By Mehmet Hatipoğlu
LEFKOSA, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (AA) – With its win in the Greek Cypriot administration parliamentary election Sunday, the ruling right-wing Democratic Rally Party (DISI) has claimed 18 seats of the 56 up for grabs, according to the Greek Cypriot election authority.
Averof Neophytou’s DISI party claimed 30.69 percent of the vote - a 3.7 percentage point dip from the previous election in 2011.
They were followed by the communist Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL) with 25.67 percent, 7.1 percentage points less than in 2011. AKEL will have 16 MPs.
The Democratic Party, or DIKO, came in third place with 14.49 percent of the vote, i.e. nine deputies.
The far-right National Popular Front (ELAM) party will be represented in parliament for the first time in Greek Cypriot administration history, having claimed 3.71 percent of the votes. It has claimed two seats.
Voter turnout was 67.77 percent. A total of 542,915 people were eligible to vote.
According to the election authority of Greek Cypriot Administration, the vote percentages of the parties are as follows:
DISI 30.69 percent,18 deputies
AKEL 25.67 percent, 16 deputies
DIKO 14.49 percent, nine deputies
Movement for Social Democracy (EDEK) 6.18 percent, three deputies
Unity of Citizens 6.01 percent, three deputies
Solidarity Movement 5.24 percent, three deputies
Ecological and Environmental Movement 4.81 percent, two deputies
ELAM 3.71 percent, two deputies.