Two opinion polls published in Cyprus on Sunday put different candidates ahead for next month's presidential election. A poll in Simerini newspaper put incumbent Tassos Papadopoulos ahead with 32.5 percent of the vote, while the daily Politis put opposition challenger Ioannis Kassoulides ahead with 30.5 percent.
The third key challenger, communist leader Demetris Christofias, was second in the Simerini poll with 31.9 percent and third in the Politis poll with 29.1 percent.
Presidential elections are held in the internationally recognised Greek part of Cyprus every five years. If candidates fail to win an outright majority in the February 17 election, as polls suggest, a runoff will be staged between the two frontrunners on February 24.
Candidates will formally submit their bids on January 18. Authorities expect that about 10 people will run. Cyprus has been divided into the Greek Cypriot south and a smaller breakaway Turkish Cypriot north since 1974, when Turkey invaded the north following a Greek Cypriot coup backed by the junta then ruling Greece.