Post by Salem6 on Feb 17, 2008 12:47:37 GMT
Greek Cypriots are voting in a presidential election seen as pivotal for efforts to reunite the island after decades of division.
Opinion polls show that the incumbent, Tassos Papadopoulos, has no clear lead over his two main challengers, Demetris Christofias and Ioannis Kasoulides.
All three claim to be best qualified to head negotiations with the breakaway Turkish north of the island.
No outright winner is expected, which would mean a run-off next Sunday.
All three candidates say they would push for the island's reunification.
But the BBC's Tabitha Morgan in Nicosia says Mr Papadopoulos is seen as the one likely to take the toughest stance towards Turkey.
Last month the International Crisis Group, a think tank, warned that if talks after the election failed, the likely outcome would be partition.
Cypriots living in Greece and Britain have been flown back to Cyprus on planes chartered by the main parties, so that they can vote.
Cyprus was partitioned after a Turkish invasion in 1974, which came shortly after a Greek Cypriot coup backed by the military junta ruling Greece at the time.
Shortly before joining the European Union in 2004 the Greek Cypriots rejected a United Nations plan to reunify the island.
Turkey recognises only the Turkish Cypriot authorities and keeps about 30,000 troops in the north of the island.
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7249126.stm#
Cyprus explained:- salem6taxigirl.proboards22.com/index.cgi?board=MECURR&action=display&thread=1203252613