The meeting, which took place in the morning at "Theophilos Georgiades" Amphitheatre at the Press and Information Office, aimed to provide information on the upcoming elections, which will be held on Sunday 9^th June 2024, explaining, inter alia, the changes in the electoral system as a result of the local government reform, the types of elections, the electoral rolls, the number of ballot papers, etc.

The Director General said that on the above date eight elections will be held simultaneously, namely: the election of Mayors, Deputy Mayors, Municipal Councillors, Community Leaders, Members of Community Councils, Presidents of the District Organisations of Local Government, Members of School Boards and Members of the European Parliament.

Speaking about the elections for the Local Government Authorities, the Director General said that a new administrative map has been created, in the framework of the local government reform, which includes three types of Authorities: the Municipalities, the Municipal Districts and the Communities. All citizens of the Republic and European Union (EU) nationals from other EU member states have the right to vote, provided they have reached the age of 18 and are registered in the electoral roll of the Municipality, Municipal District or Community concerned, he explained. Displaced voters will vote, both on the basis of their place of residence and their place of displacement, at special polling stations for displaced voters in each District, Dr Ilias added.

With regard to the mayoral areas, the Director General explained that citizens will vote to elect Mayors, Deputy Mayors, Presidents of the District Organisations of Local Government, Members of School Boards and Members of the European Parliament, while in the Communities, the citizens will vote for the election of Community Leaders, Members of Community Councils, Presidents of the District Organisations of Local Government and Members of the European Parliament.

Dr Ilias pointed out the need for cooperation between the Ministry of Interior, political parties, as well as candidates, noting that these elections are expected to be among the most demanding and complex in the history of the Republic of Cyprus. Stressing the importance of mutual briefing and the dialogue with the Ministry of Interior, he called on everyone to work together for the success of this process.

The Director General concluded by noting that similar briefings will continue for both the representatives of political parties and the media, aiming to disseminate the information to the general public, which will be invited to participate in the 2024 elections.

The Director General was accompanied by the Head of the Local Governance Service, District Officer, Mr Antonis Economides, and the Head of the Elections Service, Mr Menelaos Vassiliou.