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] MINISTER OF COMMERCE - EU INFORMAL MEETING

[01] PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS - CANDIDACIES

Moreover nine candidates will run for the three posts of representatives of the religious groups (Maronites, Latins and Armenias) at the House.

Chief Returning Officer Lazaros Savides said the whole process ran smoothly. One hundred forty two candidacies were submitted for Nicosia district, 86 for Limassol district, 77 for Famagusta district, 50 for Larnaca district, 34 for Paphos district and 23 for Kyrenia district.

All former parliamentary parties, AKEL, DISY, DIKO, EDEK, EVROKO and Social Environmentalists Movement submitted their candidacies as well as three new ones: LASOK, ELAM, KYPROS and ZYGOS. Moreover, six independent candidacies were submitted.

Savides said that the lists with the names of candidates will be posted at District Administration offices and the venues for the submission of candidacies as well as on the Interior Ministrys website for any objections. If there are no objections, all candidacies will be approved and then the process for the preparation of ballots will begin.

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.

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] MINISTER OF COMMERCE - EU INFORMAL MEETING

During the meeting, the EU energy Ministers exchanged views on the European Energy Roadmap 2050, aiming at drafting a schedule to set up a low-carbon energy system by 2050. The meeting decided that the Hungarian Presidency should send a letter to the European Commissioner for Energy, outlining the concerns of the member-states which should be taken into account in drafting the Roadmap.

The Ministers also exchanged views on EU external energy relations which will be taken up at the EU Summit under the Polish Presidency.

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