Next Sunday's election has its own characteristics that intensify the anxiety of the mayoral candidates and the concerns of the party leadership regarding the final result. In the new scenario, as formed after the deadly explosion in Marie and the prolonged financial crisis, there are three important stakes of the electoral contest:…
• In what percentages will the abstention move.
• Whether party leaders still retain the ability to guide their party electoral base to choices they make.
• Whether the municipal elections will qualify for the 2013 presidential elections.
A week before the polls are set for the local elections and the attention of the party staffs is focused on the abstention, which is expected, according to opinion polls, to hit new record numbers. Especially in urban areas, with Nicosia having the most serious problem of mobilizing voters to exercise their right to vote. The parties are trying to build their electoral base, even the last one, as the election campaign for the local elections is the most subdued of all time, creating incentives to lead the electorate to the polls. According to opinion polls, the abstention may surprise candidates and parties, as the questioning of the political system and the choices of party leaders have not been dealt with effectively. The next few days and the management that will be done by the government and parties in Parliament on the hot issue of the economy will negatively or positively affect the turnout at the polls. According to opinion polls, if the political elites are convinced that they have the will to address the financial problems by taking measures, they will strike a blow against the abstention, but without being able to capture it today in numbers. Otherwise the abstention will be the Damocles sword over the heads of all party leaderships.
Pindarou calls on the voters to send clear messages, highlighting the management of the financial crisis as a major issue, assessing it as extremely crucial for the Cypriot economy in the week before the elections. On the opposite bank, AKEL emphasizes in all tones the local character of the elections, with particular emphasis on the obligation of the Akelists to defend their party and the President of the Republic.
The central area is particularly vulnerable to abstention. It is no coincidence that the president of DIKO has increased his pace in recent days, urging the people of DIKO to vote.
Source: LIBERAL