Front Page Headlines
DISY lost percentages but won the battle
The governing party maintained its lead and widened its difference from AKEL. The result sets developments in motion in AKEL, with Andros Kyprianou stating that he will assume his responsibilities. DIKO’s and Nicholas Papadopoulos’ strategy and populist rhetoric failed miserably. DIPA and Marios Karoyian are undoubtedly winners with their triumphant entrance into Parliament with four seats.
- Abstention: First party yet again with a record rate of 34.28%
- Next day: The big bazaar begins for the new president of Parliament
The ballot box brought turbulence
Disaster for AKEL, DISY did not win, DIKO stuck it out and DIPA entered dynamically. ELAM fourth with four MPs.
- Checkpoints opening, the pseudo-state was on time: The picture and process to be cleared up today
- Cavusoglu’s visit with challenges to Greece: He’s talking about a positive agenda, as well as Turkish schools
- Israel and Egypt becoming closer
The battle continues in dialogue with society
AKEL is self-reflecting, but has its head high
- Seven-party Parliament, far-right ELAM in fourth place
- Checkpoints: Mavroyiannis-Olgun discussing the issue of crossings today
- Greco-Turkish relations: Cavusoglu meeting with Dendias and Mitsotakis in Athens
Strong DISY, the leading party again with a BIG DIFFERENCE from AKEL which suffered a debacle
Ballot boxes brought big overturns – citizens spoke and sent messages. Citizens rejected populism, flatteries and the old partisanship of the opposition and supported the ruling party and the government. AKEL historically marked the lowest rate in an election process – Andros Kyprianou’s position is shaken, who is expected to pull out during the party’s conference. The Democratic Front (DIPA) is rising and becoming a centre force to be reckoned with, it feels the breath of DIKO which saw its power reduced. ELAM the fourth party after a thriller battle with EDEK which also saw its rates fall.
Main News
Parliamentary elections see big parties lose ground to small ones
Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Governance & Power Sharing
OVERVIEW
The parliamentary elections held on Sunday saw ruling party DISY maintain its lead but lose around 3% along with other main parties as compared to the 2016 elections, with smaller parties and particularly ELAM and DIPA making important gains, the dailies report.
Of the 14 parties that claimed representation in Parliament, seven made it through. The results of the elections were: DISY 27.77% (-2.9%), AKEL 22.34% (-3.3%), DIKO 11.29% (-3.2%), ELAM 6.78% (+3%), EDEK 6.72% (+0.5%), DIPA 6.10% (first House election), Greens 4.41% (-0.4%). Some 15% of voters voted for smaller parties which did not secure representation in the House, among which were Solidarity which secured 2.31% (-3%), the Hunters with 3%, Change of Generation with 2.82%, and Famagusta for Cyprus 1.56%.
The abstention rate on Sunday was 34.2%, with the dailies calling abstention the ‘winning party’. In 2016, the abstention rate stood at 33.2%. Around 2,000 blanks votes were cast, and spoiled or invalid votes came in at over 6,800. Politis reports that disappointment over the stagnancy and negative developments in the Cyprus problem was a factor in the high abstention rate, with the public wanting to punish the political system.
In the final distribution of seats DISY got 17 (one less than 2016), AKEL 15 (one less than 2016), DIKO retained nine seats, Greens increased their seats from two to three, EDEK from three to four, DIPA gets four seats and ELAM doubled its representation from two seats to four. The new Parliament will begin work on June 10, the dailies report, with the 56 MPs now set to vote on a new House President.
The dailies observed that AKEL was among the biggest losers of Sunday’s elections, as the party secured its lowest result over many elections. Phileleftheros reports that in numbers, the roughly 79,000 votes the party secured on Sunday marked a drop of around 11,000 votes from the 90,000 secured in 2016. AKEL leader Andros Kyprianou said on Sunday that the party failed to persuade voters as much as it should have, adding that he would shoulder his share of responsibility. He said the party will continue to support the rights of workers, to stand up to corruption and serve the objective of the island’s reunification.
On his part, DISY leader Averof Neophytou said society had chosen seriousness and renounced irresponsible populism. Acknowledging the party’s losses, Neophytou said that DISY will work on making the party stronger. Regarding the Cyprus problem, Neophytou said that as a party founded by Glafcos Clerides it was committed to working for reunification.
Two negotiators, Spehar to discuss crossings on Monday
Haravgi, Phileleftheros
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
The issue of the normalisation of crossings will be discussed on Monday in a teleconference among the two sides’ negotiators, Andreas Mavroyiannis and Ergun Olgun, and the UN Secretary General’s (UNSG) Special Representative Elizabeth Spehar, the dailies report.
The three will discuss when and how crossings between the two sides will resume in light of the meeting held on Friday between the working group set up by the bi-communal Technical Committee on Health regarding the health measures to be applied for crossings.
The dailies report that ‘prime minister’ Ersan Saner called on President Nicos Anastasiades on Monday to reopen all crossings on Monday under specific conditions. Saner said that from Monday the north will accept all GC citizens who can show a PCR or antigen test no more than three days old, and called on Anastasiades to facilitate the re-opening of crossings. He said the TC side has no hesitation in opening up but they want all of the crossings to reopen.