Election Date: February 24, 2008

Abstract: At stake: President

At stake: President

Background

Annexed as a British colony in 1925, the island country of Cyprus gained its independence in 1960 after its two communities mutually supported a new constitution. Among several provisions, the body of law guaranteed that the Turkish Cypriot minority would be allocated 24 seats in the unicameral legislative branch, with the remaining 56 seats filled by Greek Cypriots.

Talk of constitutional changes that would alter the power sharing arrangement led to an outbreak of violence in 1963, which culminated with the Turkish Cypriot community withdrawing from the government. In 1964, the United Nations (UN) sent a peacekeeping force to the country in hopes of mollifying the tension.

In 1974, some Greek Cypriot factions, eager to make Cyprus a part of Greece, attempted a coup to topple the Cypriot government. While the coup failed—even as it was backed by Greece—Turkey sent troops to the island, ostensibly to protect the Turkish Cypriot communities. Once there, the Turkish forces partitioned the island, the northern third of which was claimed by Turkish Cypriots.

After the schism, intermittent skirmishes between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities were punctuated by sporadic peace negotiations. Several UN sponsored sessions were largely unfruitful. In fact, in 1983, Turkish Cypriots unilaterally declared the northern third of the island, which it controlled, to be the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Turkey was, and remains, the only government that recognizes the creation.

In 2003, Tassos Papadopoulos of the Democratic Party (DIKO) won the presidential election, defeating incumbent Glafkos Klerides of the Democratic Rally (DISY). Papadopoulos was also supported by the Progressive Party of the Working People (AKEL) and the Movement for Social Democracy (KISOS). The president is both the head of state and the head of government in Cyprus.

While tensions have calcified into an uneasy truce between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, a series of developments regarding European Union (EU) membership caused new strain.

With the Greek Cypriot—the only internationally recognized—portion of the island set to join the EU, a referendum was held in early 2004 on both sides to determine whether reunification remained a possibility prior to entry. The plan was proposed by then UN secretary general Kofi Annan. Papadopoulos urged Greek Cypriots to vote "No." In the end, most Turkish Cypriots voted to end the separation, but Greek Cypriots rejected the notion by a wide margin.

In May 2004, Cyprus—the Greek portion thereof—entered the EU.

In 2006, Greek Cypriot voters renewed the House of Representatives. Final results gave the Progressive Party of the Working People (AKEL) and the Democratic Party (DIKO) 29 seats in the legislative branch, enough to guarantee that AKEL leader Dimitris Christofias would preside the chamber.

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For two years following the Annan Plan referenda, the island saw little progress toward reunification. However, UN undersecretary for political affairs Ibrahim Gambari visited Cyprus in July 2006 and succeeded in securing commitment from both sides to commence exploratory talks. On Jul. 8, 2006, Greek Cypriot president Tassos Papadopoulos and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus president Mehmet Ali Talat met for the first time since 2004.

Papadopoulos and Talat agreed to a UN-brokered negotiating framework that envisioned the establishment of technical committees to tackle everyday life issues and expert working groups to discuss important matters.

2008 Presidential Election

On Jul. 23, 2007, Greek Cypriot president Tassos Papadopoulos confirmed he is running for re-election. In mid-July, leaders of the radical right-wing European Party (EvroKo) had already said they would back his bid. Party leader Demetris Syllouris said the election of 2008 are the most important ever for Cyprus, adding that they will be the first democratic process after the country's accession to the European Union (EU) and the first after the referenda on the UN plan for a settlement in Cyprus. As expected, Democratic Party (DIKO) and the Movement of Social Democrats (EDEK) have also decided to back Papadopoulos.

Other candidates include House president and general secretary of left-wing Progressive Party of the Working People (AKEL) Dimitris Christofias, former foreign minister Ioannis Kasoulides—backed by the opposition Democratic Rally (DISY)—and former agriculture minister Costas Themistocleous.

On Jul. 23, Papadopoulos officially announced his intention to seek a new term in a televised address, saying, "You voted me president (...) to guarantee our rights and not to give them up. You voted for me to fight for a proper solution to the Cyprus problem, not to reach a settlement that would dissolve the Cyprus Republic."

On Jul. 26, foreign minister Erato Markoulli, said her country is anxious to see how Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose party won a landslide vote in July legislative elections, "will win his difficult battle to diminish the role of the military in Turkish politics," adding that this is really important for Cyprus.

On Sept. 3, government spokesman Vasilis Palmas expressed disagreement with a proposal developed by European parliamentarian Marios Matsakis, which seeks to divide Cyprus into two separate states. Palmas declared: “When (Matsakis) takes such positions and has such opinions, is it possible for the government to agree with him? (...) The views and opinions of our side are expressed by the government and they are well known to everyone. Such approaches are personal opinions and do not create problems in the government’s political line.”

On Sept. 22, Kasoulides criticized the current government’s record on foreign affairs, saying, “Let’s face it, accept it and deal with it. Having the sympathy and support of the international community is imperative for Cyprus. (...) There was a time when Cyprus was on a roll diplomatically, when we had the moral high ground, we had the triumphs of the Titina Loizidou case, so now we should really take a hard look at our political situation and where it is leading us.”

The Titina Loizidou case involved a Cypriot national who filed a legal recourse against Turkey to the European Commission of Human Rights, seeking to resolve a land dispute. The commission eventually issued three judgements which held Turkey responsible for human rights violations in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

In late September, during the United Nations (UN) General Assembly meeting in New York, Papadopoulos urged the UN to stop ignoring the “inconvenient truths” at the center of Cyprus’ issues. The Greek Cypriot president declared: “It might be that the task has been so arduous because the truth remains that the Cyprus issue, when stripped of niceties of diplomatic terminology, is a question of foreign aggression and continuing occupation of a significant part of a sovereign state.”

On Oct. 4, Christofias said the House of Representatives would work to implement a full policy to combat cancer, saying, “The problem has such dimensions that nobody should remain indifferent. It is not an exaggeration to say that indifference kills, if it is taken into consideration that breast cancer is up to 90 per cent curable, if it is spotted and treated at an early stage.”

In October, Papadopoulos sent a letter to United Nations (UN) secretary-general Ban Ki-moon proposing an eight-point initiative to implement the so-called July 8th 2006 agreement, signed by both Papadopoulos and Northern Cyprus president Mehmet Ali Talat and later approved by the UN.

On Nov. 14, Christofias referred to his political platform as “progressive” and assured voters he would not try to implement a communist regime, saying, “Our candidacy has the support of people from all social strata. If elected, our government will be made up of progressive personalities.”

On Nov. 16, Murat Mercan, head of the Turkish Parliament Foreign Relations Commission, said Turkey will take steps to solve the 40-year-old conflict in Cyprus after the presidential ballot in Greek Cyprus. Offering his views on what the process should take into account, Mercan said: “Two communities and peoples have not mixed with each other for years and it is impossible to perceive them as a single community. If there will be a solution, this reality cannot be overlooked. (...) (The) Turkish Cypriot side has more than 30 years of experience in using democracy and independence and any solution would have to take that into consideration.”

On Dec. 11, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said after meeting with Papadopoulos that his country will push for the implementation of the July 8th 2006 agreement, saying, “We welcome the recent eight-point initiative (...) and we believe that this initiative is an offer, a very good mechanism. (...) When we discuss Cyprus at the Security Council, our suggestion will be to pay special attention to the proposals by President Papadopoulos and I hope this will bring results.”

On Dec. 30, former Democratic Party (DIKO) lawmaker Marios Matsakis announced a presidential bid. On Jan. 4, 2008, Papadopoulos dismissed Matsakis’ candidacy, saying, “I don’t believe that he has any relevance in the campaign.”

On Jan. 2, Turkish Cypriot president Mehmet Ali Talat suggested that Papadopoulos’ re-election could hamper efforts to solve differences between the two sides of the island, saying, “Since he refuses to share political power with us, and refrains from dialogue, it is obvious that Papadopoulos will eventually lead the island to permanent partition.”

In January, Papadopoulos said he is confident he will secure another term in office next month, and declared: “We will continue to seek, without concessions, the solution we deserve.” Kassoulides claimed Papadopoulos’ administration has isolated Cyprus, and stated: “We want to move forward, we don’t want to remain stuck in the deadlock of the past five years.”

On Jan. 18, Turkish foreign minister Ali Babacan claimed that, following the election in Greek Cyprus, “a new window of opportunity will be opened” for a solution to the Cyprus problem. Babacan added: “A comprehensive solution will depend on the will and consent of the two peoples. Turkey and northern Cyprus are determined to pursue solution-oriented policies. The Turkish side is ready for a new partnership based on political equality, bi-zonality and the equal status of the two founding states under the United Nations.”

On Jan. 24, Christofias told an audience of business executives that if elected he will safeguard the principles of an open economy and would not introduce socialist policies, saying, “Most of you are worried about the prospect of me becoming president and wonder whether the leader of AKEL can actually help economic growth without overturns and tribulations. (...) A sound economy is a weapon in our hands to rid our country of the Turkish occupation, but we must not become complacent with economic growth and abandon efforts to reunite Cyprus. The biggest danger lies in the current situation when we think there is political and economic stability.”

On Feb. 7, Kasoulides said that he would press for the reunification of the island by working with United Nations (UN) secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, the Security Council’s five permanent members and the European Commission, adding: “Either personally or through my envoys, I will call on them and I will be very persistent. My credentials will be those of a man who wants a solution. Our credibility in Europe, with regard to a political settlement, is at its lowest and we have to rectify that.”

First round voting took place on Feb. 17. Final results gave Kasoulides 33.51 per cent of the vote, followed by Christofias with 33.29 per cent. Since no contender garnered more than 50 per cent of all cast ballots, a run-off will take place on Feb. 24.

Incumbent Papadopoulos—who finished in third place with 31.79 per cent of the vote—was eliminated. DISY leader Nicos Anastasiades declared: “We now call upon Tassos Papadopoulos and his supporters to join with us. There are no winners or losers in this election. This is not a time for winners’ arrogance.”

Run-off voting took place on Feb. 24. Christofias defeated Kasoulides with 53.37 per cent of the vote. The AKEL leader declared: “Tomorrow a new day will dawn, we have many difficulties ahead. We will join forces as of tomorrow, we will work together to reunite our country. I have often said that today our ideology is one: Cyprus and its salvation, this is the vision we are going to work for.”

On Feb. 28, Christofias was sworn in as president. His cabinet features Markos Kyprianou as foreign minister, Charilaos Stavrakis as finance minister, and Kypros Chryssostomid as justice minister.

Political Players

President: Dimitris Christofias - AKEL

The president is elected to a five-year term by popular vote.

Legislative Branch: The House of Representatives (Vouli Antiprosopon / Temsilciler Meclisi) has 83 members elected to five-year terms. Currently, 56 Greek Cypriot members are elected by proportional representation, and three members represent the Maronite, Roman-Catholic and Armenian minorities. The 24 seats allocated to the Turkish community have not been filled since 1963.

Results of Last Election:

President - Feb. 17 and Feb. 24, 2008

	Feb. 17	Feb. 24
Dimitris Christofias	33.29%	53.37%
Ioannis Kasoulides	33.51%	46.63%
Tassos Papadopoulos	31.79%	--
Marios Matsakis	0.77%	--
Kostas Kyriacou	0.24%	--
Costas Themistocleous	0.17%	--
Andreas Efstratiou	0.16%	--
Christodoulos Neophytou	0.05%	--
Anastasis Michael	0.03%	--

House of Representatives - May 21, 2006

	Vote%	Seats
Progressive Party of the Working People (AKEL)	31.2%	18
Democratic Rally (DISY)	30.3%	18
Democratic Party (DIKO)	17.9%	11
Movement of Social Democrats (EDEK)	8.9%	5
European Party (EvroKo)	5.7%	3
Ecological and Environmental Movement (KEP)	1.9%	1
United Democrats (EDI)	1.6%	--
European Democrats (EvroDi)	0.4%	--

 

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