Cypriot ballot
May 22, 2011
Greek Cypriots began voting on Sunday, May 22, for a new parliament, with opinion polls suggesting a close fight between the two traditional rivals, left-wing AKEL party and the right-wing Democratic Rally (DISY). The smaller parties, many of whom are only contesting a handful of seats, are all expected to lag far behind.
Over half a million people are registered to vote, 544 of whom are Turkish Cypriots living in the south. The Turkish Cypriot northern segment of the island, however, is not taking part. Cyprus has been divided into an internationally recognized Greek Cypriot south and a breakaway Turkish Cypriot north since 1974, when Turkey invaded the northern third of the island in response to a Greek-inspired coup. Only Ankara currently recognizes northern Cyprus.
Cyprus' presidential system of government means that the vote will have relatively little effect on the island's key policies, but the successes and failures for the competing parties will help shape horse-trading and alliances ahead of the 2013 presidential election.
Reunification talks
President Dimitris Christofias of the AKEL party relaunched reunification talks with his Turkish Cypriot counterpart Mehmet Ali Talat in 2008, but little tangible progress has been made. Christofias has, however, mooted some possible concessions that have proven unpopular with erstwhile political allies, including the possibility of a rotating presidency with Turkish Cypriots as part of a possible unity deal.
Southern Cyprus is a member of the European Union, and as such it's one of the major stumbling blocks to Turkey's aspirations of joining the bloc.
On election morning, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon announced via a spokesman that he would meet with leaders from both sides of the island on July 7 in Geneva.
"The secretary general has stressed with both leaders the need to accelerate their progress in order to achieve a mutually acceptable and lasting settlement on Cyprus as soon as possible," the UN statement, delivered in the divided capital Nicosia, said. "He expects the leaders to take advantage of this meeting, and the period leading up to it, to work jointly and concretely toward reaching that objective."
Property rights, territorial adjustments and guarantees of security are some of the major issues hampering reunification talks, not to mention the added distraction provided in recent weeks by Sunday's parliamentary ballot.
Author: Mark Hallam (AP, AFP, dpa)
Editor: Toma Tasovac