European elections add twist to Cyprus polls

On June 9, Cyprus goes to the polls in the most complicated elections in its history as the European elections and the local government elections are held in parallel, following the reform passed by the Parliament.

As far as the European elections are concerned, not much changes since voters will receive a ballot paper with the candidates of the parties or combinations or independents. Polls will open at seven in the morning and close at six in the afternoon. Cyprus elects six MEPs.

Any European citizen aged 18 or over can vote, provided they are registered on the special electoral roll. It is also possible to vote from abroad if certain conditions are met.

In Cyprus, a person is entitled to vote if he or she is at least 18 years old on the day of the elections, a Cypriot or a European citizen in general with habitual residence in Cyprus for at least six months before securing his or her electoral rights, or with habitual residence in any other EU member state during the same six-month period, provided that on the day of your registration on the electoral roll, had his habitual residence in Cyprus.

To find out where to vote, the public can visit elections. gov. cy 15 days before the election date. Voters can cast their ballot by either presenting their ID card or a voter's card.

Therefore, if a person is a Cypriot citizen permanently residing abroad, he/she is not entitled to vote from abroad, unless he/she met (prior to his/her registration in the electoral roll) the residence criterion for one semester and moved abroad at a later stage.

The Republic of Cyprus authorities will operate polling stations in Greece, the United Kingdom and Belgium - in embassies or elsewhere - in cities where more than 50 voters apply to vote from there.

Under EU law, all countries must use voting systems that ensure proportional representation, which means that the number of elected members from each party depends on the percentage of the electoral votes the party received.

Cyprus uses cross-preference voting, which gives voters the opportunity to indicate their preferences from the list of their chosen party or independent combination.

As there will be six members of the European Parliament from Cyprus, each political party will have to collect at least 16.66% of the votes to secure a seat in the Parliament in the first allocation.

For the second or third allocation, parties or party partnerships or independent ballots must secure at least 1.8% of the votes.

In Cyprus there is a single constituency, which means that voters across the country choose from the same list of candidates. Exercising the right to vote in Cyprus is not compulsory.

Political parties or individuals wishing to stand for election must do so by 24 April 2024, the deadline for submitting nominations. The full list of all candidates will be published once the period for any objections has ended.

The parties' ballot papers for the European elections

The Cyprus News Agency (CNA) presents today the ballot papers of the political parties as officially announced by the parties.

In this year's elections about a third of the parties' candidates are women. Of the 48 candidates, 17 are women (35.4%).

The ballot papers include three Turkish Cypriots. Niyazi Kizilyurek of AKEL who is a sitting MEP, Oz Karahan of the Union of Cypriots who is on the combined list of the Ecologists, Aihmi and the Union of Cypriots and Hulusi Kilim who is running with VOLT (he is the General Secretary of the new movement).

The Democratic Rally ballot

Christos Angelides, senior executive of the tourism industry, Member of the Political Bureau of DISY, Commissioner for Tourism Policy Production and Production of DISY.

Constantinos Petrides, economist, former Minister of Finance, while also served as Deputy Minister to the President and Minister of Interior, under the Presidency of Nicos Anastasiades.

Loukas Fourlas, journalist, current Member of the European Parliament, running for a second term

Michalis Hadjipantelas, chartered accountant, served as Minister of Health (July 2021-February 2023)

Christiana Xenofontos, Political Sciences, Member of the DISY Political Bureau and Vice President of the European Youth Forum

Eleni Stavrou - advisor for Middle East affairs, current MEP from 1 November 2022, running for a second term.

The AKEL (Progressive Party of Working People) ballot

George Georgiou, philologist, current MEP

Anna Theologou, economist, former Member of Parliament

Stavri Kalopsidioti, lawyer, Head of the Human Rights department of AKEL

Andros Karagiannis, English and German language philologist, Mayor of Deryneia

Niyazi Kizilyurek, academic, current MEP, running for a second term, was the first T/C elected and the only one at the moment

Melani Steliou, actress, television producer, presenter

The Democratic Party (DEKO) ballot

Three women and three men are on the DEKO ballot paper.

Eleni Theocharous, former Member of the European Parliament and Member of Parliament, Doctor

Leontios Kostrikis, Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Cyprus, Head of the Laboratory of Biotechnology and Molecular Virology and former Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Science and Applied Sciences.

Mary Lambrou, Paphos District Officer

Costas Mavrides, current Member of the European Parliament, economist

Chrysis Pantelides, current Member of Parliament, Executive Director of the Tassos Papadopoulos Study Centre

Katerina Christofidou, Director of the DEKO Press Office.

The Socialist EDEK ballot paper

Andreas Apostolou, Member of Parliament for Larnaca

Ilias Mirianthous, Member of Parliament for Paphos

Nikos Anastasiou, Mayor of Polemidia

Nicholas Philippou, Director General of PASYKAF

Vivian Kanari, journalist

Pantelitsa Yokka, philologist

The ELAM (National Popular Front) ballot

Polis Anogoritis, Entrepreneur, Member of the ELAM Central Committee and Limassol District Committee.

Geadis Geadis, Member of the Political Council of ELAM and Press Spokesman of the party. He is standing for the third time in the European elections, having contested in 2014 and 2019.

Pavlos Ioannou, economist, served as Financial Commissioner between July 2013 and July 2023.

Maria Nikolaou, Parliamentary Associate of ELAM

Marios Pelekanos, Insolvency Advisor/Financial Advisor, former Government Spokesman and former Vice President of DISY, until 12 February 2024, registered in March as a member of ELAM.

Linos Ioannis Hadjigeorgiou, Lawyer, served as President of the Youth Front of ELAM.

The Ecologists - Citizens' Cooperation ballot

The ballot paper is the result of cooperation between the Ecologists - Citizens' Cooperation Movement, the Aihmi (Spearhead) Movement recently founded by MEP Demetris Papadakis and the Union of Cypriots Movement, a group of Greek and Turkish Cypriot youth.

The ballot paper consists of:

From the "Cypriots' Union" Turkish Cypriot Oz Karahan.

From the Aihmi Movement, Petros Christodoulou, former Deputy Mayor and former Mayor of Larnaca (2011-2016).

The four candidates from the Movement of Ecologists - Citizens' Cooperation are:

Alkis Papis, Deputy President

Maria Kola, Vice President

Stavros Papadouris, Member of Parliament

Vaso Pellegari, member of the Central Committee

The Democratic Alignment (DEPA) ballot

Themis Papadopoulou, the only woman on the DEPA ballot paper. An ex officio candidate. She is a journalist and worked alongside former First Lady Fotini Papadopoulou. She is now the Secretary General of the Cyprus Organization for Persons with Disabilities

Marios Eleftheriou, Member of the Limassol District Committee of DEPA & Municipal Councillor for Kato Polemidia

Marinos Kleanthous, Vice President of DEPA & Municipal Councillor for Aglantzia

Pantelis Poetis, according to merit candidate, in September 2022 resigned as Deputy Secretary of International Relations and member of the DISY Political Bureau after supporting the candidacy of current President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides

Alekos Tryfonidis, Member of Parliament, DEPA Parliamentary Representative

Marios Charalambides, according to merit candidate, Executive Director of Europa Donna Cyprus and General Secretary of the Federation of Cyprus Patients' Associations (OSAA).

The VOLT (pan-european progressive movement) ballot

The new movement is contesting the European elections for the first time.

Andromahi Sofokleous, Co-Vice President of Volt, political analyst and activist

Hulusi Kilim, General Secretary of Volt, involved in international trade and activism

Lysia Demetriou, clinical researcher,

Makarios Droushiotis, investigative journalist and author

Nicolas Kyriakou, lawyer, official of the European Union

Sophia Vassiliou, Research Specialist.

Only three women elected MEPs in 20 years

Only three women have been elected as MEPs in the 20 years since Cyprus joined the EU.

Between 2004 and 2009, during the first term of Cypriot MEPs after Cyprus' accession to the EU, there were no women in the group. The seats were held by Panagiotis Demetriou and Ioannis Kasoulides (DISY), Adamos Adamou and Kyriakos Triantaphyllides (AKEL), Marios Matsakis (DEKO), and Yiannakis Matsis (European Republic).

In 2009-2014 two women MEPs from Cyprus, Eleni Theocharous (DISY) and Antigoni Papadopoulou (DEKO) sat on the benches of the European Parliament, together with Ioannis Kasoulides (DISY), Kyriakos Mavronikolas (EDEK), and Kyriakos Triantaphyllidis and Takis Hadjigeorgiou (AKEL).

For the next five years, 2014-2019, Eleni Theocharous - DISY 2014-15 then Solidarity Movement from 2015-19 - was the only woman among the six Cypriot MEPs.

Eleni Stavrou is the only female MEP in the current parliamentary term, as she replaced in November 2022 Lefteris Christoforou, whose seat became vacant after his appointment to the European Court of Auditors.

Historical review since 2004, the first MEPs and Cyprus in 20 years of accession

On June 13, 2004, about six weeks after 1 May 2004, the day of the enlargement of the European Union with ten new members, the first European elections were held in Cyprus. The first MEPs were:

DISY, Ioannis Kasoulides, Panagiotis Demetriou (European People's Party (EPP)

AKEL, Adamos Adamou, Kyriacos Triantaphyllides (Confederal Group of the European United Left-Nordic Green Left)

DIKO, Marios Matsakis (Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe)

For Europe, Yiannakis Matsis (Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats - member)

It should be noted that from May 1, 2004 until the new MEPs who emerged from the June elections, the late Doros Christodoulides served as MEP. (1 May 2004-19 July 2004).

The European elections of 6 June 2009

DISY, Ioannis Kasoulides, Eleni Theocharous (EPP)

AKEL, Takis Hadjigeorgiou, Kyriakos Triantaphyllides (Left Group)

DIKO, Antigoni Papadopoulou (Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats)

EDEK, Koullis Mavronikolas (Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats)

The European elections on 25 May 2014

DISY, Eleni Theocharous, Christos Stylianides (EPP)

AKEL, Takis Hadjigeorgiou, Neoclis Sylikiotis (Left Group)

DIKO, Costas Mavridis (Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats)

EDEK, Demetris Papadakis (Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats)

The European elections on 26 May 2019

DISY. Loucas Fourlas, Lefteris Christoforou (until November 2022) , Eleni Stavrou (EPP) - It should be noted that Lefteris Christoforou took over the European Court of Auditors and his place was taken by Eleni Stavrou, the first runner-up.

AKEL, George Georgiou, Niyazi Kizilyurek (Left Group)

DIKO, Costas Mavridis (Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats)

EDEK, Demetris Papadakis (Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats)

Numbers of voters

With the completion of the registration process, a total of 25,914 applications were submitted for first registration in the electoral rolls, of which 103 applications were submitted by Turkish Cypriots residing in the government controlled areas of the Republic.

The permanent electoral roll gives the right to vote in all national elections, including European elections and local elections.

According to an update from the Ministry of Interior, the total number of voters will be available after April 15, which is the deadline for objections from any interested person regarding the supplementary electoral rolls.

Approximately 82,000 people are registered on the special electoral list of Turkish Cypriots for the European Parliament Elections. The exact number is expected to be announced this week.