Call for equal political participation
The Commissioner for Administration and Human Rights Protection, Maria Stylianou Lottides, has stressed the need to fully and effectively safeguard disability voting rights Cyprus ahead of upcoming elections.
In a statement, she reiterated a series of recommendations aimed at ensuring equal participation of persons with disabilities in the electoral process.
Right to vote linked to legal capacity
The Commissioner emphasised that the right to vote is directly linked to the recognition of legal capacity for persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others, as outlined in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
She added that the ability to make decisions and freely express political will is essential for meaningful participation in democratic and electoral life.
Calls for accessible election process
The recommendations, first submitted in 2021, include a range of measures to improve accessibility in elections and strengthen disability voting rights in Cyprus.
These include ensuring that all television election programmes are accessible, and that all electoral information is provided in accessible formats before and during election day.
The Commissioner also proposed a dedicated helpline for persons with disabilities, full accessibility of polling stations, and special arrangements for individuals living in long-term care facilities to ensure secret and independent voting.
Alternative voting options proposed
Additional proposals include mobile ballot boxes or the ability to vote at nearby polling stations for persons with disabilities, as well as accessible voting systems that do not require assistance from third parties.
She further suggested linking state funding for political parties to the provision of accessible campaign events and materials.
Legal reforms and inclusive democracy
Lottides also called for the completion of the legal framework regarding the legal capacity of persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities, and amendments to ensure that no individual is deprived of voting rights due to disability or removed from electoral registers for this reason.
She concluded that all policies affecting persons with disabilities should be developed in consultation with representative organisations, stressing that democratic participation must not be a privilege for a few.
“Disability voting rights in Cyprus must be fully protected, and no person should be excluded from the political and electoral process due to disability or need for support,” she said.
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