Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 08-02-16

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From: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>

CONTENTS

[01] PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

[02] CYPRUS - PORTUGAL

[01] PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

Speaking at a press conference, Patsalides said he expected ``the good atmosphere we have had so far to continue until the end.``

Chief Returning Officer Lazaros Savvides said that ``as along as everything runs smoothly and there are no unforeseen difficulties and problems, we should have the first results before 1800 from the small polling stations, and around 2030 the final result.``

He added that if no candidate secures more than 50% of the valid votes on February 17, which the most likely scenario, then a second round will be held a week later between the two candidates that secured the most votes.

The new President will be declared elected on February 24 and will be sworn in before the House of Representatives on February 28.

Both Patsalides and Savvides said there were 515,994 registered voters, including 390 Turkish Cypriots who are citizens of the Republic of Cyprus, plus 361 persons enclaved in the Turkish occupied areas of the Republic, who will be crossing to the government-controlled areas to vote.

Savvides explained that the Turkish Cypriots would be voting in polling stations along with the Greek Cypriots, according to the area they are registered in, and will be using the same ballots in order to secure secrecy.

A total of 1,159 polling stations will be open on Sunday across the government-controlled areas of the island.

Patsalides and Savvides also referred to the provisions of the law, which forbids any actions on the day of the elections that might influence the voters. All meetings, political activities, advertisements, news reports or announcements relating to the elections end on Friday at midnight.

Referring to the cost of the elections, Patsalides said a budget of about 6,840,000 euros is available, adding that in the event that a second round will be necessary, the services of his Ministry were ready to make all the necessary preparations in time.

Furthermore, about 8,000 staff and police officers will be on duty on the day of the elections.

Polling stations will open at 0700 local time and will close at 1700, with a one-hour break from 1200 to 1300. If there are long queues of voters waiting outside the polling stations, the head of the station could prolong voting until 2100.

The counting of votes will be done at the polling stations as soon as voting is concluded.

[02] CYPRUS - PORTUGAL

According to an official press release, Silva, on his way to Jordan on an official visit, was briefed during a stopover in Cyprus on Friday by President Papadopoulos on the long standing political issue of the island.

President Papadopoulos underlined the need for the immediate implementation of the 8th July Agreement, for the true reunification of Cyprus, on the basis of a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation with the right with the right content, the press release, concluding that Silva referred to the successful presidency of the EU by his country.

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