Cypriot legislative election, 2011

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Cypriot legislative election, 2011
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56 of 59 seats to the House of Representatives

  First party Second party Third party
  Nicos Anastasiades at EPP HQ.jpg Andros-Kyprianou-2011.jpg MP Marios Garoyian speaking to Horasis 11 April 2011.png
Leader Nicos Anastasiades Andros Kyprianou Marios Garoyian
Party DISY AKEL DIKO
Leader since 1997 2009 2006
Last election 18 seats, 30.3% 18 seats, 31.3% 11 seats, 17.9%
Seats won20 19 9
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 2Increase2.svg 1Decrease2.svg 2
Popular vote138,682 132,171 63,763
Percentage34.3% 32.7% 15.8%
SwingIncrease2.svg 3.8%Increase2.svg 1.4%Decrease2.svg 2.22%
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
  Iannakis Omiru.jpg Dimitris Syllouris - 2017 (37947273235) (cropped).jpg Female portrait placeholder cropped.jpg
Leader Yiannakis Omirou Demetris Syllouris Ioanna Panayiotou
Party EDEK European Party Greens
Leader since 2001 2006
Last election 5 seats, 8.9% 3 seats, 5.8% 1 seats, 2%
Seats won 5 2 1
Seat changeSteady2.svg 0Decrease2.svg 1Steady2.svg 0
Popular vote 36,113 15,711 8,960
Percentage 8.9% 3.9% 2.2%
SwingDecrease2.svg 0.03%Decrease2.svg 1.91%Increase2.svg 0.25%
Cyprus
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Cyprus

Parliamentary elections were held in Cyprus on 22 May 2011 to elect the 56 Members of the House of Representatives. They were won by the Democratic Rally, who increased their seats from 18 to 20. The governing Progressive Party of Working People also gained a seat, bringing them up to 19. The Democratic Party lost two of their 11 seats and the European Party lost one of their three seats. The Movement for Social Democracy held on to their five seats.

Cyprus Island country in Mediterranean

Cyprus, officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the Eastern Mediterranean and the third largest and third most populous island in the Mediterranean, located south of Turkey, west of Syria and Lebanon, northwest of Israel, north of Egypt, and southeast of Greece.

House of Representatives (Cyprus) parliament of Cyprus

The House of Representatives is the parliament of the Republic of Cyprus. Members and three observers representing the Armenian, Latin and Maronite minorities are elected by proportional representation every five years. 30% of seats are allocated to the Turkish Cypriot community, but these have been vacant since 1964.

Democratic Rally political party

The Democratic Rally, is a conservative, Christian-democratic political party in Cyprus led by Averof Neofytou. The party was founded on 4 July 1976 by veteran politician Glafcos Clerides. Clerides served as the president of Cyprus from 1993 until 2003.

Contents

Background

The election follows a presidential election in Northern Cyprus which was won by the right-wing candidate Dervis Eroglu, who beat leftist incumbent Mehmet Ali Talat, amid fears of a halt in peace talks for a unified Cyprus; it also follows a similar legislative election. [1]

Mehmet Ali Talat former President of TRNC

Mehmet Ali Talat is a Turkish Cypriot politician who served as the President of Northern Cyprus from 2005 to 2010. Talat is the leader of the social democratic Republican Turkish Party, having previously held this position between 1996 and 2005. He became prime minister in 2004, and subsequently won the presidential election held on 17 April 2005. Talat was inaugurated on 25 April 2005, succeeding retiring leader Rauf Denktaş. He lost the presidential election of 2010 and was replaced by Derviş Eroğlu as President.

Cyprus dispute Inter-communal dispute and violence

The Cyprus dispute, also known as the Cyprus conflict, Cyprus issue, or Cyprus problem, is an ongoing dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in the aftermath of the 1974 Turkish military invasion and occupation of the northern third of Cyprus. Although the Republic of Cyprus is recognized as the sole legitimate state – sovereign over all the island – the north is under the de facto administration of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is guarded by Turkish Armed Forces. Only Turkey recognizes the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, while there is broad recognition that the ongoing military presence constitutes occupation of territories that belong to the Republic of Cyprus. According to the European Court of Human Rights, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus should be considered a puppet state under effective Turkish control.

Conversely, in Greece the previous election was won by the Panhellenic Socialist Movement defeating the conservative New Democracy. Roughly a month later, Turkey would hold its own general election.

Greece republic in Southeast Europe

Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, historically also known as Hellas, is a country located in Southern and Southeast Europe, with a population of approximately 11 million as of 2016. Athens is the nation's capital and largest city, followed by Thessaloniki.

New Democracy (Greece) Greek political party

The New Democracy, also referred to as ND (ΝΔ) by its initials, is a liberal-conservative political party in Greece. In modern Greek politics, New Democracy has been the main centre-right political party and one of the two major parties along with its historic rival, the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK). Having spent two and a half years in government under the presidency of Antonis Samaras, New Democracy lost its majority in the Hellenic Parliament and became the major opposition party after the January 2015 legislative election.

The Interior Ministry estimated a total Greek Cypriot eligible voting population of 530,000. Additionally, about 544 Turkish Cypriots residing in Cyprus proper are eligible to vote. [2] The Interior Minisitry also called on Cypriot expatriates to register for the election by the end of January, so as to make preparations for polling stations. [3]

Expatriate Individual temporarily or permanently residing in a country other than that of their citizenship

An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country other than their native country. In common usage, the term often refers to professionals, skilled workers, or artists taking positions outside their home country, either independently or sent abroad by their employers, who can be companies, universities, governments, or non-governmental organisations. Effectively migrant workers, they usually earn more than they would at home, and more than local employees. However, the term 'expatriate' is also used for retirees and others who have chosen to live outside their native country. Historically, it has also referred to exiles.

Cypriot conflict

The election was important as an adverse result against conflict resolution talks could also affect Turkey's accession to the European Union. Though this election would not directly affect the Cypriot presidential election, 2013, it could set a precedent for coalition alliances. [4]

Conflict resolution is conceptualized as the methods and processes involved in facilitating the peaceful ending of conflict and retribution. Committed group members attempt to resolve group conflicts by actively communicating information about their conflicting motives or ideologies to the rest of the group and by engaging in collective negotiation. Dimensions of resolution typically parallel the dimensions of conflict in the way the conflict is processed. Cognitive resolution is the way disputants understand and view the conflict, with beliefs, perspectives, understandings and attitudes. Emotional resolution is in the way disputants feel about a conflict, the emotional energy. Behavioral resolution is reflective of how the disputants act, their behavior. Ultimately a wide range of methods and procedures for addressing conflict exist, including negotiation, mediation, mediation-arbitration, diplomacy, and creative peacebuilding.

Turkey Republic in Western Asia

Turkey, officially the Republic of Turkey, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Western Asia, with a smaller portion on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe. East Thrace, located in Europe, is separated from Anatolia by the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorous strait and the Dardanelles. Turkey is bordered by Greece and Bulgaria to its northwest; Georgia to its northeast; Armenia, the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan and Iran to the east; and Iraq and Syria to the south. Ankara is its capital but Istanbul is the country's largest city. Approximately 70 to 80 per cent of the country's citizens identify as Turkish. Kurds are the largest minority; the size of the Kurdish population is a subject of dispute with estimates placing the figure at anywhere from 12 to 25 per cent of the population.

Accession of Turkey to the European Union

Turkey is negotiating its accession to the European Union (EU) as a member state, following its application accede to the European Economic Community, the predecessor of the EU, on 14 April 1987. After the ten founding members, Turkey was one of the first countries to become a member of the Council of Europe in 1949. The country was also an associate member of the Western European Union from 1992 to its end in 2011. Turkey signed a Customs Union agreement with the EU in 1995 and was officially recognised as a candidate for full membership on 12 December 1999, at the Helsinki summit of the European Council.

Current negotiations between the two parties concern the establishment of a federation of two states with a loose central government, though implementing the proposal has run into obstacles and northern part of Cyprus have not abandoned a wish for independence. Such hindrances to unification include territorial swaps and property rights of thousands of internally displaced persons. [2]

Parties

Incumbent President Demetris Christofias governed with a coalition of his Communist Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL) and the centrist Democratic Party (DIKO) which has 11 seats. [4] Both AKEL and the centre-right Democratic Rally (DISY) have 18 seats. [2] However, DIKO dropped out of the coalition in August 2011, forcing AKEL into a minority position in the house of representatives.[ citation needed ]

Other parties include: the Movement for Social Democracy (EDEK) (currently five seats), the European Party (currently three seats) and the Ecological and Environmental Movement (currently with one seat). [2]

Campaign

DIKO has criticised Christofias' offer for a rotating presidency with Turkish Cypriots as part of deal to settle the Cypriot conflict.

The incumbent government was also criticised for its "slow response" to the financial crisis, in which Cyprus experienced its first recession in more than three decades. [4]

Opinion polls

The opposition centre-right Democratic Rally showed a slight lead of the AKEL Party. [4] Though it was still forecast to fall short of a majority in the 59-seat parliament. [2]

Results

Democratic Rally finished with 34.27 percent and AKEL followed with 32.67 percent. [5]

The high abstention rate of 21% was also noted considering that voting is compulsory. [6]

e  •  d  Summary of the 22 May 2011 House of Representatives of Cyprus election results
Cyprus 2011.png
PartiesVotes%+/–Seats+/–
Democratic Rally (DISY) 138,682 34.28 +3.7620 +2
Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL) 132,171 32.67 +1.3619 +1
Democratic Party (DIKO) 63,763 15.76 −2.229 −2
Movement for Social Democracy (EDEK) 36,113 8.93 −0.035 ±0
European Party (EVROKO) 15,711 3.88 −1.912 −1
Ecological and Environmental Movement (KOP) 8,960 2.21 +0.251 ±0
National Popular Front (ELAM) 4,354 1.08 +1.08 0 ±0
Popular Socialist Party (LASOK) 2,667 0.66 +0.42 0 ±0
Balance – Independent Citizens Movement (Zygos – KAP) 859 0.21 — 0 —
Cypriot Progressive Cooperation (KYPROS) 709 0.18 — 0 —
Independents 588 0.14 — 0 —
Reserved seats for minorities–––30
Invalid/blank votes13,670––––
Total418,247100–590
Registered voters/turnout531,46378.70–10.31––
Source: results.elections.moi.gov.cy

Reactions

An op-ed in the Turkish Hurriyet suggested two repercussions: an impact on the presidential election; and an effect to the United Nations-led direct reunification talks. This could be further hurt as the junior members of the governing coalition had shown signs of a rift with AKEL and Christofias over the reunification talks, as well as social and economic policies. It suggested a "grand coalition," though acknowledging it was a massive task due to the burgeoning ambitions of both the two biggest parties for the presidency between incumbent Christofias and the DISY's Nicos Anastasiades. It also pointed out that though AKEL still had wide-backing their overall performance of the government had lost some support. Additionally, it suggested peace talks would add pressure to Northern Cyprus should a grand coalition come to fruition and bring in a "strong leadership...to engage in a give-and-take." The first test of such a possibility would be the election of the parliamentary speaker. [7]

[A grand coalition] would produce the best chance ever for a Cyprus settlement. - Hurriyet

Aftermath

A coalition government was formed in 2008 between the incumbent AKEL and DIKO parties. However, on 3 August 2011 DIKO withdrew from the coalition citing its differences over resolution of the Cypriot conflict and consequently leaving AKEL with a minority government. Following a meeting with President Dimitris Christofias, party leader Marios Garoyian said that "despite our continued efforts and repeated appeals, unfortunately, the wished-for understanding between political forces which is so needed in these crucial moments for our country couldn't ( sic ) be achieved." Part of Garoyian's demands, following his criticism of Christofias, was that the president withdraw proposals for a rotating presidency of a potential unified Cyprus. Government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said that though Christofias regrets DIKO's withdrawal from the government he would go ahead with a cabinet reshuffle: "The aim is for the new government is to confront the challenges our country faces with dynamism and determination." He also added that the government would not withdraw proposals during an "intensified period of negotiations" following UN Secretary-Genera; Ban Ki-moon's urging to resolve all core issues by October, including resolving the matter of private property losses from the war.

Related Research Articles

Progressive Party of Working People political party

The Progressive Party of Working People is a Marxist–Leninist, communist political party in Cyprus.

Tassos Papadopoulos president of Cyprus

Efstathios "Tassos" Nikolaou Papadopoulos was a Cypriot politician and barrister who served as the fifth President of Cyprus from February 28, 2003 to February 28, 2008.

Movement for Social Democracy Social Democratic party in Cyprus

The Movement for Social Democracy is a Greek Cypriot nationalist, social-democratic political party in Cyprus.

Democratic Party (Cyprus) political party in Cyprus

The Democratic Party is a Greek-Cypriot nationalist, centrist political party in Cyprus founded in 1976 by Spyros Kyprianou.

The Republican Turkish Party is a social-democratic political party in Northern Cyprus. The party was founded in 1970 by Ahmet Mithat Berberoğlu, a lawyer, in opposition to the leadership of Fazıl Küçük and Rauf Denktaş.

Elections in Cyprus

Elections in Cyprus gives information on election and election results in Cyprus.

Demetris Christofias Cypriot politician

Demetris Christofias, also spelled Dimitris Christofias, is a Cypriot former politician who was the sixth President of Cyprus from 2008 to 2013. Christofias was the General Secretary of AKEL, the Communist Party of Cyprus, and was the European Union's and Cyprus' first, and so far only, Communist head of state. He won the 2008 Cypriot presidential elections in the second round of voting. Throughout the election campaign, he pledged to restart talks with Turkish Cypriots in order to find a solution to the Cyprus dispute and reunify the island. He has also supported the closure of the British military bases on Cyprus.

European Party (Cyprus) political party

The European Party was a political party in Cyprus founded in 2005, largely out of the parties New Horizons and European Democracy. In March 2016, it dissolved to merge into the Solidarity Movement.

2008 Cypriot presidential election election

The Cypriot presidential election of 2008 was held on 17 February 2008, with the runoff held on 24 February 2008. The second-round winner, and thus the President of Cyprus for the next term, was Dimitris Christofias.

2013 Cypriot presidential election election

Presidential elections were held in Cyprus on 17 February 2013. A runoff was held on 24 February 2013. Nicos Anastasiades of Democratic Rally won the election. The other candidates were Stavros Malas of the Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL); Praxoula Antoniadou of the United Democrats; Lakis Ioannou with the support of LASOK; Loukas Stavrou; ELAM's Giorgos Charalambous, Giorgos Lillikas of Movement for Social Democracy (EDEK); and independents Andreas Efstratiou, Makaria-Andri Stylianou, Kostas Kyriacou(Outopos) and Solon Gregoriou. Although the president Demetris Christofias was not term-limited, he did not seek re-election in 2013.

A joint declaration was made on 11 February 2014 at the start of renewed negotiations to settle the Cyprus dispute. The following talks between Nicos Anastasiades, President of Cyprus, and Derviş Eroğlu, President of Northern Cyprus, were stalled in October 2014.

Cyprus's component of the 2014 European Parliament election was held on Sunday, 25 May 2014.

2016 Cypriot legislative election

Parliamentary elections were held in Cyprus on 22 May 2016 to elect 56 of the 80 Members of the House of Representatives.

First Anastasiades government

The First Anastasiades government was the government of Cyprus, forming the Council of Ministers, in 2013–2018. Sworn in on 28 February 2013, it initially consisted of 13 ministers representing a governing coalition of President Nicos Anastasiades' Democratic Rally party (DISY) with DIKO and EVROKO parties. After the withdrawal of DIKO from the coalition in 2014, the government coalition consists only of DISY and EVROKO members, as well as other, independent technocrats. Following Anastasiades' victory in the 2018 election, the Second Anastasiades government was formed, with a very similar composition.

The 2008-12 Cyprus talks were held as part of the long-going peace process, in order to resolve the Cyprus dispute. The talks failed to achieve their goals. At the beginning of 2013, Cyprus negotiations were suspended because of a change of government in the Greek Cypriot community of Cyprus.

Greek-Cypriot nationalism is an ethnic nationalism emphasising Greekness of the Cypriot nation, whilst contrasting with Greek nationalism which aspires to integrate Cyprus into Greece as its main and number one objective. Having abandoned the idea of enosis, Greek Cypriot nationalists now have the aim of a Greek Cypriot-controlled state with close relations to Greece, the "motherland". Variants of the nationalism have been espoused by the centre-right Democratic Party (DIKO), the right-wing New Horizons, Socialists (EDEK), the Greek Orthodox Church of Cyprus, and nationalist elements within the centre-right Democratic Rally (DISY).

2018 Cypriot presidential election

Presidential elections were held in Cyprus on 28 January 2018. As no candidate received a majority of the vote in the first round, a run-off was held on 4 February between the top two candidates, incumbent President Nicos Anastasiades of the Democratic Rally (DISY) and Stavros Malas of the Progressive Party of Working People. Anastasiades emerged as the winner with 55.99% of the vote.

References

  1. ↑ "Hardliner wins Turkish Cypriot leadership election". Associated Press. Guardian. 2010-04-18. Retrieved 2011-05-24.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Christine Pirovolakis (2011-05-19). "Cyprus to elect new parliament on Sunday" . Retrieved 2001-05-24.
  3. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 25 May 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Greek Cypriots to vote in general elections". Hurriyet. 2011-05-20. Retrieved 2011-05-24.
  5. ↑ "Right-wing opposition wins Cyprus election". Aljazeera. 2011-05-22. Retrieved 2001-05-24.
  6. ↑ "Opposition DISY wins parliamentary elections in Cyprus". Famagusta Gazette, CNA, Xinhua. SETimes.com. 2001-05-23. Retrieved 2011-05-24.
  7. ↑ http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=opposition-ruling-parties-advance-in-greek-cypriot-poll-2011-05-23

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