Cyprus heads back to polls for presidential runoff

Greek Cypriots headed back to the polls on Sunday in a runoff presidential vote between an incumbent conservative pledging to re-energise talks at ending the island’s division, and a leftist opponent who accuses him of squandering chances of a deal.

Sunday’s ballot pits President Nicos Anastasiades, 71, against leftist-backed Stavros Malas, 50. Polling stations opened at 0500 GMT with exit polls giving a first snapshot of voting when they close at 1600 GMT. Results should be final a little over two hours after voting ends.

Both candidates appealed for people to vote after a high abstention rate in the first round of 28 percent.

“Don’t give up on the right to decide who the next president will be,” said Anastasiades. “Our country has problems and the input of all is needed, irrespective of who will win tonight,” he added.

“This election process concerns us all, all those who want to know what a European and multi-cultural state actually means,” said Malas after casting his ballot.

Anastasiades got 35.51 and Malas 30.24 percent of the vote in the first poll on Jan. 28, with the remainder cast among candidates who had taken a harder line than either in peace talks with estranged Turkish Cypriots.