BY A majority, Parliament yesterday voted down a government bill that would have given a number of non-EU nationals residing in Cyprus the right to cast their ballot in municipal elections.
Under the government bill, non-EU nationals with long-term residency and immigrants residing here for five years or more would have been allowed to vote in municipal elections.
During discussion in the plenum, the Greens proposed an amendment, giving voting rights at least to long-term residents, given objections by several MPs to immigrants getting the vote.
The amendment was supported by AKEL and DISY MPs Nikos Tornaritis and Christos Stylianides – not enough to garner the necessary ‘ayes’.
The amendment having been thrown out, the original bill was then opposed by the majority of deputies from DISY, DIKO, EDEK, the European Party and by independent MP Zacharias Koulias.
Deputies against argued that the electoral rolls have already been fixed, and that Cyprus has yet to ratify the relevant Council of Europe treaty – required before a bill is submitted to parliament. They also cited ambiguity in the bill as to whether it included political refugees.
“I fear that many of my colleagues were influenced by a xenophobic psychology,” Greens MP Giorgos Perdikis said of the outcome.
“It was probably a reflex reaction,” he added.
“For one, the argument about the electoral rolls does not hold water, because the rolls could have been re-opened to let these people [long-term residents] register in time for December’s municipal elections.”
Perdikis said that, as it stands, the law is “bizarre.”
“EU nationals who work in Cyprus for six months can vote in municipal elections but also run for municipal councillor. But folks living here for years, decades, are not even allowed to vote. This is just unfair. It doesn’t make sense,” said Perdikis.
“Long-term residents, non-EU nationals, number less than 200. So what possible harm could come from giving them the vote? These people pay their taxes, they are part of our society. It’s not as if they would strip Cypriots of anything.”
The government drafted the bill after non-EU nationals filed a complaint with the Ombudswoman back in 2006.
Parliament did, however, pass a legislative proposal – tabled by the Greens – enabling citizens of European countries who have resided in Cyprus for six months to run for membership of school committees. The law will cover the upcoming December municipal elections, which go hand in hand with the election of school committees.
