Filenews 17 October 2022 - by Eleftheria Paizanou
Inflation due to the war in Ukraine will also have an impact on expenses for the presidential elections to be held in February 2023. According to the state budget for 2023, a total of €7 million of funds have been included. for both rounds of the election. In fact, compared to the previous elections of 2018, the amount is increased by €1 million, as at that time they had cost €6 million. Out of the total allocation of €7 million, the commission has been able to make a number of proposals. related to the presidential elections. Amounting to €1.9 million will be allocated for the second round of the presidential elections. From the analysis of the data included in the budget of the Ministry of Interior, the funds related to the overtime employment of the civil servants who will staff the polling stations have doubled, while the expenditure on the overtime of police officers has tripled.
For the latter, the increase in expenditure may be due to an agreement made to differentiate the salary scales and the rise in fuel prices. In detail, the cost for overtime for the preparation of the elections and for the staffing of the polling stations for the purpose of voting and for the sorting and counting of votes, amounted to €2.3 million.
In 2018, a budget of €1.2 million was spent. In relation to the overtime of the police officers who will work in the elections and for the movement of service vehicles, it is estimated that the cost will rise to €900,000, compared to €300,000 spent in the last presidential election. In the meantime, due to the discrediting of the institutions and in an attempt to persuade young voters to go to the polls, for the first time in the expenditure for the elections, a budget of €280,000 was included which will be made available for a campaign. The purpose of the campaign is to encourage voters to register on the electoral roll and to reduce abstention.
At the same time, the cost for renting rooms as well as for the purchase of materials and various appliances is doubled, which will reach €100,000 from €50,000 last time. At €250,000 the allocation for visualisation and presentation of the results will be increased. Moreover, at €300,000 expenditure on the operation of polling stations abroad has increased. In the previous elections, an amount of €200,000 had been spent. In the expenses of the presidential elections, a budget of €100,000 was included. for the purchase of stationery and other consumables. The funds for the printing of ballot papers and other electoral forms at the Government Printing House are maintained at the same level, as it is estimated that an amount of €150,000 will be spent.
The same amount will be spent on election announcements and advertisements, estimated at €500,000. On the other hand, they reduced the costs relating to the costs of construction and electromechanical work to €50,000. An amount of €70,000 was included. relating to the coverage of unforeseen expenses. It is worth noting that the expenses of the elections is not limited to only €7 million concerning the administrative costs, but also the sponsorship that the parliamentary parties will receive, which will amount to €6.6 million. 15% of this amount will be paid equally to the seven parliamentary parties, while the remaining 85% will be paid in proportion to the percentages received by the parties in the last parliamentary elections, which were held in May 2021.
