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Presidential
elections
The election of
the President is direct, by universal suffrage
and secret ballot. Every citizen over the age
of 18 has the right to vote.
The
President%26rsquo;s term of office is for a
period of five years starting from the date of
his investiture before the House of
Representatives. The election of a new
President takes place before the expiration of
the five-year period of office of the outgoing
President so as to enable the newly-elected
President to be invested on the date that
period expires.
Candidates for
election must be citizens of the Republic of
Cyprus and over 35 years of age.
If there is only
one candidate for election, he is declared
elected.
A candidate to be
elected needs more than 50% of the votes
validly cast. If none of the candidates attains
the required majority the election is repeated
on the corresponding day of the following week
between the two candidates who received the
greater number of votes. The candidate who
receives the greatest number of votes at these
repeated elections is deemed
elected.
If there is a
vacancy in the office of President, the vacancy
is filled by a by-election taking place within
a period not exceeding 45 days of the
occurrence of such a vacancy.
In the event of a
temporary absence or incapacity of the
President to perform his duties, the President
of the House of Representatives acts for
him.
History of
Presidential elections
· 1959 Elections
· 1968 Elections
· 1983 Elections
· 1988 Elections
· 1993 Elections
· 1998 Elections
The first
presidential elections in Cyprus took place
before independence on 13 December 1959.
Archbishop Makarios was elected President of
the Republic defeating his opponent Ioannis
Clerides by a margin of two to one.
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1959
Results
|
 |
Eligible
voters |
238.879
|
|
|
|
Votes
cast |
217.956
|
91,25%
|
|
|
Abstention |
20.923
|
8,75%
|
|
|
Archbishop
Makarios |
144.501
|
66,29%
|
|
|
Ioannis
Clerides |
71.753
|
32,92%
|
|
|
Invalid ballot
papers |
1.702
|
0,89%
|
|
The next elections
were due in 1965 but were postponed as a result
of the extraordinary situation created by the
intercommunal strife. The term of office was
extended by a law of the House of
Representatives. In elections on 25
February1968 Archbishop Makarios was returned
with 96% of the vote.
|
1968
Results
|
|
Eligible
voters |
247.653
|
|
|
|
Votes
cast |
231.438
|
93,45%
|
|
|
Abstention |
16.115
|
6,55%
|
|
|
Archbishop
Makarios |
220.911
|
96,26%
|
|
|
Takis
Evdokas |
8.577
|
3,74%
|
|
|
Invalid ballot
papers |
1.950
|
0,84%
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|
In 1973 President
Makarios was re-elected unopposed. After his
death in 1977 the then President of the House
of Representatives, Spyros Kyprianou, assumed
duties temporarily. On August 31, 1977 Spyros
Kyprianou was declared elected unopposed, for
the remainder of the presidential term.
In February 1978
he was again declared elected unopposed for a
new five-year term.
On February 13,
1983 President Kyprianou supported by his
center Democratic Party and left-wing AKEL, was
re-elected to office. He was opposed by Glafcos
Clerides, the leader of the right-wing
Democratic Rally party and Vassos Lyssarides of
the Socialist party, EDEK.
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1983
Results
|
|
Eligible
voters |
327.184
|
|
|
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Votes
cast |
310.903
|
95,02%
|
|
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Abstentions |
16.281
|
4,98%
|
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Invalid ballot
papers |
3.511
|
|
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Spyros
Kyprianou |
173.791
|
56,54%
|
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Glafcos
Clerides |
104.294
|
33,93%
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Vassos
Lyssarides |
29.307
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9,53%
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In February 1988
George Vassiliou was elected to the post of
President of the Republic. In the first ballot
on February 14, 1988 none of the four
candidates received the required 50% plus one
vote, but in the second round on 21 February
Glafcos Clerides was defeated.
1988
Presidential elections
|
First
round
|
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Number of
voters |
363.719
|
|
|
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Votes
cast |
342.780
|
94,24%
|
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Abstentions |
20.939
|
5,76%
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Glafcos
Clerides |
111.504
|
33,32%
|
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George
Vassiliou |
110.748
|
30,11%
|
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Spyros
Kyprianou |
91.335
|
27,29%
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Vassos
Lyssarides |
30.865
|
9,22%
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Invalid
votes |
8.141
|
2,37%
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.
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Second
round
|
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Number of
voters |
363.740
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Votes
cast |
342.990
|
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Abstentions |
20.750
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5,70%
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George
Vassiliou |
167.834
|
51.63%
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Glafcos
Clerides |
157.228
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48.37%
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Invalid
votes |
17.920
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5,23%
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On 14 February
1993 Glafcos Clerides, the leader of the
Democratic Rally Party, was elected to the post
of President of the Republic defeating George
Vassiliou, who again ran as an Independent
candidate supported by AKEL and ADISOK.
Clerides secured the support of the Democratic
Party in the second round.
1993
Presidential elections
|
First
round
|
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Number of
voters |
393.993
|
|
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Votes
cast |
364.118
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Abstentions |
29.875
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7,58%
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George
Vassiliou |
157.027
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44,15%
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Glafcos
Clerides |
130.663
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36,74%
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George
Mavrogenis |
890
|
0,25%
|
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Paschalis
Paschalides |
66,300
|
18,64%
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Yiannakis
Taliotis |
755
|
0,21%
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Invalid
votes |
8.483
|
2,33%
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.
|
Second
round
|
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Number of
voters |
393.993
|
|
|
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Votes
cast |
367.474
|
|
|
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Abstentions |
26.519
|
6,73%
|
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George
Vassiliou |
176.769
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49,69%
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Glafcos
Clerides |
178.945
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50,31%
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In the elections of
February 1998 President Glafcos Clerides, was
re-elected to the post of President of the
Republic.
Results of the
1998 Presidential elections
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First
round
|
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Number of
voters |
446.976
|
|
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Votes
cast |
409.979
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91,72%
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Invalid votes
|
8.944
|
2,18%
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Blank
votes |
4.736
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1,16%
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Abstentions |
36.997
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8,28%
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Nicos
Rolandis |
3.104
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0,78%
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Nicolas
Koutsou |
3.625
|
0,91%
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Vasos
Lyssarides |
41.978
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10,59%
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George
Vasiliou |
11.908
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3,00%
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Alexis
Galanos |
16.003
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4,04%
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George
Iacovou |
160.918
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40,61%
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Glafcos
Clerides |
158.763
|
40,06%
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.
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Second
round
|
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Number of
voters |
447.046
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|
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Votes
cast |
417.406
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93,37%
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Invalid votes
|
4.448
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1,07%
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|
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Blank
votes |
5.857
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1,40%
|
|
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Abstentions |
29.640
|
6,63%
|
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George
Iacovou |
200.222
|
49,18%
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Glafcos
Clerides |
206.879
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50,82%
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