Greek Cypriots vote for new president in close contest as passports scandal dominates debate
- Three front runners stand among a record 14 candidates, with the winner needing 50 per cent plus one vote to succeed two-term President Nicos Anastasiades
- Voters appear concerned about cash-for-passports scandal, pressures of migration on public resources and the island’s decades-old division with Turkey
Greek Cypriots voted on Sunday in a close presidential election between three front runners, with the electorate focused on corruption and the economy amid deadlock over the island’s long-standing division.
A record 14 candidates – but only two women – are standing, with the winner needing 50 per cent plus one vote to succeed two-term President Nicos Anastasiades.
Opinion polls predict a run-off on February 12, with no contender expected to secure an immediate outright majority.
“I expect the next president to do something about corruption and to settle the Cyprus question,” said civil servant Andreas Georgiadis, 29, after voting in the capital Nicosia.
Many analysts say former foreign minister Nikos Christodoulides is the favourite. Backed by centrist parties, the 49-year-old commands a firm lead in opinion polls but not enough to shake off his rivals.
He is likely to face off in the second round against either Andreas Mavroyiannis, a 66-year-old technocrat backed by communist party AKEL, or Averof Neofytou, 61, leader of the governing conservatives, DISY.