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| Cyprus election: Nicos Anastasiades 'ahead' | Cyprus election: Nicos Anastasiades 'ahead' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Initial exit polls in the Cypriot presidential election indicate centre-right candidate Nicos Anastasiades has won the largest share of the vote. | Initial exit polls in the Cypriot presidential election indicate centre-right candidate Nicos Anastasiades has won the largest share of the vote. |
| However, it is not clear whether he polled more than the 50% needed to win in the first round and avoid a run-off. | However, it is not clear whether he polled more than the 50% needed to win in the first round and avoid a run-off. |
| State broadcaster CyBC said Mr Anastasiades got between 49 and 52.6% of the vote, with an average of 51.1%. | |
| The election has been dominated by the financial crisis. Cyprus was the fifth eurozone state to ask for a bailout. | |
| The CyBC exit poll has a 1.5% margin of error, so it is far from clear whether or not Mr Anastasiades has achieved an outright victory. | |
| Three other polls put Mr Anastasiades at 49-52%. | |
| CyBC put leftist Stavros Malas on 27.3% while independent George Lilikas is thought to have 18%. | CyBC put leftist Stavros Malas on 27.3% while independent George Lilikas is thought to have 18%. |
| Bailout talks stalled | |
| Shut out of the international financial markets, the cash-strapped government was forced to seek financial help after Cypriot banks suffered huge losses as a result of the restructuring of Greece's sovereign debt. | |
| It has requested some 17bn euros ($22.7bn; £14.6bn) from the European Union and International Monetary Fund - a small amount in comparison with other rescues but roughly equal to Cyprus's gross domestic product. | |
| The BBC's Mark Lowen says that the priority for the winner of Cyprus's election will be to finalise the bailout. | |
| Negotiations have been stalled by disagreement between the EU, IMF and the outgoing President Demetris Christofias, leader of the communist Akel party, over how to address the country's debt and who should pay. | |
| The new President will face pressure to restart talks with the Turkish community in the North, cut off since the island was divided in 1974, our correspondent says. |