Cypriots go to the polls on Sunday in a cliffhanger presidential election that could hold the key to the future of efforts to reunite the Mediterranean island after more than three decades of divison.
  
The race between three main candidates is expected to be one of the closest in Cyprus's history and observers say the vote is almost certain to go into a second-round runoff.
  
Hardline incumbent Tassos Papadopoulos has the narrowest of leads in most opinion polls, closely followed by AKEL communist party leader and parliament speaker Demetris Christofias with former foreign minister and MEP Ioannis Kasoulides, backed by the right-wing DISY party, in third place.
  
The contest is being billed as a choice between Papadopoulos's uncompromising stance on efforts to resolve the island's division and pledges by his main rivals to get peace talks back on track.
  
Each of the three candidates -- among a total of nine vying for election -- has roughly a third of the vote, according to opinion polls.
  
"It is very close, we are looking at a pollsters' nightmare," European University of Cyprus research executive Pambos Papageorgiou told AFP. "In the end it will come down to party alliances and horse trading."
  
If no outright winner emerges, a second-round with the top two candidiates will be held the following Sunday. The candidate gaining 50 percent plus one vote will be declared the winner.
  
Cyprus has been split along ethnic lines since 1974 when Turkey invaded the northern third in response to an Athens-engineered coup aimed at uniting the island with Greece.
  
The United Nations has urged both sides to resume peace talks that have been effectively stalled since 2004, when Greek Cypriots rejected a UN peace plan, warning that its patience was running out.
  
Cyprus has also been accused of trying to exploit Turkey's EU ambitions by linking its progress in accession talks with securing concessions on a future peace deal.
  
International mediators hold Papadopoulos responsible for the Greek Cypriot rejection of the UN blueprint, which led to a divided island joining the EU in 2004, although the Turkish Cypriots voted overwhelmingly in favour.
  
The last time Papadopolous met Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Talat was in September and since then there has been no movement on reunification efforts.
  
Last month the International Crisis Group think tank said the leaders should hold talks as soon as possible after the election, warning that "if such efforts fail, the alternative is likely to be partition."
  
On the campaign trail, Papadopoulos has said his "no" vote meant he was the man to trust, suggesting his rivals would "sell out" the republic of Cyprus.
  
"We can expect more of the same from Papadopoulos. There will be no substantial progress on the Cyprus problem," said Hubert Faustmann, associate professor at the University of Nicosia.
  
"But from Christofias and Kasoulides we can expect considerable developments and a far more constructive approach from the Greek Cypriots."
  
Christofias has billed himself as the man who can "build bridges" with the Turkish Cypriots and Kasoulides too has said Cyprus needs to change tack by renewing contacts with the rival community and winning over EU member states.
  
About 516,000 Cypriots, including 390 Turkish Cypriots who have never previously been allowed to vote in a presidential ballot, are registered for Sunday's election.
  
A total of 1,159 polling stations will open from 0500 GMT to 1500 GMT, with a one-hour break, and final results could be out by around 1830 GMT. About 8,000 officials and police will be on hand to ensure the election runs smoothly.