Cyprus votes in cliffhanger poll
NICOSIA (Reuters) - Greek Cypriots voted on Sunday for anew president in a cliffhanger three-way race crucial for anyrevival of peace talks on the divided island and for Turkey'shopes of joining the European Union.
No clear winner is likely from Sunday's vote. Pollsforecast a neck-and-neck contest between incumbent TassosPapadopoulos and challengers Demetris Christofias and IoannisKassoulides.
Voting was scheduled to end at 3 p.m. British time, withfinal results expected at around 6:30 p.m. British time. If noclear winner emerges a runoff will be held on February 24.
The winner will be mandated to seek a peace deal to reuniteCyprus's ethnic Greeks and Turks, divided since a Turkishinvasion in 1974 sparked by a brief Greek-inspired coup. Cyprusis now represented in the EU by its Greek Cypriots.
Without a solution, Greek-led Cyprus will never agree toTurkey's admission into the EU. The problem could alsocomplicate cooperation between NATO, of which Turkey is amember, and the security arm of the EU, the ESDP.
"The future is in our hands. I hope that with the help ofthe people we can achieve the solution we want and deserve,"Papadopoulos, 74, said as he cast his vote on Sunday.
He led Greek Cypriot opposition to a UN reunification planin 2004 which was accepted by Turkish Cypriots, and says hewill oppose any attempt to revive that plan.
"Cyprus is stronger than ever," Papadopoulos said.
Detractors say he isolated Greek Cypriots. Kassoulides andChristofias say they will attempt to forge closer links withTurkish Cypriots.
"Our aspiration is to reunite this country and its people,Greek and Turkish Cypriots ... people deserve better," saidChristofias, 62, head of the island's powerful Communist party.
Kassoulides, 59, said he wanted to see Cyprus move closerto Europe. "Today we decide to move Cyprus forward as a modernEU state ... and to start the real struggle to end the(Turkish) occupation," he said.
Papadopoulos is tipped to be marginally ahead of the othertwo candidates in the first round. He has overseen a buoyanteconomy and Cyprus's admission to the euro zone on January 12008.
"A lot of people will vote for Papadopoulos because theythink he'd be a tough negotiator and that Christofias andKassoulides might be too soft," said political analyst HubertFaustmann.
Tight reporting restrictions are supposed to prevent themedia influencing voters. Most appeared to flout the rules.
"The race is a bad remake of the Good, the Bad and theUgly," wrote Patroclos, a columnist for the Cyprus Mail daily.
(Additional reporting by Stelios Orphanides; editing byAndrew Roche)