Amid political uncertainty and intense public interest, Cypriots are voting for a new parliament.
Cyprus goes to the polls today in one of the most closely contested and politically charged elections of recent decades, with the political landscape looking more fluid than ever and parties fighting for every last vote to determine the new make-up of the House of Representatives.
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From 7 am, more than 568,000 citizens are heading to the ballot boxes at 1,217 polling stations in Cyprus and abroad to elect the 56 MPs who will serve for the next five years.
Today’s vote is not simply a parliamentary contest; it is seen as a crucial political test for the parties, their leaderships and the relationship between citizens and the political system.
The backdrop to the election was marked by uncertainty, low levels of party loyalty and protests, while the campaign has been dominated by debates over the cost of living, migration, corruption and the "Cyprus problem."
A total of 753 candidates are vying for a seat in parliament at this election, with 744 of them standing for parties and nine as independents.
Voter turnout appears to be at a satisfactory level after the first few hours, despite rain and strong winds affecting several parts of the island.
Party leaders and senior party figures who went to vote sought to set the tone of the day with strong political statements.
AKEL Secretary-General Stefanos Stefanou called on citizens to turn out in large numbers “with their eyes on the occupied areas,” placing the emphasis on the national issue and the need for political stability.
Marios Karoyan from the Democratic Front stressed that “solutions do not come through slogans and wishful thinking,” sending a message against populism.
Popular Struggle Freedom party leader Apostolos Apostolou said that “the liberation of Cyprus is the primary goal of his party,” bringing a hard line on the Cyprus issue back to centre stage.
For his part, independent candidate Andreas Efstratiou appeared optimistic about the outcome, while at the same time voicing his dissatisfaction with independents being labelled as “individual” on the official ballot papers.
Christos Clerides, the head of Democratic Change, made a symbolic gesture as he cast his vote, saying he went to the same polling station where the former Cypriot president Glafcos Clerides used to vote.
Attention now turns to this evening, when the new political map of Cyprus will start to take shape.
The first party results are expected shortly after the polls close, but the full picture of how seats will be allocated is not expected until late tonight.