Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades on Sunday won re-election for a second term, seeing off a leftist challenger with vows to restart talks to unify the island and cement an economic recovery.

The official final result after a second round run-off put the conservative incumbent on 55.99 percent of the vote in the Greek-majority European Union member, ahead of Communist-backed Stavros Malas on 44 percent.

Local media reported Malas phoned Anastasiades to concede defeat, and his inauguration for a final five-year term is set to be held later Sunday evening.

Apathy has been on the rise after a lacklustre campaign — especially among young voters — and the final official turnout stood at 73 percent.

At one polling station in Nicosia early in the day the focus was firmly on reunification efforts and the economy.

“I voted for Anastasiades as I think he is the perfect choice to run the country at this time,” petrol station owner George Souglis, 73, told AFP.

“In the future he will continue to do a lot on the economy and Cyprus problem.”

As ever, the nearly 44-year division of the eastern Mediterranean island between the internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus in the south and a Turkish-backed statelet in the north loomed large over the vote.

Anastasiades, 71, has pledged fresh talks with Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci despite the acrimonious collapse last July of UN-backed negotiations that came closer than ever to sealing a deal.

Dovish former health minister Malas, 50, had slammed his opponent for not going far enough to achieve a deal — but voters appeared unwilling to take the risk on the challenger.

Despite the promises of a new peace push, there is deep scepticism that any progress can be made to overcome issues including the presence of 40,000 Turkish troops in the north.

Relations between the Turkish and Greek Cypriot sides remain tense, and there is little sign that a nationalist government in Ankara will be willing to budge.

“The wider political framework in which this president comes to power is not conducive for a settlement,” said University of Nicosia professor Hubert Faustmann.

This time around the economy was a dominant issue for the roughly 550,000-strong Greek Cypriot electorate as the island recovers from a 2013 financial crisis.

Anastasiades has claimed credit for an impressive recovery since agreeing a harsh 10-billion euro (more than $12-billion) bailout just weeks after taking power.

But major challenges remain, despite record numbers of tourists.

The economy is still smaller than before 2013, employment remains around 11 percent and banks are awash with bad loans.

Exploration is going on for oil and gas off the island’s shores that the authorities hope could boost their coffers.

AKEL — the left-wing party backing Malas — was in charge ahead of the crisis and is widely held responsible for tanking the economy.</s>Conservative Nicos Anastasiades, elected for a second term as president of Cyprus Sunday, has steered the island out of an economic crisis but failed to clinch a deal to reunify his divided homeland.

The former lawyer, 71, appeared to come closer than ever to reaching a historic agreement to end the nearly 44-year partition between the Greek-majority Republic of Cyprus in the south and a Turkish-backed statelet in the north.

But last July, two years of painstaking UN-backed negotiations with his Turkish Cypriot counterpart Mustafa Akinci collapsed in acrimony, dismaying an expectant international community.

The failure to overcome major obstacles, including the future of some 40,000 Turkish troops in the north, was a blow for a veteran operator who touts his contacts with world leaders.

Now the married father-of-two is pledging a new push for peace but there are serious doubts over whether the will remains to reach a deal.

Although he failed to achieve a breakthrough on reunification, Anastasiades won plaudits during his first term as president for steadying an economy that was in the midst of a dramatic meltdown when he took over in 2013.

Anastasiades beat leftist challenger Stavros Malas to win a second round run-off on Sunday with 55.99 percent of the vote following a campaign portraying the incumbent as a steady pair of hands.

Early in his term, he agreed to a tough 10 billion euro ($12 billion) bailout plan from the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund.

The 2013 rescue package entailed harsh austerity measures, including a haircut on deposits of more than 100,000 euros at the country's biggest bank.

Since then the economic rebound in the European Union's most easterly member has been faster than many expected.

Growth has been steady for several years and in 2016 the country successfully exited its bailout programme.

Tourist numbers have reached record highs and Anastasiades has pushed ahead with exploring for oil and gas off the island's shores.

But major challenges remain, with unemployment at 11 percent and the banks awash with bad loans.

During his tenure, the pro-European president has played a balancing act as tensions have soared between the West and Russia, a long-time Cyprus ally.

In 2014 US Vice President Joe Biden visited the island to push for reunification, and Anastasiades last year visited the Kremlin to meet Russian strongman Vladimir Putin.

Cyprus has deep economic and political ties with Russia and is still paying off a 2.5 billion euro loan from Moscow.

But despite some objections -- and suspicions that Cyprus may not toe the line -- Anastasiades has continued to vote for EU sanctions against Moscow over its meddling in Ukraine.

He has also put Cyprus at the forefront of the continental bloc's plans to bolster its defences.

Anastasiades' rise to the presidency marked the culmination of a long career during which he carved out a reputation as something of a bruiser in his tiny island's insular political scene.

A founder of the right-wing Disy party which he led from 1997 to 2013, Anastasiades came up through the ranks and was first elected to parliament as representative for his hometown of Limassol in 1981.

His firm and sometimes ruthless control of Disy, where open dissent was rare, ensured that any young pretender was swiftly sidelined. He was given the nickname "tassaki" (ashtray) after having reportedly hurled one at dissenters.

His standing was tarnished when he supported a United Nations peace plan for the divided island that the Greek Cypriots later overwhelmingly rejected in a 2004 referendum.

But ever the pragmatist, Anastasiades managed to keep a firm grip on his party despite some defections, and later distanced himself from the plan.</s>Nicos Anastasiades comfortably held on to the presidency on Sunday, winning a second five-year term with a 12 per cent lead over Akel-backed Stavros Malas and garnering 55.99 per cent of the vote to his rival’s 44.01 per cent.

In a brief victory speech to hundreds of supporters and officials at the Tassos Papadopoulos stadium in Nicosia, which was crawling with security, Anastasiades, 71, said his government still had a lot to offer and “there’s still a lot more we need to do”.

“This is why I insist we should cooperate,” he said. “It is only through cooperation we will achieve everything we owe to the people of Cyprus.” He spoke of continuing “with the same determination… to combat corruption”, to help vulnerable groups, and to find a Cyprus solution “which does not disregard the concerns of Greek Cypriots but also bears in mind sensitivities of Turkish Cypriots”.

The results of the runoff election in his favour will be seen as the electorate’s approval of Anastasiades’ handling of the Cyprus problem even after last year’s failed talks, along with approval of his economic policies over the past five years for which his government has received plaudits, political opposition aside.

Alternatively, the numbers could indicate that Anastasiades may have gained more of the centrist hardline voters that were up for grabs on Sunday, while Malas could have benefitted from the more pro-rapprochement members of the electorate who have been disillusioned with the president’s handling of the Cyprus issue over the past 12 months, especially the collapse of the talks in Switzerland last July.

“There are two narratives in the Greek Cypriot community: one that he bears responsibility for the failure of talks and the other – that Turkish intransigence is responsible. It’s apparently the second which prevailed,” political analyst Hubert Faustmann told Reuters.

On Sunday almost five per cent of the electorate cast protest votes by means of invalid or blank ballots, signalling their disaffection with both candidates. This was in addition to over a quarter of the electorate who did not vote at all.

Indications came early that Anastasiades would win when exit polls gave him a minimum 10-point lead over Malas, and early counts consistently put him ahead in line with predictions. The Akel-backed independent conceded with less than 70 per cent of the vote counted but the celebrations had already started at the presidential palace some time before that, and for hours after the capital and Anastasiades’ hometown of Limassol resounded with celebrations. A giant screen was set up outside his campaign office in Nicosia where supporters gathered early in the evening. Some carried placards with photos of Disy founder and former President Glafcos Clerides, Anastasiades’ mentor.

Before Anastasiades addressed the crowds there, Disy leader Averof Neophytou told supporters: “These elections were carried out without trade-offs. We will continue with our honest efforts to reunify Cyprus. We have big visions for the future and we know there is no room for big visions in a divided country.”

Anastasiades in a short speech outside the campaign office before heading to his victory event, told supporters he wanted to repeat his assurances that he was willing to cooperate with everyone. “I will continue to operate as the president of all Cypriots,” he said. “The biggest challenge we face is reunifying our country. I will continue to work with the same determination in a bid to achieve our common goal – ending occupation and reunifying our country.”

He added that he wanted the opportunity to invite all, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, to understand that the current state of affairs “cannot be the solution to the Cyprus problem”.

At the ‘losing camp’, in statements to the press shortly after he conceded, Malas said: “The people have spoken and their decision is respected… I know the result has disappointed you but we have to respect it. We fought an honourable battle”.

A grim-faced Andros Kyprianou, the leader of backers Akel said: “We are not satisfied with the vote but we respect the choice of the people. The fight doesn’t end here – it continues throughout next five years”.

He called on Anastasiades to convince Akel that he considers the Cyprus problem a top priority, criticised the centrist parties and said that Akel were the “political and moral winners” of the elections.

Voter turnout on Sunday came in at 73.7 per cent, an abstention rate of 26.3 per cent compared with a 71.4 per cent turnout in the first round of the elections on January 28, which saw a 28.1 abstention rate. Invalid votes registered at 2.5 per cent compared with 1.4 per cent on January 28, an indication that many voters took seriously the conscience vote suggested by the centrist parties which had refused to back either Anastasiades or Malas in the runoff. Similarly, blank votes cast on Sunday clocked in at 3 per cent compared with only 0.8 per cent in the first round. The percentage of valid votes was 94.5 per cent compared with 97.6 per cent on January 28.

Despite the ‘protest vote’ most of the ‘floating’ electorate appear to have backed the incumbent. According to the results, Anastasiades gained 20 per cent over his first-round results of 35.5 per cent, and Malas 14 per cent on his initial 30 per cent, indicating that the former took the bulk of 34 per cent or so-called conscience votes that were up for grabs after the first round – the 25.7 per cent from Diko leader Nicolas Papadopoulos, 5.65 per cent from far-right Elam and 2.8 per cent from Citizens Alliance candidate Giorgos Lillikas.

Akel, whose candidate outright rejected any engagement with Elam during horse-trading over the past week, suggested on Sunday that seven out of ten members of Elam had voted Anastasiades. Like his rival, the latter had also attempted to keep his distance from the far-right party at least in public, but he did answer Elam with a letter when they sent him a questionnaire on his policies.

The centrist parties, Solidarity, the Greens, socialist Edek and Diko, who are seen as hardliners on the Cyprus issue offered grudging congratulations to Anastasiades on Sunday but all warned that the problems they had highlighted throughout the campaign still remained. “The people expect the president and the government to address seriously the issues that concern the country and to find solutions,” Diko said in a statement.</s>Incumbent Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades defeated leftist challenger Stavros Malas and won another five-year term in a run-off election on Sunday.

The 71-year-old conservative won 55.9 percent of the vote with 95 percent of votes counted. Malas conceded an hour after the polls closed, Reuters reported. Malas, a 50-year-old geneticist who served as the republic's health minister in the former left-wing administration, had also come ran against Anastasiades in 2013.

But the suspense was tight. The office of the president of Cyprus is elected using a two-round voting system, and a first round saw Anastasiades win an inconclusive 34 percent of the vote and Malas win an unexpected 29 percent percent of the vote.

With all second round votes counted, Anastasiades won 56 percent of the vote against Malas' 44 percent.

The island in the Mediterranean has been divided since 1974, when "Turkish troops invaded following a Greek-backed coup," as NPR's Michele Kelemen has reported. The Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot communities are separated by a U.N. buffer zone, and "many attempts to reunite the island have failed."

The vote took place barely seven months after the latest round of peace talks ended abruptly.

Anastasiades steered the Cyprus' economy to recovery after a 2013 financial crisis, and has pledged to seek the resumption of U.N.-mediated peace talks.

"A new era begins tomorrow," Anastasiades told supporters outside of his election campaign headquarters, reported Al Jazeera. "People demand cooperation and unity because this is the only way to solve the problems we're facing."</s>NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — The Latest on the presidential election in Cyprus: (all times local):

Incumbent Nicos Anastasiades has defeated challenger Stavros Malas by a significant margin in Cyprus' presidential election.

State-run broadcaster RIK said Malas telephoned Anastasiades about an hour after polls closed to concede defeat.

With nearly all votes from Sunday's runoff election counted, Anastasiades had a 12-point lead over Malas.

It's the second time in a row that Anastasiades, a conservative veteran politician, has defeated the left-leaning Malas in a head-to-head face for president..

Anastasiades' supporters in the capital, Nicosia, celebrated by honking car horns.

An exit poll predicts that Cyprus' conservative president has been re-elected to another five-year term, defeating a left-leaning independent for the second time.

The poll by state-run broadcaster RIK showed President Nicos Anastasiades receiving 54.5-59.5 percent of the vote in Sunday's election, compared with 40.5-45.5 percent for Stavros Malas.

The polling is consistent with earlier opinion polls that had Anastasiades winning. But Malas' rising momentum in recent weeks showed him closing the gap with the incumbent.

Anastasiades, who is 71, says a second term will be his last. He has appealed to voters to trust his experience to keep the economy growing while pursuing a reunification deal with the island nation's breakaway Turkish Cypriots.

The 50-year-old Malas, who's backed by the communist-rooted AKEL party says he represents change amid a tired political system that short-changes ordinary Cypriots

A key variable in the second round of Cyprus' presidential election is what voters who supported neither candidate in the first round will do.

More than one-third of the first-round votes went to candidates other than incumbent President Nicos Anastasiades or independent Stavros Malas — and nearly 28 percent of the eligible 551,000 voters didn't cast ballots.

Many of the votes two weeks ago went to center-right DIKO party leader Nicholas Papadopoulos.

Papadopoulos took a tougher stance on reunification talks with breakaway Turkish Cypriots, accusing both Anastasiades and Malas of a willingness to make too many concessions.

DIKO and smaller parties that supported Papadopoulos' candidacy decided not to endorse either runoff candidate.

A conservative veteran is taking on a left-leaning independent in Cyprus' presidential runoff amid questions whether an agreement reunifying the ethnically divided island-nation can be found anytime soon.

The choice for some 551,000 eligible voters Sunday will also depend on which candidate they feel has made the most convincing pitch to deliver more benefits from a rebounding economy.

It's the second time incumbent President Nicos Anastasiades faces off against independent Stavros Malas in a runoff.

Earlier opinion polls have shown Anastasiades handily beating Malas, but the independent's strong showing in the first round could make it a closer race.

Anastasiades says Cyprus needs more of his experienced leadership to stay the course. Malas says change is needed to raise the standard of living.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — The Latest on the presidential election in Cyprus: (all times local):

An exit poll predicts that Cyprus' conservative president has been re-elected to another five-year term, defeating a left-leaning independent for the second time.

The poll by state-run broadcaster RIK showed President Nicos Anastasiades receiving 54.5-59.5 percent of the vote in Sunday's election, compared with 40.5-45.5 percent for Stavros Malas.

The polling is consistent with earlier opinion polls that had Anastasiades winning. But Malas' rising momentum in recent weeks showed him closing the gap with the incumbent.

Anastasiades, who is 71, says a second term will be his last. He has appealed to voters to trust his experience to keep the economy growing while pursuing a reunification deal with the island nation's breakaway Turkish Cypriots.

The 50-year-old Malas, who's backed by the communist-rooted AKEL party says he represents change amid a tired political system that short-changes ordinary Cypriots

A key variable in the second round of Cyprus' presidential election is what voters who supported neither candidate in the first round will do.

More than one-third of the first-round votes went to candidates other than incumbent President Nicos Anastasiades or independent Stavros Malas — and nearly 28 percent of the eligible 551,000 voters didn't cast ballots.

Many of the votes two weeks ago went to center-right DIKO party leader Nicholas Papadopoulos.

Papadopoulos took a tougher stance on reunification talks with breakaway Turkish Cypriots, accusing both Anastasiades and Malas of a willingness to make too many concessions.

DIKO and smaller parties that supported Papadopoulos' candidacy decided not to endorse either runoff candidate.

A conservative veteran is taking on a left-leaning independent in Cyprus' presidential runoff amid questions whether an agreement reunifying the ethnically divided island-nation can be found anytime soon.

The choice for some 551,000 eligible voters Sunday will also depend on which candidate they feel has made the most convincing pitch to deliver more benefits from a rebounding economy.

It's the second time incumbent President Nicos Anastasiades faces off against independent Stavros Malas in a runoff.

Earlier opinion polls have shown Anastasiades handily beating Malas, but the independent's strong showing in the first round could make it a closer race.

Anastasiades says Cyprus needs more of his experienced leadership to stay the course. Malas says change is needed to raise the standard of living.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>Incumbent Nicos Anastasiades has defeated challenger Stavros Malas by a significant margin in Cyprus’ presidential election.

State-run broadcaster RIK said Mr Malas telephoned Mr Anastasiades about an hour after polls closed to concede defeat.

With nearly all votes from Sunday’s run-off election counted, Mr Anastasiades had a 12-point lead over Mr Malas.

It is the second time in a row that Mr Anastasiades, a conservative veteran politician, has defeated left-leaning Mr Malas in a head-to-head race for president.

Mr Anastasiades’ supporters in the capital Nicosia celebrated by honking car horns.</s>The Latest on the presidential election in Cyprus: (all times local):

An exit poll predicts that Cyprus' conservative president has been re-elected to another five-year term, defeating a left-leaning independent for the second time.

The poll by state-run broadcaster RIK showed President Nicos Anastasiades receiving 54.5-59.5 percent of the vote in Sunday's election, compared with 40.5-45.5 percent for Stavros Malas.

The polling is consistent with earlier opinion polls that had Anastasiades winning. But Malas' rising momentum in recent weeks showed him closing the gap with the incumbent.

Anastasiades, who is 71, says a second term will be his last. He has appealed to voters to trust his experience to keep the economy growing while pursuing a reunification deal with the island nation's breakaway Turkish Cypriots.

The 50-year-old Malas, who's backed by the communist-rooted AKEL party says he represents change amid a tired political system that short-changes ordinary Cypriots

A key variable in the second round of Cyprus' presidential election is what voters who supported neither candidate in the first round will do.

More than one-third of the first-round votes went to candidates other than incumbent President Nicos Anastasiades or independent Stavros Malas — and nearly 28 percent of the eligible 551,000 voters didn't cast ballots.

Many of the votes two weeks ago went to center-right DIKO party leader Nicholas Papadopoulos.

Papadopoulos took a tougher stance on reunification talks with breakaway Turkish Cypriots, accusing both Anastasiades and Malas of a willingness to make too many concessions.

DIKO and smaller parties that supported Papadopoulos' candidacy decided not to endorse either runoff candidate.

A conservative veteran is taking on a left-leaning independent in Cyprus' presidential runoff amid questions whether an agreement reunifying the ethnically divided island-nation can be found anytime soon.

The choice for some 551,000 eligible voters Sunday will also depend on which candidate they feel has made the most convincing pitch to deliver more benefits from a rebounding economy.

It's the second time incumbent President Nicos Anastasiades faces off against independent Stavros Malas in a runoff.

Earlier opinion polls have shown Anastasiades handily beating Malas, but the independent's strong showing in the first round could make it a closer race.

Anastasiades says Cyprus needs more of his experienced leadership to stay the course. Malas says change is needed to raise the standard of living.</s>Nikos Anastasiades has been re-elected in the second round

The poll stations have closed and according to the exit polls Nikos Anastasiades has won Stavros Malas.

The exit polls give 54,5% – 59,5% to Nikos Anastasiades and 40,5% – 45,5% to Stavros Malas.

It seems that Nikos Anastasiades has been re-elected as President of Republic of Cyprus.</s>Greek Cypriots have re-elected Nicos Anastasiades as their eighth president in what is seen as a ringing endorsement of his stable leadership over the past five years.

The 71-year-old conservative won a second five-year term on Sunday with 56% of the vote. His opponent, the leftist-backed independent Stavros Malas, took 44%.

There were scenes of jubilation in Nicosia as news of the incumbent’s 12-point lead reached the campaign headquarters of Anastasiades’ Democratic Rally party (Dysi). Supporters poured on to the streets holding Cypriot, Greek and party flags, chanting slogans and honking horns. “Victory is a beautiful thing,” said Christos Papamichael, a Dysi activist.

Anastasiades, who has vowed to reactivate peace talks aimed at reunifying Cyprus, had long been the frontrunner of a lacklustre electoral campaign marked by voter abstention.

But suspense had hovered over Sunday’s runoff after an inconclusive first round that saw Malas gain an unexpected 30.2% of the vote. The strong performance had sparked enthusiasm that the 50-year-old geneticist, who was running with the backing of the Progressive Party of Working People, Akel, could defy polls and score a spectacular upset.

In the end the electorate, putting financial considerations first, went for Antastasiades, who has been widely credited with navigating Cyprus’ extraordinary economic recovery since he took over the country, amid scenes of chaos, in 2013.

His victory on Sunday amounted to vindication of policies that, far from popular, had put the island back on a sustainable path after the collapse of its banking system and a €10bn EU–IMF-sponsored bailout. At nearly 4%, Cyprus had the eurozone’s highest growth rate in 2017.

“On the economy he has done very, very, very, well,” said Giorgos Skoufaris, a pensioner, flicking a set of worry beads after casting his ballot. “So why not give him our vote, especially when he has said this will be his last term?”

The banking crisis, blamed squarely on the ineptitude of the then Akel government, had been the most traumatic event to befall Cyprus since the Turkish invasion. In an unprecedented step, depositors were forced to foot the bill of the EU rescue programme with savings over €100,000 automatically slashed from bank accounts. Anastasiades’ deft handling of the crisis could now give him the space to focus on finally healing the Mediterranean island’s division.

Ankara ordered a full-scale military invasion of the island in 1974 and seized the island’s northern third after a coup aimed at securing the annexation of the island by Greece. Repeated efforts at conciliation since have been unsuccessful, although negotiations are believed to have come close to reunifying the two communities before collapsing acrimoniously in Switzerland last July.

“There will now be continuity, which is a positive thing, for the economy, for the prospect of a solution and for the EU’s role in the eastern Mediterranean,” said Cleopatra Kitti, an international consultant based in Nicosia who advises corporations and governments. “Partition is unsustainable. I think Anastasiades is smart enough to realise that there needs to be a deal, that this cannot go on, that without it there is bound to be some kind of conflict.”

Anastasiades has repeatedly said he wants reunification despite upsetting pro-solution Cypriots when the UN-mediated talks broke down and he left the negotiating table last summer. “The status quo is unacceptable and its prolongation will have negative consequences for the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots,” the lobby group Unite Cyprus Now said in a statement congratulating the president. “Let us not hold our bright future hostage to our troubled past.”
Cyprus is set to elect a new President in a second round of voting. Candidates include incumbent Nicos Anastasiades and AKEL candidate, Stavros Malas.