After a five-year delay, the Legal Service issued its opinion regarding a community leader who had been convicted of criminal offenses, resulting in the community leader being removed from office just last Friday, after he had been re-elected in the 2024 elections.
Speaking on the “Alpha Kalimera” program, Antonis Oikonomidis, Head of the Local Government Directorate, explained that the case had been filed in court in 2015 and concerned several disputed actions by the community leader, specifically allegations of assault, unlawful entry, actual bodily injury, malicious damage, etc.
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The court convicted the community leader in 2021, imposing suspended prison sentences.
The Nicosia District Administration subsequently sent a letter to the Legal Service, requesting an opinion on whether the offenses fall under those defined by law as involving a lack of integrity or moral turpitude.
“It is a fact that a letter was sent by the Nicosia District Administration in 2022, immediately after being informed of the community leader’s conviction by the Court. At some point there, let’s say, there was a mix-up, or perhaps a letter got misplaced somewhere in the legal department. There was this delay until they realized it.”
As a result of this significant delay, the 2024 local elections took place, and the community leader was re-elected.
Commenting on this, Mr. Oikonomidis explained that “not all offenses fall under this definition. And since there was no legal opinion from the Legal Service by the specified date for holding the elections and submitting candidacies, then the District Administration could not refuse to accept the candidacy of this particular community leader.”
The law provides for automatic forfeiture; thus, since the community leader received the letter in person last Friday, the position is now considered vacant, and the community must hold elections.
By law, the elections must be held within fifteen days of the position becoming vacant.
*Featured image from the archive
