525.000 to vote in Cyprus for euro-elections

Preparations are on track for June's European Parliament elections in which Cypriots will be called to choose six deputies to represent their country, according to Ministry of the Interior chief election official Demetris Demetriou.
In an interview with CNA, he said that a total of 525.000 persons are on the electoral list, 10.000 of whom are overseas, 1.300 are Turkish Cypriot voters and 5.000 nationals of other EU countries and 7.400 are new voters.
Demetriou said polling stations will open at 6 in the morning until 8 at night, with an hour break at noon. The counting of crosses of preference to candidates, according to initial estimates, is expected to begin as soon as polling stations close on 6th June 2009.
Polling stations for the European elections are expected to be set up in Greece, Britain, Belgium, Germany, Russia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria, Demetriou said.
Cypriot voters in Greece are approximately 7.000, in Britain 2.000, in Belgium 179, in Moscow 80, in Prague 117, in Budapest 84, in Sophia 227, in Qatar 92 and in Germany 150.
In Greece, apart from Athens and Salonica, where the embassy and consulate are situated respectively, there are plans for polling stations to open in Patra, Komotini, Volos, Dhrama, Rhodes, Mitilini, Ioannina, Kalamata, Kastoria, Crete and Larissa.
Polling stations abroad are expected to operate the same hours as in Cyprus.
Existing personnel in embassies will be working on election day under the supervision of an acting head of polling station who will receive special training by the Election Office in Cyprus.
The sorting and counting of the votes, according to initial estimates, is expected to get underway as soon as the elections end. According to Demetriou, it is expected that counting will take place at each polling station.
Demetriou said that the financial cost of the elections is estimated at 5 mln euros.
Turkish Cypriots residing in the southern government controlled part of the island will be able to vote in polling stations in the area they live and those who will come from the northern Turkish occupied part of the country will vote in polling stations near crossing points along the dividing line, that separates the country since the 1974 Turkish invasion.
According to the Nice Treaty, Cyprus is entitled to elect six deputies.