The nationalist Elam party on Thursday said they were advising their supporters to vote by conscience in Sunday’s runoff election.

In a recorded message, Elam leader Christos Christou – among the candidates in the first round of the presidential election – said their “conscience, and our angst over the future of this country, will not allow us to leave the governance of the country in the hands in Akel for the next five years.”

Christou said that, as part of their process, they had sent a questionnaire to Akel-backed candidate Andreas Mavroyiannis ahead of the second round.

Mavroyiannis did not bother to respond.

“In this way, he has unfortunately confirmed his total subservience to the diktats of the Akel leadership,” Christou said. And whereas Nikos Christodoulides did reply to Elam’s questionnaire, Elam said the candidate’s political programme did not satisfy them.

“There is a chasm separating us on crucial political matters.”

Elam received 23,988 ballots, or 6 per cent of the popular vote in last Sunday’s elections.