Diplomats battle it out in runoff for Cyprus’ presidency

By MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS
Associated Press

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Voting has started in a runoff to elect ethnically split Cyprus’ new president, pitting a former foreign minister who campaigned as a unifier eschewing ideological and party divisions against a popular veteran diplomat. Some 561,000 citizens are eligible to vote Sunday and both Nikos Christoulides and Andreas Mavroyiannis are hoping for a higher turnout than the 72% that cast ballots in the Feb. 5 first round. Christodoulides garnered 32% of the vote in the first round, while Mavroyiannis earned 29.6%. Key to who will emerge the winner will be which way voters of the country’s largest center-right Democratic Rally party will swing after their leader, Averof Nephytou, failed to make it into the runoff.