Apart from some minor issues which were resolved immediately there were no significant problems so far during the presidential elections taking place on Sunday, Chief of Police, Stelios Papatheodorou has said.
In statements at the Police Headquarters Crisis Management Centre, at the Motorised Direct Action Unit (MMAD) premises in Nicosia, Papatheodorou noted that “the police continue to implement their operational plans for the time before, during and after the current election process.” He noted that the Crisis Management Centre operates at the MMAD premises in Nicosia for general coordination as well as smaller crisis management centres at the police divisional police headquarters.
Papatheodorou said that “we are in continuous coordination with the Chief Returning Officer and district officers which are at the polling stations. Up until now we don’t have any serious problems. The police are responsible for the security measures taken and to ensure that everything will run smoothly while they will contribute to the fairness of the electoral process offering assistance with the transport of the ballot boxes and are responsible for their safekeeping.”
Asked if there were any problems at polling stations, the Chief of Police said that there were some minor issues that were resolved immediately. As he said in one case someone did not want to wear a protective mask while in another case someone said that the ballot box was seen from outside and they moved it.
As to the issue of the use of mobile phones in polling stations, which is forbidden, Papatheodorou said that if any issue comes up then we will look into it and we will file a criminal case if the Chief Returning Officer considers that it is required.
Source: Cyprus News Agency