Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 11-05-03

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From: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>

CONTENTS

[01] PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS - CANDIDACIES

[02] SPOKESMAN - CYPRUS ISSUE

[01] PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS - CANDIDACIES

Head of the Central Electoral Service and Assistant Chief Returning Officer Demetris Demetriou told CNA that today ``the candidacies for the new House of Representatives and the three representatives of the religious groups are being submitted today.``

Demetriou noted that the candidacies will be submitted from 0900 till 1230 local time (0600 - 0930 GMT) for the five electoral districts.

He added that the tenth combination has been clarified as a party, namely ZYGOS.

The political parties participating in the elections are now AKEL, the Democratic Rally, the Democratic Party, the Movement of Social Democrats EDEK, the European Party, the Green Party, the National People`s Front ELAM, the Cyprus Progressive Cooperation KYPROS, the Citizen Rights Office LASOK, and the Movement of Independent Citizens ZYGOS.

Parliamentary elections take place every five years, for the 56 seat House. This will be the 10th parliamentary poll since the Republic of Cyprus was established in 1960. Polling day has been set for May 22. Cypriot nationals who live abroad will also be able to vote.

According to the 1960 Constitution, 50 deputies are elected to the House. In June 1985, the House by a unanimous decision increased this number to 80 (56 from the Greek Cypriot community and 24 from the Turkish Cypriot community by virtue of the Law of Necessity.

The Constitution stipulates that the Greek community of Cyprus, comprising Greek Cypriots, Latins, Armenians and Maronites, elects its own representatives to the House and the Turkish community of Cyprus its own deputies by a ratio of 70% to 30 %. The Turkish Cypriots withdrew unilaterally from Parliament in 1964 following intercommunal fighting and as part of their rebellion against the government.

Six political parties are currently represented to the House of Representatives: the leftwing AKEL which received 31.16% (18 seats), the rightwing Democratic Rally (DISI) with 30.33% (18 seats), the Democratic Party (DIKO) with 17.91% (11 seats), the Social Democrats Movement EDEK 8,91% (5 seats), the European Party (EVROKO) with 5.73% (3 seats) and the Ecologists with 1,95% (1 seat).

Today the House has seven women deputies, as opposed to six in the previous House, representing AKEL (3), DISI (2), DIKO (1) and EDEK (1).

Following a House plenary decision, an additional seat has been allocated to Larnaca district and the distribution of seats at present is as follows: 20 in Nicosia District, 12 in Limassol District, 11 in Famagusta District, 6 in Larnaca District, 4 in Paphos District and 3 in the Kyrenia District.

Armenians, Maronites and Latins, who belong to the Greek Cypriot community, elect their representatives to the House, who do not have the right to vote. Vartkes Mahtesian was elected representative of the Armenian religious group, Antonis Hatzirousos of the Maronite group and Benito Mantovani representative of the Latins.

[02] SPOKESMAN - CYPRUS ISSUE

Speaking to journalists, Stephanou noted that President Christofias will continue showing the necessary realism so that a political solution is achieved in Cyprus, which would give an end to the illegal Turkish occupation.

``I have to stress that the President will continue negotiating and working for a solution of the Cyprus problem, defending principles and showing the necessary realism so that we can achieve a solution that would give an end to the illegal Turkish occupation of our country and would reunify our country and its people in the framework of a bizonal, bicommunal federation``, he underlined.

The Spokesman called for unity in the domestic front, in order to better address Turkey`s policy and strategies.

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