House election poll gives Averof a double win

Disy leader Averof Neophytou scored a double win with the election of Annita Demetriou to the House presidency, an opinion survey made public on Tuesday indicated.

Despite reports that political parties were poised to reach agreement on a Dipa proposal to elect Akel’s general secretary Andros Kyprianou to the second ranking position in the Republic, it was Disy’s candidate who won the second round of the vote last Thursday with backing from Dipa and Elam to became the first woman elected House president.

A poll carried out by Pulse in the days after Demetriou’s election showed Neophytou was the only party leader to receive a positive approval rating for his handling of the procedure, Phileleftheros reported.

The Pulse survey asked 611 respondents to evaluate parties’ decisions to each contest the House presidency with their own candidate. Disy’s decision was described as the right one by 55 per cent of respondents, with only 19 per cent saying it was mistaken.

The other parties found themselves in negative territory. For Akel, 29 per cent approved and 43 per cent disapproved, for the Greens the corresponding figures were 27 and 40 per cent, for Diko 26 and 44 per cent, for Elam 23 and 46 per cent, for Dipa 22 and 43 per cent and lastly for Edek 20 and 47 per cent.

Among political leaders, only Neophytou saw approval ratings (53 per cent) exceed disapproval (20 per cent). Akel’s Kyprianou received 21 per cent approval and 49 per cent disapproval, Diko’s Nicolas Papadopoulos 21 and 45 per cent, Elam’s Christos Christou 28 and 38 per cent, the Greens’ Charalambos Theopemptou 26 and 35 per cent, Dipa’s Marios Garoyian 25 and 39 per cent and Edek’s Marinos Sizopoulos 19 and 45 per cent.

According to the poll, Neophytou’s move to put forward Demetriou’s name was supported by 91 per cent of Disy supporters. Akel supporters backed the party’s decision to contest the House presidency by 63 per cent.

The majority of those asked (53 per cent) said Demetriou was the best option. One in four said she wasn’t and 22 per cent did not reply.

As to the results of the House presidency election, 60 per cent they were very to quite satisfied, 25 per cent said they were not satisfied and 15 per cent did not voice an opinion.

The survey was carried out islandwide between June 11 and 13 with computer aided web interviews through the online panel of Pulse Market Research (myopinion.com.cy)

There were 611 respondents aged 18 and over.