Since 7:00 a.m. (Greek time) this morning, polling stations have started receiving voters for the 13th presidential elections in the Republic of Cyprus, which will appoint the 8th President in the republic’s 58 year-old history.
Polls will close at 18:00 local time and half an hour later there will be the announcement of the first official results coming from polling stations with a small number of voters. The final outcome is expected to be announced between 20:30 and 21:00 Greek time.
If none of the candidates manages to secure 50% plus votes, there will be a runoff election next Sunday, February 4. With this being the most likely scenario, citizens, candidates and political parties are already focusing their attention on the second round. According to last week’s opinion polls, everyone’s attention is drawn to the battle given for the second ticket to the second round between Nicholas Papadopoulos and Stavros Malas, whose gap bordered on statistical error. Nicos Anastasiades, if all polls are confirmed, will easily go for the second round.
Nine candidates in total are running for the presidential post: Incumbent Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades, who is supported by the ruling Democratic Rally (DISY) party, Nicholas Papadopoulos, leader of the Democratic Party (DIKO), also backed by the Socialist EDEK, the Solidarity Movement as well as the Environmentalists, independent Stavros Malas, who is also supported by the main opposition AKEL party, Yiorgos Lillikas who is backed by his own party Citizens’ Alliance, Christos Christou who is supported by his party ELAM, Michalis Mina, President of the Justice Party, Charis Aristidou, Andreas Efstratiou and Christakis Kapiliotis.
Meanwhile, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) has already sent a delegation to monitor elections on the island. OSCE’s representatives have been assigned the duty of monitoring the electoral campaign, the funding and finances of the presidential candidates as well as local media coverage of the elections.
Registered voters are 550,876 in total, including 657 Turkish Cypriots, 283 enclaved persons (Greek Cypriots living in the island`s northern Turkish occupied areas) and 11.683 who will vote in the 38 voting centres set up in 15 countries overseas.
Nicosia is the largest constituency of 213,033 voters, followed by Limassol with 152,115, Larnaca with 92,795, Paphos 49,765 and Famagusta with 31,485. Voters abroad account for 11,683 people.
A total of 1,122 polling stations will be in operation in Cyprus and abroad. Approximately 1,000 unemployed graduates have been hired to work there, while all stages of the electoral process will be overseen by a total of 7,500 officials and police officers. The cost has been estimated at 4.5 million euro.
Voting overseas will be held as follows: (hours provided are local time) Greece: 7:00 am – 6:00 pm with a break from 12.00 – 1:00pm, Sofia 7:00 am – 6:00 pm with a break from 12.00 – 1:00pm, the UK 8:00am – 4:00 pm with a break from 12 – 12:30 pm, Berlin, Vienna and Brussels from 9:00 am– 5:00 pm with an hour break 1.00– 2:00 pm, Manama 10:00 am- 7:00 pm with an hour break 2:00– 3:00 pm, New York 7:00 am – 11:00 am, Dubai 11:00 am – 8:00 pm with a break from 3:00. – 4:00pm, Riyadh also from 10:00am- 7:00pm with an hour break 2:00– 3:00 pm, Doha 10:00am- 7:00pm with an hour break 2:00– 3:00 pm, Stockholm, The Hague, Paris and Prague from 9:00 am– 5:00 pm with an hour break 1.00– 2:00 pm.
The inauguration ceremony, after which the newly-elected President will assume his duties, will take place during a special session before the House of Representatives on February 28, 2018.