannot, on their own, muster the 50-plus per cent needed, the votes of Mr Papadopoulos's centrist Democratic Party are essential both for victory and governance.
Although it could throw its weight behind the candidate who offers the best coalition deal, one analyst argued that the Democratic Party will find it difficult to back Mr Christofias. His desertion of the coalition led by Mr Papadopoulos has, according to one supporter, "made many of his supporters very bitter."
The change in leadership is expected to prompt the UN to resume efforts to reunite Greek and Turkish Cypriots in a federal state.
Mr Papadopoulos rejected the 2004 UN plan for reunification of the island and is charged with being unwilling to compromise if negotiations are resumed.
He believes Cyprus should negotiate directly with Turkey rather than the Turkish Cypriots since Ankara occupies and continues to dominate the north. Mr Christofias, who also rejected the UN plan, broke with Mr Papadopoulos over tactics. Mr Christofias has pledged to cultivate Turkish Cypriots to encourage them to return to negotiations.
Mr Kasolides, who supported the UN plan and whose party has developed close ties to Turkish Cypriots, is also regarded as a conciliator. It is significant that he won the largest percentage of votes from Greek Cypriot refugees from the Famagusta district who hope to return to their homes under a settlement.
Deadlock over Cyprus disrupted Turkey's EU accession process when negotiations were partially suspended because of Ankara's refusal to open its ports and airports to Cyprus, which joined the EU in 2004. Cyprus has threatened to veto Turkish accession if the island remains divided.