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Cyprus holds presidential elections today, a runoff is expected between the two candidates

Cyprus holds presidential elections today, a runoff is expected between the two

Presidential elections are held today in Cyprus. Citizens elect their eighth president in the ethnically divided island's 63-year history as an independent, three-president state.

Heralding the end of two terms for incumbent conservative President Nicos Anastasiades, some 561,000 Greek Cypriots are eligible to vote after a campaign dominated by issues such as corruption, labor disputes linked to accelerating inflation, irregular migration and the achievement of a peace with the Turkish Cypriots.

There are 14 candidates in the race, but three are favorites. Nikos Christodoulides, 49, a former government spokesman and foreign minister who has consistently led all opinion polls during the months-long campaign, is running as the candidate who can cross party affiliations and ideological fault lines to unite a divided electorate.

Opinion polls have consistently shown that Christodoulides will go into a runoff against right-wing party leader Averof Neophytou or career diplomat Andreas Mavroyiannis, who is backed by the left-wing AKEL party.

Cypriots will expect the new president to move quickly to shore up an economy battered by Russia's war in Ukraine and its damaging effect on the cost of living.

Cyprus has complied with all sanctions against Russia and Belarus, following the invasion of Ukraine.

Source: Al Jazzera

 

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