First round of Cyprus presidential elections on 17 February 2008

The first round of the presidential elections will be held on 17 February 2008, followed by a second round on 24 February 2008 if no candidate secures 50% plus one vote in the first round.

Minister of the Interior Christos Patsalides said during a press conference on Thursday that on 4 January 2008 the Minister will be issuing the decree proclaiming the elections and the Chief Returning Officer and other officers will be appointed.

On 11 January 2008 the Chief Returning Officer will announce the date and place for submitting candidacies, and probably on 18 January the candidacies will be submitted, followed on 8 February by the notification regarding the polling stations.

Patsalides said the main priority of the Ministry was for all new voters to register, noting that there were about 27,000 persons aged between 18 and 30 who were not registered and who would be called to do so.

He added that the Ministry of the Interior has proven over the years that it is capable of organising democratic elections and ”this massive and arduous work, which is regulated with the necessary coordination for carrying out democratic and flawless elections, is for us a celebration of democracy and an indication of the smooth functioning of democratic institutions in the state.”

Head of the Election Department at the Ministry of the Interior Demetris Demetriou said there were nearly 500,000 registered voters and that the number would rise to about 520,000 with the registration of the new voters.

Patsalides pointed out that by 2 July 2007 there were 499,526 registered voters, of which 318 Turkish Cypriots living in the government controlled areas of the Republic.