Cyprus News Agency: News in English (AM), 98-02-09

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From: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>

CONTENTS

[01] Iacovou polls 42.75 per cent in Limassol District

[02] Party leaders air views on election results

[03] Iacovou maintains steady lead

[04] French tourist's body found

[05] Elections give Iacovou slight lead

[06] Consultations in view of second vote

[07] Soccer: Cyprus, Slovenia play in final match

0005:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Iacovou polls 42.75 per cent in Limassol District

Current President Glafcos Clerides received 38.47 per cent or 43.709 votes.

Out of 126.310 registered voters, 117.351 votes were cast, of which 113.628 were valid, 2.471 non valid and 1.252 blank.

EDEK socialist party leader, Vassos Lyssarides, received 9.35% or 10.626 votes followed by Democratic Party MP, Alexis Galanos, 4.89% or 5.555 votes, United Democrats leader, George Vassiliou, 2.86% or 3.269 votes, Liberal Party leader, Nicos Rolandis, 0.87% or 991 votes, and New Horizons leader, Nicos Koutsou, 0.81% or 924 votes.

CNA RG/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

0010:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Party leaders air views on election results

The ruling right-wing Democratic Rally leader, Nicos Anastasiades, who supported incumbent President Glafcos Clerides' re-election bid, expressed reserved optimism about the final outcome and extended an invitation to others for cooperation.

The other two, who backed former foreign minister George Iacovou for the presidency, leftwing AKEL General Secretary Demetris Christofias and centre-right Democratic Party leader Spyros Kyprianou, noted the race is not yet over, and warned against early celebrations for a final victory before the contest is over.

Anastasiades said the results prove Clerides' appeal to the people, since he gathered more votes than DISY strength accounts for (which amounts to 34 per cent according to the 1996 parliamentary elections).

"Results indicate clearly that Iacovou gets a much lower share of the vote than originally estimated. However this is no time for celebrations," he told the press here tonight.

Replying to questions, Anastasiades said his party has a proposal for future cooperation with other parties but also expects proposals from others.

Christofias said those who suggest that the outcome of the elections has been determined by the result of the first round are wrong.

"The people and the candidates will work hard between now and Sunday 15 February when the final round of elections takes place," he added.

He also stressed that efforts will be made to woo socialist party EDEK, whose showing today marked an impressive increase, and the United Democrats.

Christofias said the message of this round is that the opposition has gathered the majority of the vote and added that President Clerides and governing right-wing Democratic Rally will not be able to gain the support of the opposition.

Kyprianou said that 90% of those who voted for independent candidate, Alexis Galanos, will vote for George Iacovou in the second round of elections on February 15.

"It is too early (for DISY) to be overjoyed that we have lost the bet," Kyprianou said.

Replying to questions, he stressed that "nobody will be able to break up DIKO" and expressed the conviction that the party will prove to be a power to be reckoned with because many party faithful, who deserted its ranks, are bound to return.

CNA RG/MM/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

0140:CYPPRESS:03

[03] Iacovou maintains steady lead

Trailing just behind Iacovou is incumbent President Glafcos Clerides, backed by right-wing Democratic Rally, with 40,05 per cent or 151661 votes.

So far, 391,767 votes out of 446,732 were counted, of which 378,680 were valid, 8,573 void and 4,514 blank.

EDEK socialist party leader, Vassos Lyssarides, has so far received 10, 56 per cent or 39970 votes, United Democrats leader, George Vassiliou, 3 per cent or 11358 votes, and Democratic Party MP, Alexis Galanos, 4,05 per cent or 15341 votes.

New Horizons leader, Nicos Koutsou, received 0,91 per cent or 3,462 votes, and Liberal Party leader, Nicos Rolandis, 0,77 per cent or 2,906 votes.

CNA RG/MM/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

0217:CYPPRESS:04

[04] French tourist's body found

The body was found in a well in Xylotymbou village, north-east of Larnaca, the Police said.

Taxi driver Andreas Zanas, 36, arrested yesterday in connection with police investigations into the abduction and suspected murder of Chomik, led Police to the body.

Chomik came to Cyprus on Christmas day and was scheduled to return to France on January 1.

Police said Zana, from the coastal village of Kiti in the Larnaca district, was arrested after blood found in the boot of his taxi was compared through DNA to blood taken from the French woman's mother and brother.

Cyprus Police said final examinations and analysis by the Institute of Neurology and Genetics in Nicosia, are expected to be completed be Wednesday.

CNA GG/MA/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

0250:CYPPRESS:05

[05] Elections give Iacovou slight lead

George Iacovou and Glafcos Clerides, two of the seven candidates in yesterday's election, will fight it out on Sunday, 15 February for the final showdown, as none of them managed to secure the necessary 50 per cent plus of the vote.

Both men are sure to seek cooperation with the smaller parties that contested the elections and will probably be more keen to attract supporters of the socialist EDEK party, which increased its share of the vote.

Iacovou, former foreign minister, gained a marginal lead over incumbent President Clerides with 160,918 votes or 40.61 per cent. He is backed by the main opposition party left-wing AKEL and the Democratic Party.

Clerides, who has the full backing of the ruling right-wing Democratic Rally party, got 40.06 per cent with 158,763 votes.

Just over two per cent of the votes cast were invalid (8,944) and 1.2 per cent were blank votes. A total of 396,299 votes were valid, out of a total of 409,979 votes cast.

The number of registered voters was 446,732, which included for the first time 18 to 20 year olds.

Yesterday's contest gave socialist party EDEK a big boost, with more than two per cent increase of its electoral power, registering 41,978 votes, accounting for 10.59 per cent of the vote.

In 1996 EDEK got just over eight per cent of the vote in the parliamentary election and gained five seats in the House of Representatives.

Another winner in this election contest was Alexis Galanos, who broke ranks with the Democratic Party, to stand as an independent and managed to garner 4.04 per cent of the vote, translating into 16,003 votes.

The big loser is undoubtedly former president and president of United Democrats party, George Vassiliou, who got a disappointing three per cent, or 11,908.

Vassiliou's share of the vote represents a drop from his previous registered electoral power of 3.69 in the parliamentary elections. Today's results is even more discouraging in that since 1996 he joined forces with another small party.

Nicos Koutsou, leader of the New Horizons, received 3,625 votes, representing 0.91 per cent of the vote.

Liberal party leader and former foreign minister, Nicos Rolandis, obtained 0.78 per cent with 3,104 votes.

The main two contestants, Iacovou and Clerides, argue that the outcome of Sunday's run off will be decisive in shaping developments in Cyprus as far as the UN-sponsored peace effort is concerned to end the island's division and continuing occupation of its northern part by Turkish troops since the invaded in 1974.

The new president of the Republic will also have to tackle issues pertaining Cyprus' application for membership of the European Union, as accession talks are due to begin in April.

Clerides counts on his achievements in pushing Cyprus closer to Europe, boosting the Republic's defences and consolidating tight links with Greece.

Using the slogans "a decision of responsibility" and "hope for security", Clerides stresses the need for responsible strategy in the handling of both the accession negotiations with the European Union and the peace talks.

Iacovou criticised Clerides for a sell-out and calls for a change of government to allow for realistic initiatives to end the deadlock in the peace effort.

The former minister promoted his campaign on the slogans "new inspiration, new course". Iacovou also says domestic policies are in disarray and argues that many sectors were neglected.

CNA MM/MA/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1140:CYPPRESS:06

[06] Consultations in view of second vote

George Iacovou, 58, former Foreign Minister, supported by left-wing AKEL party and the Democratic Party, led by a very small percentage. He garnered 40.61 per cent (160.918 votes) out of the 409.979 votes cast.

Incumbent President Glafcos Clerides, backed by the Democratic Rally, (DISY), was close behind with 40.06 per cent (158.763 votes).

The surprise of the evening was Socialist party EDEK which for the first time secured a percentage which will enable its leader, Vassos Lyssarides, 77, to determine the winner of the second run off. He ranked third with 10.59 per cent (41.978 votes).

Alexis Galanos, 57, former vice president of DEKO and now a deputy for the party, resisted the DEKO decision to back Iacovou.

It led him to stand as candidate and collect a proportion of DEKO supporters, a 4.04 per cent (16.003 votes).

Former President, George Vassiliou, leader of the United Democrats, narrowly defeated in the 1993 presidential race by Clerides, gathered 3 per cent of the vote (11.908 votes).

Two other parties gained less than one per cent each. New Horizons leader, Nicos Koutsou, 52, the youngest of the candidates, collected 0.91 per cent (3.625 votes) while 64-year-old Nicos Rolandis, leader of the Liberal Party, got 0.78 per cent (3.104 votes).

There were a total of 1023 polling stations with 446.732 registered voters. A total of 409.979 voters came forward, who cast 396.299 valid votes, 4.736 blank and 8.944 invalid.

The results for each district were indicative of the neck-and-neck race.

In Nicosia, 167.073 out of the 183.700 registered voters cast their ballots at the 379 polling stations. There were 161.534 valid votes cast, 1.901 blank and 3.638 invalid.

These figures were translated into 40.87 per cent for Clerides (66.027 votes), 37.90 per cent for Iacovou (61.228 votes), 11.96 per cent (5.643 votes) for Lyssarides, 3.86 per cent for Galanos (6.243 votes), 3.49 per cent for Vassiliou (5.643 votes), 0.99 per cent for Koutsou (1.595 votes) and 0.91 per cent (1.477) for Rolandis.

In Limassol, the second largest district, out of the 126.310 registered voters, 117.351 voters came forward to give 113.628 valid votes, 1.252 blank and 2.471 blank.

Iacovou led the way with 42.75 per cent (48.574 votes) followed by Clerides with 38.47 per cent (43.709 votes), Lyssarides with 9.35 per cent (10.626 votes), Galanos with 4.89 per cent (5.555 votes), Vassiliou with 2.86 per cent (3.249), Rolandis with 0.87 per cent (991 votes) and Koutsou with 0.81 per cent (924 votes).

Larnaca district's 162 polling stations with 73.931 registered voters turned in 67.934 votes cast, with 65.867 valid, 812 blank and 1.255 invalid.

Larnaca district was dominated by Iacovou who garnered 45.15 per cent (29.736 votes). Clerides secured 41.28 per cent (27.190 votes), Lyssarides 6.90 per cent (4.548 votes), Galanos 3.18 per cent (2.092 votes), Vassiliou 2.20 per cent (1.448 votes), Koutsou 0.88 per cent (579 votes) and Rolandis 0.42 per cent (274 votes).

In the Paphos district, 35.683 out of the 39.114 registered voters, cast 34.122 valid votes, 479 blank and 1.082 invalid at the 120 polling stations.

This was translated into a lead for Iacovou with 40.16 per cent (13.702 votes), 31.83 per cent for Clerides (10.861 votes), 19.13 per cent for Lyssarides (6.526 votes), 4.08 per cent for Galanos, (1.391 votes), 2.90 per cent for Vassiliou (991 votes) and 1.06 per cent (360 votes) for Koutsou and 0.85 per cent for Rolandis (291 votes).

Famagusta district's 44 polling stations with 23.677 registered voters, gave a 21.938 votes cast, with 21.148 valid, 292 blank and 498 invalid.

Clerides was given a comfortable lead with 51.90 per cent (10.976 votes), with Iacovou securing 36.31 per cent (7.867 votes), Lyssarides 4.53 per cent (957 votes), Galanos 3.41 per cent (722 votes), Vassiliou 2.73 per cent (577 votes), Koutsou 0.79 per cent 167 votes and Rolandis 0.34 per cent (71 votes).

The results did not make voters from the parties of the two main rivals rejoice. Unlike other elections, only some cars sounded their horns through the capital's main streets, after the final results.

Lyssarides was the only candidate who had a reason to smile. Pledging to be responsible to the people who gave him a pivotal role to play in the country's political scene.

He said EDEK is in the final stages of preparing its proposals to be submitted to the two front runners, and that these will also be submitted to other parties as well.

Clerides said he is ready to begin efforts from today to form a national unity government because, as he said, "that is what the future of the country demands".

Iacovou said the percentage of votes he had received provided a sound basis for cooperation with "other progressive powers".

He too pledged to meet with other parties and praised EDEK for its stance during the last five years.

Galanos, who had gained a significant percentage of the votes of DEKO, said his decision to support one of the two rivals will be based on the Cyprus problem and descent governance.

Vassiliou acknowledged that although one cannot improve the very low percentage he received, this figure may turn out to be decisive in the second round.

In a subdued mood, Koutsou said the New Horizons will decide on Tuesday their party's course. He said his party did not maintain the percentage it had received in the 1996 parliamentary elections.

Rolandis repeated a previous statement that he will withdraw from the political scene if he received 1.8 per cent of the vote. However, final decisions will be taken on Wednesday.

CNA EC/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1330:CYPPRESS:07

[07] Soccer: Cyprus, Slovenia play in final match

Taking part in the tournament hosted by the Cyprus Football Association were Cyprus, Slovenia, Norway, Finland, Iceland and Slovakia.

Cyprus reached the final after equalising 1-1 with Finland and beating Norway 2-0, in Group A.

Slovenia reached the final after beating Iceland 3-2 and equalising 1-1 with Slovakia, in Group B.

The other four teams will meet this afternoon for the other four places of the tournament.

Finland will play against Slovakia, at GSZ Stadium in Larnaca, while Norway will clash with Iceland, at Makarios Stadium in Nicosia.

Kick off for all three matches at 3 pm. CNA/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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