Social democratic parties

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades, supported by right-wing party Democratic Rally, and communist AKEL-backed Stavros Malas will contest the run-off of the presidential election on the island, after the first round on Sunday showed Malas performing better than expected.

A presidential election exit poll by Cyprus's state broadcaster shows incumbent President Nicos Anastasiades facing a runoff with independent candidate Stavros Malas, who's backed by the communist AKEL party.

"As always" my friend Zeynep said on the phone, tired but in an incredibly excited voice, "there is a bit of chaos here at the [main opposition Republican People's Party] CHP's final rally in Istanbul. But I have never seen anything like this before.

Injustice in Turkey will "certainly be removed one day," main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy Enis Berberoğlu, who is currently in jail on espionage charges, has said in a message conveyed by a party MP on July 4.

The President of the Republic Nikos Anastasiades will be accompanied by the leaders of the parliamentary political parties in the UN-facilitated negotiations in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, Deputy Government Spokesman Victoras Papadopoulos has said.

The presidential elections in Greek Cyprus are ever more interesting for various reasons. Three camps have already formed.

Selin Sayek Böke, who recently announced her resignation from her duties in the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), has said she will not run for the party leadership. 

Greek Cypriot politicians staged a very heated verbal exchange in the House of Representatives over reports that ruling Democratic Rally Party (DISI) Chairman Averof Neophytou visited the presidential office in northern Cyprus to discuss ways of overcoming the deadlock in the Cyprus talks during a BBQ with President Mustafa Akıncı.

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu met with the ambassadors of EU member countries in Ankara on Feb. 2.  

Following the meeting, CHP Deputy Chairman Öztürk Yılmaz and Christian Berger, the head of the EU Delegation to Turkey, held a joint press conference to discuss the meeting.

Albania's main opposition Democratic Party, PD, and Libra, a new party established by the former Socialist MP Ben Blushi, are turning to the internet to help them select the MPs that will run on their lists for the June 18 general elections.

PD spokeswoman Ina Zhupa told BIRN that in the first days of this online process the response had been very high.