Star Metro - High turnout as Cypriots vote for new president

A record 14 candidates -- but only two women -- are standing, with the winner needing 50 percent plus one vote to succeed two-term President Nicos Anastasiades.

There was a strong turnout, with 312,008 votes cast by 3:00 pm (1300 GMT), chief returning officer Costas Constantinou said.

That figure constitutes 55.6 percent of the electorate -- a 4.7 percent increase on the same time during the last presidential election in 2018.

Opinion polls predict a run-off on February 12, with no contender expected to secure an immediate outright majority.

"I expect the next president to do something about corruption and to settle the Cyprus question," said civil servant Andreas Georgiadis, 29, after voting in the capital Nicosia.

Many analysts say former foreign minister Nikos Christodoulides is the favourite. Backed by centrist parties, the 49-year-old commands a firm lead in opinion polls but not enough to shake off his rivals.

He is likely to face off in the second round against either Andreas Mavroyiannis, a 66-year-old technocrat backed by communist party AKEL, or Averof Neofytou, 61, leader of the governing conservatives, DISY.

"Only through unity, through a collective effort, can we really meet the expectations of the Cypriot people," said Christodoulides after voting in Paphos, in the island's southwest.

The last opinion poll by state broadcaster CyBC on January 27 had Christodoulides leading at 26.5 percent, Neofytou at 22.5 percent and Mavroyiannis at 21 percent.

- Corruption, the economy -

"All polls indicate that Christodoulides is going to the second round," said Andreas Theophanous of the Cyprus Center for European and International Affairs.

"And if he goes to the second round, he is predicted to win."

Voters appeared concerned about a cash-for-passports scandal and the pressures of irregular migration on public resources, while the issue of the island's decades-old division remains at an impasse.

Cyprus has been split since 1974, when Turkish forces occupied the island's northern third in response to a Greek-sponsored coup.

"Some things must change radically in my view, on the Cyprus problem and the economy," teacher Maria Christodoulou, 45, told AFP at a polling station in Nicosia.

The centrist parties that back Christodoulides take a tough line on reunification talks, but his rivals are seen as less hawkish.

Neofytou is seen as a pragmatist and "dealmaker", while Mavroyiannis backer AKEL champions reconciliation with the Turkish Cypriots.

- 'All about personality' -

Analysts say campaign pledges to root out corruption and improve the economy are key issues for the electorate.

"Corruption is at the core of the discussion, the economy and daily life. The Cyprus problem is a secondary issue," said Giorgos Kentas, associate professor of international politics and governance at the University of Nicosia.

Although Christodoulides had served in both Anastasiades administrations, he seems to have escaped the taint of corruption.

"People know there is corruption; the explanation that Christodoulides gave seems plausible to them -– that he had no direct responsibility, and they believe that," said Theophanous.

Fotos Constantinou, an employee at a car dealership, was blunt after voting in Nicosia.

"We are on autopilot and we don't know where the plane is going," the 50-year-old said. "We need a head of state who takes households and the working class into account. Cyprus is not just the Cyprus issue."

Despite January inflation slowing to 7.1 percent from 7.9 percent in December, high energy and food prices remain a concern.

"Irrespective of who wins, there is the challenge of low salaries and high rents faced by the younger generation," said Theophanous.

More than 561,000 people are eligible to vote, including 10,346 Cypriots abroad.

Polling stations close at 6:00 pm (1600 GMT).

P.M.Martin--SMC