Ministry of Interior reviews parliamentary candidacies ahead of May 24 elections

The Ministry of Interior of Cyprus, led by Elections Commissioner Menelaos Vasiliou, is conducting a preventative review of three potential parliamentary candidates regarding their eligibility under Article 64 of the Constitution. The review focuses on potential convictions for crimes involving moral turpitude or dishonorable conduct, which would disqualify them from running. The candidates in question are associated with the political entities Volt, ELAM, and Amesi Dimokratia. As of today, the Legal Service has cleared the candidate from Amesi Dimokratia, while the status of the candidates from Volt and ELAM remains under assessment. Commissioner Vasiliou clarified that while a full pre-check of all 750 expected candidates is not feasible, the ministry is ready to process any formal objections filed within 24 hours of the official submission deadline on May 6. Official candidacy submissions are scheduled for Wednesday, May 24. While specific reports mentioned charges of fraud, revenge pornography, and disciplinary actions, the ministry confirmed that not all convictions disqualify a candidate, as the law specifically targets certain types of offenses.