As Greek Cypriots prepare to vote in tomorrow's general election, opinion polls are predicting a tight race, with the government party facing a narrow defeat.
However, much attention in recent days has focused on the post-election career of the chief negotiator for the accession of Cyprus to the EU, Dr George Vassiliou.
The conservative government party, Democratic Rally (DISY), has seen its support eroded by the emergence of several smaller parties, and in the past week has found it difficult to close the gap on the opposition communists (AKEL), with DISY standing at 27.5 to 30.5 per cent and AKEL at 31 to 33.5 per cent in the opinion polls.
Parties must reach a 1.8 per cent threshold to gain a seat in the Cypriot parliament.
Dr Vassiliou's United Democrats (KED) are standing at between 2.2 and 3.5 per cent, and there are fears in government and opposition circles that if its vote falls below 1.8 per cent the former president may consider retiring from politics and resigning as the island's chief negotiator on EU membership.
The election will influence the shape of the last stages of talks on the accession of Cyprus, which all parties expect in the first round in 2003 or 2004. The EU agreed at Helsinki in 1999 that a political solution to the division of the island would facilitate accession but is not a precondition for Cypriot membership, and Cyprus is now close to meeting all the requirements for accession, having closed 21 of the 29 chapters.
The division of the island and EU accession were part of the agenda earlier this week in Washington when the Greek Foreign Minister, Mr George Papandreou, met US Vice-President Mr Dick Cheney and the Secretary of State, Mr Colin Powell. Later, the Cypriot government spokesman, Mr Michalis Papapetrou, said his government had not detected any substantive change in US policy on Cyprus and considers US support for the EU decision to accept Cyprus as a member even without a political solution "satisfactory".
Mr Papapetrou added that nothing can obstruct the republic's course to Europe.
The Cypriot Foreign Minister, Mr Ioannis Kassoulidis, said this week that the entry of Cyprus into the EU would also be to Turkey's advantage. Turkish Cypriots should realise that having their island as part of the EU would also help them, specifically by bringing Turkey closer to the Union, he said. "We are trying to show Cypriot Turks that they have a greater chance of realising their dream of prosperity in Nicosia than in Ankara," Mr Kassoulidis said.
In recent days, the Turkish government appears to have sent out signals that Ankara is prepared to accept the inevitability of Cypriot accession, with one government source in Ankara saying: "We see very clearly the reality that Greek Cyprus must be entering the EU in upwards of 18 months or so." Western diplomats in the Turkish capital say it has dawned on civilian policy-makers in Ankara that Turkey cannot prevent Cyprus joining the EU - whether united or divided.
Lingering Turkish hopes that reluctant EU members such as France might veto Cypriot accession have faded since the Helsinki decision and with the cooling of relations between Paris and Ankara after a public storm over French official recognition of the Armenian genocide.
During his recent visit to Dublin, Dr Vassiliou supported Irish ratification of the Nice Treaty.
Describing his talks with the Taoiseach as "very friendly", he said he had had been assured that Ireland was supporting the Cypriot application "full-heartedly".
The prospect of negotiations on the division of Cyprus has always been made difficult by the long-term antagonism between President Glafcos Clerides and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr Rauf Denktash, both in their 80s and described in one recent report as "two political dinosaurs".
After tomorrow's election, clear contenders to succeed Mr Clerides are expected to emerge, while Mr Denktash could come under strong pressure from Ankara to return to UN-sponsored talks within weeks. The problem then remains whether the new government in Nicosia can persuade Dr Vassiliou to stay on as the island's chief negotiator.