Candidacies for presidential elections to be submitted on January 5

Candidacies for the February 2023 presidential elections will be formally submitted on January 5, the interior ministry said on Thursday, while December 27 is the cutoff for registering in voter rolls.

The ministry identified three milestones in the roadmap for the presidential ballot. First, on December 23 the interior ministry will issue a decree proclaiming the elections.

Second, by December 27 persons eligible to vote but who are not registered, must register in the rolls. They can do either online (by midnight) or by filing a paper form (by 5pm).

For Cypriot expatriates, the deadline for declaring an intention to vote is likewise December 27. In order for a polling station to operate at a location overseas, there must be at least 50 registered voters.

Third, individuals interested in running for president must submit their candidacy on January 5. This will take place at the Filoxenia conference centre in Nicosia.

Turkish Cypriots who are registered voters and reside in the south will vote like anyone else. They number a few hundred.

Covid-related protocols have been relaxed, so that persons who test positive for the virus may physically visit a polling station. But they will do so during designated hours alone.

The first round of the presidential elections will take place on February 5. If no candidate secures more than 50 per cent of the votes, a runoff will be held a week later.