Two months to go but voters say they’re tired of the rhetoric
A LOT of Cypriots are “bored” with the long-winded election campaign, feel disenchanted with politicians, but at the end of the day will probably cast their vote so that it doesn’t “go to waste”.
That was the general feeling gleaned by the Mail yesterday after speaking to a number of voters in downtown Nicosia.
Another paradox: people say they wouldn’t go within 300 yards of a polling station if voting was not mandatory; but asked what they actually do on the big day, they grudgingly cited their sense of civic duty.
“I didn’t vote in the last two elections, and I’m thinking about doing the same thing again,” said Christos Stylianides, 42.
“Let them make voting optional, and you’ll see how many people turn up on election day,” he added.
None of the candidates inspired him, he said, and he was getting tired of the constant blame game on the airwaves.
Store manager Andreas Kyriacou, 55, told the Mail he was generally “uninterested” in the campaign, although he did watch the occasional debate on television.
“What’s the point? They’re all looking out for their own interests, and only get interested in us commoners whenever elections come up. After that, they pull a vanishing act.”
Kyriacou himself then pulled a U-turn, acknowledging that he was intrigued by the fact the 2008 elections might be a cliffhanger.
“It would be a shame not to vote, though, as it is a sacred right,” he obliged.
Melanie Demosthenous, 24, and Giorgos Panteli, 26, both said the election campaign had not grabbed their attention.
“We do have a preference for a certain candidate, but it’s not like we’re going to wear T-shirts with his picture,” they said.
Maria Chrysanthou, 46, said she had enough of hearing about the Annan plan day in day out.
“Why don’t the politicians talk about everyday stuff, like how you have to wait a year for a cardiogram at the general hospital,” she complained.
“Then along comes another patient, who has connections, and they get an appointment next month. That’s the sort of thing that vexes us.”
There’s also a widespread sense that, for all their grandstanding in public, politicians are in reality all buddies taking people for a ride.
“They fight on TV shows, and then on the same night they hang out at parties.
Cyprus is a small place, everyone knows these things happen. So what are you supposed to think as a citizen?” Chrysanthou mused.
But would she vote come February? She shrugged, as if to say yes. Silence is golden.
Disillusionment and interest in civic affairs seem to coexist in the Cypriot psyche. While most agree that politicians are full of hollow promises and that nothing will change no matter who wins, they seem to hold out hope when there is none left.
In the past week, morning current affairs shows on radio have steered clear of the election campaign, and even news bulletins have devoted less airtime.
“Quite frankly, we too have grown a little tired,” said one journalist, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“It’s all ‘he said, she said’,” she added.
But other media practitioners speaking to the Mail dismissed the notion that TV channels were taking a break.
“If anything, our coverage is set to intensify as we draw closer to the big day. Now is when things really heat up,” said Mega newscaster Viktoras Papadopoulos.
CyBC news boss Yiannis Kareklas said he realised a lot of people might be fed up with the constant parade of politicians, but added that the media had no choice but to stay on the story.
By law, the duration of the campaign is three months. But the realities of journalism mean that the rule-book gets tossed out the window.
“Take the fact that Mr Ioannis Kasoulides announced his candidacy back in June, a full eight months before the elections. Sure it’s part of the campaign. Is there any way you don’t cover that? You have to. It’s not black and white, you see,” said Kareklas.
A well-known pollster, wishing to remain anonymous, confirmed the “split-personality syndrome” among the public.
“Yes, it [the campaign] takes too long, but at the same time I wouldn’t say people are not interested. Quite the contrary; evidence from polls shows a relatively high level of involvement.
“Around 10 per cent of voters are currently labelled as undecided, or should we say, not committed to any particular candidate. Obviously that includes people who are genuinely aloof, but that could change as election day looms,” said the source.
“My impression is that interest is quite high, and this has to do with the fact that it’s a neck-and-neck race, where anything goes,” he added.
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