Consultations among political parties and between the parties and the two presidential hopefuls in Sunday’s run off elections have begun, as the Central Election Commission is preparing in earnest for the second and final round of presidential elections.
The printing of ballot papers with the two candidates running in the second round of the presidential elections in the Republic of Cyprus has already started and these will be ready for delivery by Wednesday, according to the Commission.
Deputy Chief Returning Officer Demetris Demetriou told CNA today he expects the final results of Sunday’s elections to be announced in the afternoon.
”I am sure that we will finish very early but to be on the safe side I would say by 2000 (1800 GMT),†he added.
Work at the Printing Office of the Republic is in process and ballot papers for 24th February are already printed and are now being cut, folded and packed ready to be delivered to the Returning Officers.
Last night, he explained, the Commission consulted with the election offices of the two winners of the first round, Demetris Christofias and Ioannis Kasoulides, about the printing of the ballot papers.
A run off election will be held on February 24, since no candidate in yesterday’s first round of presidential elections secured 50% plus one vote, necessary to be elected President of the Republic.
Ioannis Kasoulides and Demetris Christofias would be participating in the run off election, having secured most of the votes.
Kasoulides secured 150.996 votes or 33.51%, Christofias 150,016 or 33.29%, and incumbent President Tassos Papadopoulos 143,249 or 31.79%.
The new President is expected to be proclaimed at around 2230 local time on February 24 in Nicosia.
Party consultations, those on the winning as well as the losing side, have already been announced for the coming days. Party organs are also meeting to decide which candidate to support next Sunday, following the reshaping of the political map with a result which has refuted opinion polls as well as exit polls.
The local press highlighted the outcome of the elections with banner headlines, with many party affiliated newspapers projecting their favorite candidate.
The Turkish Cypriot press also showed an interest in the election result, focusing mainly on the Cyprus issue and anticipated developments with the electoral defeat of President Tassos Papadopoulos.
