New landscape in Cyprus after election shock

The Greek-Cypriot community wants its leadership to become active with the aim of achieving a compromise, but viable, solution for the Cyprus problem. That is the message from the presidential elections that took place in Cyprus Sunday.

Equally, it is clear that the future beats the past. Not only in terms of age, since the 59-year-old Ioannis Cassoulidis and 62-year-old Dimitris Christofias beat 74-year-old Tassos Papadopoulos, but also in terms of handling the Cyprus problem.

The international community must not misinterpret the result. The solution that will be sought through a new proposal cannot be the Annan Plan, which was rejected four years ago by the overwhelming majority of 76 percent.

The United Nations, the U.S. and the European Union would do well to take this into proper account as they are set to begin exploratory talks in the next few weeks in order to prepare the next proposal for solving the Cyprus issue.

The fall of Papadopoulos
The two candidates that will battle it out in the second round on Sunday, who had declared themselves in favor of the Annan Plan on a personal level, cannot ignore either the message that 76 percent of Greek-Cypriots sent out in 2004.

Last Sunday, the unlikely winner Ioannis Cassoulidis received votes from 25 percent of those that voted against the Annan Plan and the Communist Party leader Dimitris Christofias garnered support from 35 percent of those that rejected Annan's proposal.

It is a percentage that the next president will have to take into account when he is asked to handle in the near future the next attempt to seek a solution.

If the election of February 17 was a referendum on Papadopoulos's handling of the situation then he has been dealt a clear defeat. Not only did he lose but he came third with 72 percent of the electorate voting against him because it does not consider the current situation to be ideal.

Although Cyprus has become a member of the European Union and has entered the eurozone, the Greek-Cypriot community does not feel secure and is not willing to settle for the status quo.

The new electoral landscape:
The truth is that from the moment Christofias decided to stand as a candidate, the electoral landscape changed completely, at Papadopoulos's expense.

The outgoing president lost the majority of the voters who had backed him in 2003 when he stood as the candidate of his party, the Communist Party (AKEL) and the socialists EDEK. Sunday's elections confirmed for yet another time that the Democratic Rally and AKEL are still the main draws in the Cypriot political system.

As for this Sunday, the negotiations have already begun and there are many scenarios as to what could happen. It is doubtful whether after the results of the first round and Papadopoulos's defeat AKEL, DIKO and EDEK can remain under one roof.

There is likely to be a big number of voters switching sides and the final result will remain in doubt.