Parties, MPs fined €29,500 for violating electoral law

The commissioner for personal data protection announced on Wednesday that fines totalling €29,500 had been issued to parties and candidates over complaints about text messages, phone calls and leaflets concerning violations of the electoral law leading up to the May parliamentary elections.

Commissioner Irini Loizidou Nikolaidou examined 68 complaints and imposed the fines for 25 of them.

According to the law, political advertisements, statements, and events that are directly or indirectly related to the elections are prohibited on the day before voting.

Eighteen complaints were considered unfounded or the necessary information for their examination was not forwarded, while some were withdrawn by the complainants themselves during their examination.

The MPs and parties issued fines were: Diko was fined €12,000 for nine violations, Edek fined €4,500 for four violations, Diko MP Alekos Tryfonidis was fined €6,000 for seven violations, Elam’s Andreas Themistokleous and Geadis Geadi were fined €4,000 for five violations and €2,000 for three violations respectively, while Dimitris Sophocleous of Edek was fined €1,000 for two violations.

Eleven of the complaints have been forwarded to the electoral commissioner’s office.