All set for submission of candidacies ahead of elections

All preparations have been completed for the submission of candidacies for the May 24 parliamentary elections, assistant chief returning officer Menelaos Vasiliou said on Monday.

Vasiliou confirmed that there are no outstanding issues.

Responding to questions concerning cases involving candidates under investigation, he said that a letter submitted by Diko leader Nicolas Papadopoulos is currently being examined by the Legal Service and other competent state authorities.

Referring to a recent incident involving a candidate from the Active Citizens – Movement of Cypriot United Hunters, Vasiliou stressed that under the Constitution, any citizen of the Republic who has reached the age of 21 is eligible to stand for parliamentary election.

He noted that candidates must not have been convicted of a dishonourable or morally reprehensible offence, must not have been deprived of eligibility following a court decision for an electoral offence, and must not suffer from a mental condition rendering them incapable of performing parliamentary duties.

Candidacies will be submitted to the relevant returning officers on Wednesday between 9am and 12:30pm.

For the Nicosia electoral district, submissions will take place at the Archangelos Cultural of Kykkos monastery. In Limassol, Larnaca, Paphos and Famagusta they will be filed at the respective District Administration offices. For Kyrenia, submissions will be made at the multipurpose hall of the Ministry of Finance.

Candidacies for representatives of religious groups in the House of Representatives will be submitted on the same day at the office of the Director General of the Ministry of Interior.

Vasiliou also reminded that each candidacy must be submitted in writing and signed by four voters from the respective electoral district, two acting as proposers and two as supporters. A fee of €500 must be deposited for each candidacy.

Candidates are also required to sign a declaration confirming that they meet the eligibility criteria set out in the Constitution.