Record Number Of Candidates Register For South Cyprus Election, Nearly 30 Per Cent Women

According to Haravgi, 744 of the candidates are party-affiliated, while nine are running as independents.

Ilias stated that 15 parties contested the 2021 elections, compared to 19 parties this year. He added that the number of parliamentary candidates increased by 102 compared to the previous election.

He said all 19 parties contesting the election are officially registered in the political parties registry. The parties include Agronomos Rural Workers Party, AKEL, Extreme Left Resistance Communism, Alma, Direct Democracy, Volt Cyprus, DIPA, Democratic National Movement (DEK), DIKO, DISY, EDEK, ELAM, Active Citizens – United Cyprus Hunters Movement, Ecologists-Citizens Cooperation, Freedom Popular Struggle, Patriotic Front, “Sikou Pano” (Stand Up), and the “Cyprus Green Party”.

Ilias said some parties submitted full candidate lists matching the number of seats in each electoral district, while others fielded candidates only in selected districts or with partial lists.

Meanwhile, Fileleftheros reported that candidacies were also submitted for representatives of the Maronite, Armenian and Latin religious communities.

According to Ilias, Marios Mavridis and Petros Nakuzis applied to represent the Maronite community, Vartkes Mahtezyan for the Armenian community, and Antonella Lydia Mantovani for the Latin community.

He said that if no objections are filed within 24 hours, the Armenian and Latin representatives — who are unopposed — will be declared elected, while Mavridis and Nakuzis will contest the Maronite seat.

Ilias also noted that the candidacy submission process concluded yesterday and that ballot printing will begin on 9 May once the objection period expires.

Separately, Politis reported that 89-year-old Hristakis Rotsidis, a resident of Limassol, submitted his candidacy for parliament.

Rotsidis, an independent candidate and musician, is the oldest candidate in the election.