Pafos Live 3 December 2024
More than 250 cases involving false declarations of residence for the purposes of registration in the electoral rolls during previous local government elections are before the Pafos Police Headquarters. Those who are proven to have falsely and fraudulently tried to transfer their voting rights to a municipality or community in which they do not reside risk a fine or even imprisonment.
In the last elections for the election of the new local government leaders, 20,890 applications for the transfer of electoral rights due to a change of address and 3,560 objections were submitted throughout Cyprus during the time the electoral list was posted. Of these objections, 41% were accepted and 58% rejected. In 1,461 cases there was a decision that applications for relocation were irregular.
In the Paphos constituency, 1,212 objections had been lodged. Almost 80% of these objections were rejected. In Pafos Municipality 497 objections had been submitted, in Pegeia 299, in Geroskipou 62, in Chloraka 54, in Konia 28, in Amargeti 17, in Neo Chorio 16 and in Pentalia 15.
Based on the study of cases that were not approved, it is expected that not only voters but also community leaders and certifying officials will be prosecuted, since under the law who, by false and fraudulent representations as to the character, content or validity of a document, causes another to sign or execute the document, is guilty of a criminal offense of the same kind and is subject to the same penalty as if he had forged the document. The list has already been received by the Pafos Police Department and is expected to examine each case separately.
