Voter abstention levels concerning to electoral staff

by Oriana Papantoniou

Citizens will be called to the polls in less than two months to choose the eighth President of the Republic of Cyprus, with abstention rates reaching 23% - and potentially exceeding 30% - according to a poll conducted for Kathimerini by Symmetron Market Research.

The parties are reading the polls' messages and focusing on convincing voters who is best suited.

On Averof Neofytou

In an interview with SPOR FM and the news show, DISY press spokesman Dimitris Demetriou expressed optimism that the party's mobilization will increase as the election date approaches. He stated that the country requires an experienced leader and effective politician and that the party's president and presidential candidate is none other than Averof Neophytou.

He went on to say that people have yet to participate meaningfully in the presidential elections, despite the fact that they know from past experience that this will happen in the last month. Demetriou stated that "when the citizens' eyes are turned, we will then convince our fellow citizens with full-scale progress."

Demetriou also showed a strong concern for the abstention rate. 

On Nikos Christodoulides

Konstantinos Letibiotis spoke on behalf of the staff when he expressed satisfaction that the messages of Nikos Christodoulides, a candidate for president of the republic, are reaching the public.

He asserted that everyone's main objective should be to persuade each voter to exercise their right to vote.

When asked to comment on the dissatisfaction index of citizens, which reached 85% according to the "K" poll, he stated that it could not be unrelated to how some people chose to act during the election period.

Nikos Christodoulides, he added, is addressing the entire spectrum of society horizontally with the ultimate goal of establishing a government of national unity. Mr. Letibiotis cited an increase in voting certainty as one of the poll data's positive aspects, noting that "this shows that society is consolidating and consciously choosing Nikos Christodoulides."

On Andreas Mavroyiannis

"There is no doubt that what we have been experiencing recently in our contact with citizens is now reflected in the polls," Vassilis Protopapas said on behalf of candidate Andreas Mavroyiannis' staff to DIASPORA NEWS. People who know the candidate are convinced and choose to support him, he says, emphasizing that Mavroyiannis' candidacy is one that is constantly improving.

According to Protopapas, the positive aspects of the poll include the candidate's infiltration into the center and the percentage of votes he receives from unaffiliated citizens.

 [This article was translated from its Greek original using excerpts from Diaspora News on Spor FM]