Nicosia, Cyprus. Elam is drawing closer to Cyprus’ two largest parties, Disy and Akel, in polling ahead of the May parliamentary election, according to a survey published on Thursday night.
Poll methodology and leading parties
The poll, published by television channel Alpha, was conducted by Rai consultants and asked 1,031 people which party they intend to vote for in May. Disy led with 14.3 per cent of respondents, followed by Akel on 13.6 per cent, while Elam was in third place on 10.3 per cent.
New parties in fourth and fifth place
The fourth and fifth most popular parties were both created last year. Former auditor-general Odysseas Michaelides’ Alma polled 6.6 per cent, while social media influencer and member of the European Parliament Fidias Panayiotou’s Direct Democracy party polled 6.3 per cent.
Diko placed sixth; Volt enters polling
Diko, which has finished third in every parliamentary election since it came second in 1985 and has never polled outside the top three since its founding in 1976, was in sixth place with 4.9 per cent. In seventh place was Volt, with the pan-European party set to be fighting its first parliamentary election in May, polling 2.5 per cent.
Smaller parties and voter intentions
None of the remaining parties listed in the poll, including government-supporting Dipa and Edek, garnered more than one per cent. Dipa polled exactly 1 per cent, Edek 0.9 per cent, the Hunters’ Movement 0.8 per cent, the Ecologists’ Movement 0.6 per cent, the Animal Party 0.4 per cent, and Democratic Change, formed by lawyer Christos Clerides last year, 0.1 per cent.
Additionally, 2.4 per cent said they intend to either spoil their ballot or leave it blank, 6.4 per cent said they will not vote, 21.9 per cent remained undecided, and 6.3 per cent refused to answer.
Election date and seats
The next parliamentary election will take place on May 24, with 56 seats up for election, including that of Dipa’s George Penintaex, who took his seat in parliament for the first time last month after Marinos Mousiouttas vacated his seat to become labour minister.
How do you expect the undecided vote to affect the outcome of the May 24 parliamentary election?
