Police on high alert on both sides of the Green Line

POLICE will be on high alert today when polling stations open at 7am for the referendum. Around 2,600 police officers will be deployed across the free areas to make sure that the voting goes smoothly.

Police spokesman Demetris Demetriou said he did not fear that there would be any trouble amongst voters, but assured that extra precautions would be taken at the checkpoints for people crossing over, to avoid any trouble between Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

A Turkish Cypriot ‘police’ spokesman said yesterday the north would “not be adding any restrictions” to crossing points in the UN buffer zone on or after today’s referenda. He did say, however, that police would be on a heightened state of alert “to make sure voting goes smoothly”.

The Greek Cypriot side said more than half their police force would be on duty today while Turkish Cypriots said all police leave had been cancelled, bars would be shut and the sale of alcohol banned.

“We are on high alert. This is the most serious and emotional vote in our history,” said Turkish Cypriot Interior Minister Ozkan Murat.

“The most dangerous time is after the result is declared,” he added.

Returning Officer Kyriacos Triantafillides will first take the results of the referendum to President Tassos Papadopoulos, which are expected to be announced one hour after the voting polls close at 6.00pm, between 7.00pm and 8.00pm.

Voters wishing to find out where they will vote can visit the website
www.referendum2004.net or www.dimopsifisma2004.net, and type in their identity card number and voting book number.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.