"We are at the final stage of the electoral process for the election and proclamation of the new President of the Republic of Cyprus for the next five years," said today the Chief Electoral Officer Dr Kostas Constantinou in a statement to reporters.
The Registrar General visited the indoor sports hall "TASSOS PAPADOPOULOS - ELEFTHERIA" early this afternoon to supervise on the spot the preparation of the ceremony for the proclamation of the new President of the Republic of Cyprus.
"The election campaign has ended yesterday at 12 midnight," said Dr. Constantinou, saying that, according to the information from the Election Commissioners, there is complete order and calm and that today no activity on the part of the staff has been observed.
"There is compliance with a few minor exceptions," he added and informed that the very few posters or signs that have been spotted, the Electoral Officers' staffs are making arrangements to remove them.
He noted that he visited the venue where the proclamation of the new President will be made tomorrow, Sunday, and that "if all goes well, around 10 p.m. we will have the proclamation if preceded by the release of the final result as well as the official final result."
He informed in this regard that the schedule is around 7:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. to complete the electoral process and the final election result. Then, he added, the Constituency Secretariats will proceed with the relevant procedures to issue the final official result around 9 pm, when the ceremony of the proclamation of the President of the Republic will follow at the "TASSOS PAPADOPOULOS - ELEYRTHERIA" stadium.
The Curator General called on all citizens wishing to attend the ceremony of the new President of the Republic to arrive on time and before 9 p.m., so that the Police can carry out the necessary checks, but also "so that they can calmly enter the stadium."
The Curator General called on all citizens wishing to attend the ceremony of the new President of the Republic to arrive on time and before 9 p.m., so that the Police can carry out the necessary checks, but also "so that they can calmly enter the stadium.
The General Superintendent also noted that "arrangements have been made for those who will not fit inside the stadium so that around the perimeter of the stadium they will be able to watch the ceremony on giant screens, which will operate outside the stadium," adding that the arrangements outside the stadium include sound coverage.
The proclamation will take place at the podium where the President-elect, the Chief Electoral Officer, the Assistant Chief Electoral Officer and the Electoral Officers of the seven Constituencies will ascend along with 15 or 16 other persons of his choice, Dr Constantine said. He explained that behind the President's podium is the grandstand where members of his staff will be brought in. He informed that arrangements have been made to give badges to the staffs of the two candidates, based on which they will be able to arrive at the designated areas.
The Police, he continued, "have taken care to plan the whole operation for both the arrival of the President and the arrival of our fellow citizens who will attend the ceremony."
He further informed that "arrangements have been made for where our fellow citizens will be able to park" and referred to an announcement that has been issued, which includes a map showing the route one can take to reach the stadium, on the basis of the road arrangements.
"The inauguration of the new President will take place on March 1, 2023 before the House of Representatives," Dr. Constantinou said.
Asked if all other electoral processes have been completed, the Auditor General informed in this regard that the staff, who are travelling abroad, have arrived in the cities where polling stations will operate.
"There will be 35 polling stations, in 25 cities abroad, in 12 countries abroad. They are all now in place to enable them to complete their mission tomorrow," the Auditor General said. As far as the polling stations in Cyprus are concerned, the presiding officers, he added, are in possession of the ballot boxes with all their contents and will be at the polling stations tomorrow at 6 a.m. in order for them to open at 7 a.m.
He finally mentioned "some minor problems that we expect to have in the mountainous communities where, due to the frost, we may need to take some special measures". He clarified that "there has been an inspection of the road network by the Electoral Officers' crews", and that any issues that exist will be addressed tonight and in the morning hours, so that both staff and voters have free access to the polling stations in the morning.
(EFYs)
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