Greek Cyprus Ballot Remains Too Close to Call

Three candidates remain practically tied just days before the presidential ballot in Greek Cyprus according to a poll by Cymar. 31 per cent of respondents would support incumbent Tassos Papadopoulos in this month’s election, 30.5 would vote for Dimitris Christofias, and 27.5 per cent would back Ioannis Kasoulides.

The presidential election in Greek Cyprus is scheduled for Feb. 17. If no candidate garners more than 50 per cent of all cast ballots, a run-off would take place a week later.

Papadopoulos won the 2003 election with 51.5 per cent of the vote. He has been endorsed by the Democratic Party (DIKO), the Movement of Social Democrats (EDEK) and the European Party (EvroKo).

Christofias is the president of the House of Representatives and secretary general of the left-wing Progressive Party of the Working People (AKEL).

Kasoulides, a former foreign minister, is backed by the opposition Democratic Rally (DISY).

In 2006, Greek Cypriot voters renewed the House of Representatives. Final results gave AKEL and DIKO 29 seats in the legislative branch, enough to guarantee that Christofias would preside the chamber.

Relations between the Greek majority and the Turkish minority in Cyprus have been frayed since 1974, when a Greek-sponsored attempt to seize the government was met by military intervention from Turkey.

In the skirmish, the Turks gained control of almost two-fifths of the island, which in 1983 declared itself the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The Turkish government has never acknowledged the Greek Cypriot administration. More than 30,000 Turkish soldiers occupy the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

On Feb. 7, Kasoulides said that he would press for the reunification of the island by working with United Nations (UN) secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, the Security Council’s five permanent members and the European Commission, adding:

"Either personally or through my envoys, I will call on them and I will be very persistent. My credentials will be those of a man who wants a solution. Our credibility in Europe, with regard to a political settlement, is at its lowest and we have to rectify that."

Polling Data

If the elections were next Sunday, who would you vote for?

Jan. 2008 Nov. 2007 Sept. 2007
Tassos Papadopoulos 31% 31% 30%

Dimitris Christofias 30.5% 30% 26%

Ioannis Kasoulides 27.5% 29% 29%

Source: Cymar Methodology: Interviews with 1,600 Greek Cyprus adults, conducted from Jan. 19 to Jan. 29, 2008. Margin of error is 2.5 per cent.