GENERAL indifference and the anticipation of a Cyprus problem solution has left very few people interested in the Euro elections, as the deadline for registering on the electoral roll draws nearer.
Only 2,400 people from a potential 150,000 have added their names to the current electoral roll, giving them the automatic right to vote in this summer’s euro elections.
The Euro elections bill voted in last January paved the way for all Cypriots registered on the presidential electoral roll to vote on June 13 for a representative to the European Parliament. The remainder, EU nationals and Turkish Cypriots living in Cyprus, would have to register by April 2 to participate in the elections.
So far, only 300 EU nationals residing in Cyprus have registered on the roll from a potential 42,000. Around 80-90,000 Turkish Cypriots are eligible to vote (33,000 Turkish Cypriots acquired a Cyprus Republic ID card since the checkpoints opened last April), but a meagre 300 have registered on the electoral roll.
The low figures have raised concern with the European Parliament. Head of the Office of the European Parliament in Cyprus, Anthony Comfort, said yesterday he was concerned about the very low registration rate for foreigners. He noted that Britons, representing the largest foreign community on the island, were generally reluctant to vote in Euro elections. There are 27,000 Britons, 12,000 Greeks and 4,000 other EU nationals currently living in Cyprus.
British interest in the Euro elections is traditionally poor and borderline apathetic. In the last elections, only 24 per cent of the voting population participated in the Euro elections.
Last week the Interior Ministry sent 25,000 letters in Greek and English, including registration forms, to known addresses of foreign residents, reminding them of their right to vote in June.
Elections official, Demetris Demetriou, admitted interest was minimal but added that the number of registrations would hopefully increase in the run-up to April 2. He highlighted that the majority of EU nationals had the choice of voting for a representative of their own country instead if they wished. The British can vote by mail, while Greek nationals may vote via their Embassy.
Demetriou said a further 29,000 Greek Cypriots were eligible to vote but had not yet registered on the electoral roll, apart from some 1,800.
Regarding poor interest from the Turkish Cypriot community, Demetriou said the prevailing mood in the north was to wait for a conclusion of the negotiation process. But non-solution would result in negligible numbers of Turkish Cypriots voting this June.
