Runoff called in Cyprus' presidential election

Nicos Anastasiades, a right-winger who presented himself as the most capable to negotiate a bailout with Cyprus' European partners and who went into the election a strong favorite, won the first round with just over 45 percent of the vote. But he fell short of the 50 percent plus one vote needed for an outright victory.

In the Feb. 24 runoff, he will face Stavros Malas, a left-winger who has advocated being more assertive in negotiations for bailout loans to limit the severity of austerity measures they require.

Final results Sunday night showed Anastasiades winning 45.46 percent, well ahead of Malas' 26.91. Independent Giorgos Lallikas was a close third with 24.93 percent, and was eliminated from the running.

The change in leadership, after unpopular President Dimitris Christofias said he would not seek re-election, comes at a crucial juncture for Cyprus. The other 16 countries that use the euro are expected to decide next month on a financial lifeline for the tiny country of less than a million people.

Many had criticized Christofias and his communist-rooted AKEL party for a shrinking economy and 15 percent jobless rate, as well as having mishandled events that led to a deadly explosion of seized Iranian munitions that wrecked the island's main power station.

"What we can deduce from this strong election result it that the overwhelming majority of people have expressed their demand today to rid the country of a government run by the AKEL leadership," Anastasiades told supporters.

Malas said, "Together, we can counter the crisis without having society endure tough policies." Malas' support from AKEL is seen as his main liability.

Lillikas avoided saying which candidate he would support.

Cyprus is fast running out of cash to pay its bills, and the new president faces the difficult task of overcoming skepticism from some bailout-weary euro-area countries to secure help.

Cyprus got into trouble after its banks, whose assets are bigger than the country's entire economy, took huge losses when Greece restructured its debt. The country has already reached a preliminary bailout agreement with its eurozone partners and the International Monetary Fund, and has enacted a raft of spending cuts and tax increases.

But Cyprus' help request is meeting resistance from some quarters, especially Germany, which says the country's banks serves as money laundering hubs for Russian oligarchs, or that is too small to matter since it contributes about 0.15 percent to the euro area economy.