Cypriot state budget undecided as parties focus on presidential election

NICOSIA, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Cypriot 2018 state budget hangs in the balance as parliamentary parties focus on the upcoming presidential elections in January, parliamentary sources said on Tuesday.

At least two opposition parties, left wing AKEL with 16 seats, and extreme right ELAM party with two seats in the 56-seat parliament gave notice during the debate on the budget that they would vote it down.

Right-wing governing DISY party commands 18 votes, enough to counter the vote of the two parties which will vote against.

Deputies will vote on Wednesday night at the end of the three-day debate, with the balance held by the nine votes of center opposition DIKO party, and 11 votes divided among four other parties.

DIKO voted with the government in previous budget votes, but this time its leader, Nicolas Papadopoulos, is widely expected to be the main opponent of outgoing President Nicos Anastasiades who seeks a second five-year term.

Papadopoulos, the son of former president Tassos Papadopoulos, is currently engaged in an aggressive electoral campaign against Anastasiades.

DISY leader Averof Neophytou appealed to DIKO on Tuesday to show consistency and responsibility by supporting the budget.

But analysts said that as things stand now the scales could be tipped either way.

Throwing out the budget will not affect the stability of the government in its last three months in office, as it does not need parliamentary approval under Cyprus' presidential system.

However, the eastern Mediterranean island's economy will receive a shock as it counts on stability to continue its recovery from a crisis that led it close to a melt-down. Enditem