Former Cypriot foreign minister Nikos Christodoulides led the island’s first round of presidential elections on Sunday, but fell short of a majority and will face a run-off vote next weekend.
Christodoulides, took 32 percent of the vote, followed closely by the experienced diplomat Andreas Mavroyiannis, who surprised many by taking 29.6 percent.
Averof Neofytou, leader of the centre-right Democratic Rally party, dropped out of the race, marking a shift in the island’s politics.
The three main candidates have close ties to right-wing president Nicos Anastasiades and are all considered part of the Cypriot political establishment.
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Christodoulides, 49, served as government spokesman before serving as foreign minister from 2018 to 2022 under Anastasiades. His decision to become an independent candidate dealt a heavy blow at the Democratic Rally, splitting the vote between him and Neofytou, 61.
Polls ahead of Sunday’s vote suggested up to one-third of Democratic party members would back the former foreign minister.
Neofytou has led the center-right party since 2013 and during the campaign emphasized his political experience and ability to provide stability. Any Democratic endorsement of either of the two remaining candidates could have a significant impact on the final outcome.
Andreas Mavroyiannis speaks to reporters after the vote © AFP via Getty Images
Neofytou met Anastasiades and other members of the Democratic Rally on Sunday to determine whether they would support Christodoulides in the second round. “Maybe Neofytou will ask for an exchange to keep the leadership of the Democratic Rally, or maybe he will decide to take revenge on Anastasiades and Christodoulides and tell everyone to support Mavroyiannis,” said Fiona Mullen, director of Sapienta, a consultancy in Nicosia, who confirmed that everything would became clearer over the next few days.
Mavroyiannis, 66, is known for his role as chief negotiator in talks with northern Cyprus on the reunification of the divided island, which has been divided since Turkey invaded in 1974. Backed by the opposition Akel party, Mavroyiannis promised during his campaign that he would bring a breath of fresh air to the presidency after Anastasiades 10 years in power.
Analysts say Cypriots’ “clientelistic” approach to politics has intensified during the campaign in the island’s southern Greek Cypriots, which have a population of just 1.2 million.
“All party members have been reminded in the last two weeks why they owe loyalty to a certain candidate,” said Mullen.
The new president and his government will be expected to tackle challenges including high inflation, rising costs of living, restarting deadlocked talks with Turkish Cypriots, and the urgent need to upgrade the island’s electricity grid.