Right to vote in local elections

PatCon · Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 9:30 am Post subject: Right to vote in local elections

As most people know, all permanent residents over 18 from EU countries have the right to vote in municipal elections. Those of us who have tried, however, have been told we must first have a Cyprus ID. This demand is a contravention of European Law.

After years of protesting at District Office level I contacted the appropriate authority in Brussels and have now received a letter from Directorate C of the European Commission in Brussels informing me officially that Directive 2004/38/EC requires on issue of a residence permit that our names must be put on the electoral roll. In other words the issue of a resident permit alone entitles us to the right to vote. The EC also indicated to me they may take infringement procedures against Cyprus for non-compliance with the directive, which could involve, once more, a hefty fine for Cyprus (taxpayers' money, of course). I have made the Ministry of the Interior in Nicosia aware of this in September and they say they will change their law. But up until then they apparently intend to ignore the European law. My advice is to ex-pat residents is: do not apply for a Cyprus ID and protest to your District Officer if they refuse to put you on the electoral roll after presenting your residence permit. Copy of letter from Brussels sent on request.

stavrizatz · Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 2:40 pm Post subject:

Welcome Patcon

Can pemanent residents get Cyprus IDs, if yes then I suppose the Cyp gov did not breach any EU rules, you can vote and use Cyprus ID as the electorate card that some other countries have. If Cyprus ID is only for citizens then I guess you are right.

ps I hope more and more migrants start to vote to integrate in the community, we need you to help transform Cyprus

PatCon · Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 5:24 pm Post subject:

stavrizatz · Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 4:10 pm Post subject:

/I get what your saying, basically Cyprus did not change its polict after entering EU to deal with this issue, but if you can get Cyprus ID then why don;t you do so and end of the story, get the ID, vote and no worries. So the problem essentially is why are you required to do that extra step to vote.

Good luck anyway

repulsewarrior · Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 11:30 pm Post subject:

Welcome Mr. P.

keep up the fight...

there is a difference between residency and citizenship. to vote in a municipal election one must demonstrate a civic identity; this is quite different to an attachment to a State, and so a "Cypriot" identity is a prejudice to anyone who my have an association to a physical place, such as a municipality, while their reason for being there may be for any number of reasons...

PatCon · Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 8:31 am Post subject: Voting in Municipal Elections

I think Stavrizatz is still missing the point. There are two possible scenarios: 1) the ex-pat goes to vote on voting day and he is turned away because he is not on the electorol roll. This is illegal. 2) He goes to the District Office beforehand to become enrolled. There he is told he must first apply for and receive a Cyprus ID. This is also illegal because he should have been enrolled automatically when he was issued a residence permit. For many ex-pats it would all mean too much hassel to get an ID, so he doesn't vote. As a British citizen I voted in German municiple elections by just going to the polling station with my passport and nothing else. This is mandatory procedure by EU law.

stavrizatz · Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 1:01 pm Post subject:

I got that, so you can vote but the enrollment does not happen automayically with residency but rather you need to go through a process which you prefer to avoid. So you want Cyprus to change the enrolment system to comply with EU,

repulsewarrior · Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 4:27 pm Post subject:

Cyprus challenged over voting criteria for EU nationals
By Bejay Browne, Cyprus Mail, 31.12.08

Cyprus challenged over voting criteria for EU nationals

...good on you mate!

mod note: link corrected

Gardash · Senior Villager Joined: 20 Jan 2006 Posts: 281

Yes, but why not get an ID card? They're actually mandatory in to Republic of Cyprus, it's just not enforced. No, it's no hassle. You go to the Citizen's advice Berau, it takes far less than half an hour and it costs you a fiver. They will even take a photo if you dont bother bringing your own. Citizenship is not a requirement.
It does not contain any intrusive data. It also means we dont have to do the Grim Fandango with banks etc trying to juggle bills with an address etc.
Not being funny, but for someone so keen to exercise civic rights I think a half hour and a fiver is not such a crap deal.

Gardash · Senior Villager Joined: 20 Jan 2006 Posts: 281

Bureau, apologies

Gardash · Senior Villager Joined: 20 Jan 2006 Posts: 281

Oh, and according to the Mail article, you could have done it with a birth certificate too.

Sounds like youre putting yourself through a lot of unnecessary hassle...

city · Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 12:33 pm Post subject:

Gardash, the point with the ID card is, that in order to get one, one must have a residence permit (the so called 'yellow slip') as far as I know.
And the hassle lies in getting THIS one. I applied for mine through an agency about 16 month ago and have nothing heard to date. I know of people who are waiting even longer - and we are talking EU citizens here.