Sawt Falasteen - Cyprus ex-foreign minister tipped to be next president

As voting closed on the divided Mediterranean island in the race to succeed two-term conservative President Nicos Anastasiades, Christodoulides, 49, appeared to be in the lead over 66-year-old fellow diplomat Andreas Mavroyiannis.

The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation put Christodoulides at 50.5-53.5 percent in the vote for head of state and government, ahead of Mavroyiannis with 46.5-49.5 percent.

Other stations carried exit polls that also gave Christodoulides a lead in the runoff after last Sunday's inconclusive first round.

Christodoulides, who defected from the conservative ruling DISY party to run as an independent, scored 32.04 percent a week ago, against 29.59 percent for Mavroyiannis, who also ran as an independent, backed by the communist AKEL party.

The former top diplomat Christodoulides earlier voiced confidence when he told reporters: "The Cypriot people know and understand what is at stake... I have complete confidence in their judgement."

Mavroyiannis had meanwhile revived his campaign slogan, saying: "It is time to turn the page for a new, united, European Cyprus ... We will be winners, and Cyprus will be victorious with us."

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Top concerns for many voters are the cost of living crisis, irregular immigration and the island's almost half-century of division between the Greek-speaking south and a Turkish-occupied breakaway statelet in the north recognised only by Ankara.

But many disaffected voters simply looked for "the least worse candidate -- a characteristic in most elections, but more so in this one," said Andreas Theophanous of the Cyprus Center for European and International Affairs.

The outgoing president had urged Cypriots to come out "en masse to participate in this electoral process", adding that "this is our duty. The people decide, the majority decides and the minority respects."

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish forces occupied its northern third in response to a Greek-sponsored coup, but voters appeared split over whether the division was a priority in the election.

Retiree Dora Petsa, 75, said she expects the new president "to settle the Cypriot question".

But Louis Loizides, 51, said the country has "too many internal problems" from the economy to immigration, having taken in large numbers of asylum seekers, including many who cross the UN-patrolled Green Line.

The ruling DISY had been knocked out of the presidential race for the first time in its history, and the conservative party's decision to back neither candidate threw the run-off wide open.

Pre-poll favourite Christodoulides last week squeezed out DISY leader Averof Neofytou, 61, who came third with 26.11 percent in the first round, despite the incumbent's endorsement.

Mavroyiannis surprised observers by beating Neofytou and closing the gap with Christodoulides last week.

The new government will be under pressure to root out corruption and address higher energy bills, labour disputes and the struggling economy.

UN-backed talks on the future of the divided island, frozen for nearly six years, will also be on the new leader's agenda.

Mavroyiannis had promised during the campaign to reopen negotiations from day one. Christodoulides has demanded changes before talks are revived.

L.AbuTayeh--SF-PST