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Ruling parties gain in Cyprus parliament elections
http://www.financialmirror.com/printpag e/printpage.php?url=3Dhttp://www.financialmirror.c om/more_news.php?id=3D3898&type=3Dst
21/05/200 6
AKEL, DISY get 18 seats each, DIKO has 10
Most of the parties comprising the ruling coalition administration
gained ground in the Cyprus parliamentary elections Sunday, but the
island=80=99s two main rival parties lost seats and a smaller party
chief resigned after he failed to enter the House of Representatives.
In all, 487 candidates challenged the 56 seats in parliament, a mainly
legislative and non-executive body, while the island-state's president
is elected directly by the people.
The main coalition partner, the communist AKEL, shed 3.4 percentage
points from its voters and polled 31.2% of the votes, entering
parliament with 18 deputies, two less than in the previous assembly.
`AKEL, has been and will remain the first party of Cyprus, a
democratic communist party unlike any other in Europe,' declared party
Secretary General and parliament president Demetris Christofias.
Despite earlier projection by exit polls that it would be the largest
party in parliament, Cyprus=80=98 opposition Democratic Rally (DISY)
won 30.3% of the votes, shedding 3.7 percentage points losing a seat
and will now have 18 deputies in the House.
`We were attacked on all fronts, even from inside, but those who
abandoned us failed to break up the party,' said DISY president and
member of the European People's Party executive council, Nicos
Anastassiades.
The clear winner in these elections is the Democratic Party (DIKO) of
President Tassos Papadopoulos that raised its voter strength by three
percentage points to 17.9% and gained a new seat, rising to 10
deputies.
One of the newcomers is the president's son, Nicholas Papadopoulos.
Speaking before exit poll reports, Papadopoulos said that the
elections were finished and that democracy does not have any winners
or losers: "The only winners is democracy and our country, which shows
a political and cultural maturity."
Political analysts say that this outcome will also boost
Papadopoulos=80=98 party which will have enough public support to seek
a second term in office in 2008, while coalition partner AKEL, though
still the biggest party, has now lesser chances of putting forward its
own candidate for president.
The social-democrat EDEK, which has two ministers in
Papadopoulos=80=98present cabinet, also improved despite earlier
predictions of a loss, earning 8.9%of the votes and five seats,
gaining one new deputy.
"We are happy because we have increased out parliamentary presence,"
said honorary party president Vasos Lyssarides.
The European Party (Evroko) - created by four deputies who left DISY
two years ago and merged with the nationalist New Horizons and the
single-seatADIK - recorded a marginal gain to 5.7% with four seats in
the new parliament.
The Green Party/Ecologist Movement made no gains, ending the day with
1.9% of the vote and just one seat, while the party had been hopeful
it would get a second deputy.
The United Democrats (EDI) of former president George Vassiliou was
the biggest loser of the day, failing to reach the threshold of 1.8%
in order to enter the House of Representatives.
The party's present president, Michalis Papapetrou, handed in his
resignation and called for an early party congress in June to elect a
new leadership.
`It's a shame that our policies were not accepted by the public,'
Papapetrou said, referring to EDI's open support of the United Nations
peace plan, dubbed the `Annan Plan', that was rejected by the
majorityof the Greek Cypriot community in April 2004.
Meanwhile, the island's three ethnic and religious minorities alsowent
to the polls to elect a representative in parliament.
Newcomer Vartkes Mahdessian won the seat for the Armenians, incumbent
Antonis Hadjiroussos won a second term for the Maronites and Benito
Mantovani won a third successive term for the Latin community.
http://www.financialmirror.com/printpag e/printpage.php?url=3Dhttp://www.financialmirror.c om/more_news.php?id=3D3898&type=3Dst
21/05/200 6
AKEL, DISY get 18 seats each, DIKO has 10
Most of the parties comprising the ruling coalition administration
gained ground in the Cyprus parliamentary elections Sunday, but the
island=80=99s two main rival parties lost seats and a smaller party
chief resigned after he failed to enter the House of Representatives.
In all, 487 candidates challenged the 56 seats in parliament, a mainly
legislative and non-executive body, while the island-state's president
is elected directly by the people.
The main coalition partner, the communist AKEL, shed 3.4 percentage
points from its voters and polled 31.2% of the votes, entering
parliament with 18 deputies, two less than in the previous assembly.
`AKEL, has been and will remain the first party of Cyprus, a
democratic communist party unlike any other in Europe,' declared party
Secretary General and parliament president Demetris Christofias.
Despite earlier projection by exit polls that it would be the largest
party in parliament, Cyprus=80=98 opposition Democratic Rally (DISY)
won 30.3% of the votes, shedding 3.7 percentage points losing a seat
and will now have 18 deputies in the House.
`We were attacked on all fronts, even from inside, but those who
abandoned us failed to break up the party,' said DISY president and
member of the European People's Party executive council, Nicos
Anastassiades.
The clear winner in these elections is the Democratic Party (DIKO) of
President Tassos Papadopoulos that raised its voter strength by three
percentage points to 17.9% and gained a new seat, rising to 10
deputies.
One of the newcomers is the president's son, Nicholas Papadopoulos.
Speaking before exit poll reports, Papadopoulos said that the
elections were finished and that democracy does not have any winners
or losers: "The only winners is democracy and our country, which shows
a political and cultural maturity."
Political analysts say that this outcome will also boost
Papadopoulos=80=98 party which will have enough public support to seek
a second term in office in 2008, while coalition partner AKEL, though
still the biggest party, has now lesser chances of putting forward its
own candidate for president.
The social-democrat EDEK, which has two ministers in
Papadopoulos=80=98present cabinet, also improved despite earlier
predictions of a loss, earning 8.9%of the votes and five seats,
gaining one new deputy.
"We are happy because we have increased out parliamentary presence,"
said honorary party president Vasos Lyssarides.
The European Party (Evroko) - created by four deputies who left DISY
two years ago and merged with the nationalist New Horizons and the
single-seatADIK - recorded a marginal gain to 5.7% with four seats in
the new parliament.
The Green Party/Ecologist Movement made no gains, ending the day with
1.9% of the vote and just one seat, while the party had been hopeful
it would get a second deputy.
The United Democrats (EDI) of former president George Vassiliou was
the biggest loser of the day, failing to reach the threshold of 1.8%
in order to enter the House of Representatives.
The party's present president, Michalis Papapetrou, handed in his
resignation and called for an early party congress in June to elect a
new leadership.
`It's a shame that our policies were not accepted by the public,'
Papapetrou said, referring to EDI's open support of the United Nations
peace plan, dubbed the `Annan Plan', that was rejected by the
majorityof the Greek Cypriot community in April 2004.
Meanwhile, the island's three ethnic and religious minorities alsowent
to the polls to elect a representative in parliament.
Newcomer Vartkes Mahdessian won the seat for the Armenians, incumbent
Antonis Hadjiroussos won a second term for the Maronites and Benito
Mantovani won a third successive term for the Latin community.