THE HOLY Synod did not yesterday ratify the results of last Sunday’s Archbishopric elections due to the large number of objections regarding voter irregularities.
Only when the Holy Synod ratifies Sunday’s results will the 100 Electors be officially distributed among the three remaining candidates – the Limassol Bishop, the Kykkos Bishop and the Paphos Bishop.
The announcement does not come as a surprise since delays and postponements have become all too regular in Holy Synod sessions, which have been increasingly marked by discord and disagreements between bishops vying for the archbishopric throne.
Acting Synod head Bishop of Paphos Chrysostomos said that a preliminary examination had already been conducted of the 79 objections, about five of which had been examined yesterday.
He added that the Synod members would receive a document of all the objections, which they would be able to study over the weekend and then reply to him on Monday on their positions. The Paphos Bishop said he would then examine the various positions and present them at the next Synod session, which will convene on Thursday.
The Paphos Bishop only secured 10 Electors in Sunday’s election, in contrast to the 45 Electors apiece gained by the Limassol Bishop and the Kykkos Bishop, but no one has ruled him out as a possible candidate for the throne, as he wields substantial power as acting head of the Synod, a position that could significantly affect the course of the runoff elections.
He downplayed the possibility that there may be no ratification of the election results, stating that after the objections were examined the Synod would make its decision “whether unanimously or by a majority”.
The most objections over Sunday’s elections have come from the Kykkos Bishop, and it is expected that he will vote against ratifying the results unless his many objections are accounted for to his satisfaction.
The Kykkos Bishop has already sent a letter to the Attorney-general denouncing voter irregularities in the handling of the ballot boxes and the counting of the votes.
The possibility that independent legal observers might be brought in to review the voting elections has not been ruled out.
In the next stage, the 100 Electors and a body of ex officio clerics will vote separately for the Archbishop. The winning candidate must secure an absolute majority in both votes.
