Roundup: Close Contest in Cyprus' Parliamentary Elections

Cyprus' main opposition Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL) has emerged as the largest party in the parliament for the first time in 20 years, with a narrow lead over the ruling Democratic Rally (DISY), according to results released on Monday.

In the parliamentary elections on Sunday, AKEL clinched 142,648 votes, or 34.71 percent of the votes, up by 1.73 percent from the elections in 1996, while DISY got 139,721, or 34 percent, down by 0.46 percent compared with the 1996 results.

The official final results showed that the left-wing AKEL got 18 seats in the first distribution of the 56-seat House of Representatives. The right-wing DISY followed it with 16 seats.

Political analysts attributed the decline of DISY and the increase of AKEL in the number of parliament seats to DISY's long time in power and people's desire for a change.

Nicos Anastassiades, the DISY leader, also has noted that it is natural for the ruling party to "exhibit a certain decline" after eight years in power.

But others noted that there was more reasons for the "decline" and "increase." AKEL had managed to convince people that the government was not doing a very good job. And the truth is that DISY had suffered many blows because of mistakes the government had made.

For example, people are angry over the losses they suffered in the stock exchange crash, that has dominated the country over the last couple of years. Most blame the government for allowing the stock market to plunge and for not issuing warnings to investors.

Meanwhile, in the case of private placement shares, there are suspicions that some senior officials are involved and permanent secretaries in some ministries or even ministers got privileged treatment from a company with which they have dealings.

The government is also blamed for tolerating scandals and nepotism, particularly in connection with town planning regulations and construction in general, which is the sector where most of the illegal profits are made.

The media have repeatedly reported the staggering rise of crimes in recent years, as proved by the almost nightly bomb blasts and arson attacks, and the alarming increase in narcotics and prostitution.

On the Cyprus issue, the AKEL said that far from advancing towards a solution in the past five years there is a derogation from United Nations resolutions, which form the framework for a solution.

AKEL appears strongly against the U.N. allowing Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash the opportunity to put his demands for a confederation in Cyprus at the negotiating table. It holds the government responsible for this, because its policy was " contradictory and indecisive, lacking in clear-sightedness and preventive action."

As to the EU, AKEL is in favour of Cyprus' accession to the European Union (EU), but "under certain prerequisites." It criticizes the government "to table legislation on issues which put a burden on the people, such as taxes."

Then there is the selling off of state corporations. Privatization and liberation will have to be pursued as part of the EU harmonization process, which is believed very slow. The delays are attributable to the lack of planning, strategy and forward thinking by the government.

The Cypriot government has lost its parliamentary majority, but it will not be affected immediately. Some people now have their eyes on the presidential contest in 2003, and said that the political reality in Cyprus could proceed to a coalition government with AKEL as a main factor.






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