Greek Cypriots support their leaders in peace process

The Noverna poll published in the daily Politis newspaper gave Greek Cypriot leader Dimitris Christofias a 78 percent approval rating for his handling of the reunification effort.    Â

The poll also showed Christofias transcending traditional partisan divisions, with 77 percent of respondents from rival party DISY backing the Greek leader's policy. The April 18-30 telephone poll surveyed 500 adults at random, and had an error margin of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

Cyprus University political science professor Joseph Joseph told the AP the high marks were owed to Christofias breaking a four-year deadlock on reunification talks. "Nothing was happening for four years, and people are now happy to see something happening," Joseph said.

Christofias, 61, who heads the communist-rooted AKEL party, won the Feb. 24 presidential election on a pledge to immediately restart talks with breakaway Turkish Cypriots in the island's north.

According to another poll published in Politis on Monday, Greek Cypriots would freely mix with Turkish Cypriots at work and play if a Cyprus peace deal ended 34 years of division on the east Mediterranean island, , AFP reported.

The results of the survey show a significant shift in attitude among Greek Cypriots towards the Turkish Cypriots in an improved climate of trust.

Most Greek Cypriots -- 83 percent -- responded positively when asked whether they would live next to someone from the other community after decades of relative isolation. Some 31 percent said they would accept a member of their family marrying a Turkish Cypriot, and 47 percent said they would work for a Turkish Cypriot.

In a similar poll a year ago, 20 percent fewer Greek Cypriots on average responded "yes" to the same questions.

Significantly, 53 percent of Greek Cypriot refugees said they would accept financial compensation for being unable to return to their homes in the Turkish-held north. A majority of refugees -- 63 percent -- said they would not live under a Turkish Cypriot administration.

No margin of error was given for the poll of 500 people surveyed between April 18 and 30.

Many attempts to reunify the island have failed, including a U.N. reunification plan rejected by Greek Cypriots in a 2004 referendum. Turkish Cypriots accepted the plan in a separate vote.

A March 21 meeting between Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat resulted in a deal to restart reunification talks and to open a highly symbolic crossing at Ledra Street in the medieval center of the islands divided capital, Nicosia.

Christofias and Talat are scheduled to meet in May 7.