The Chief Returning Officer, Dr Costas Constantinou, replied to Press questions, in the framework of his statement on the commencement of the voting.

Asked whether citizens had access to polling stations in mountain areas, he confirmed that “all polling stations were opened on time”.

“As a result, all the employees who staff these centres have been at the polling stations since 6.a.m”, he said.

He also pointed out that ‘to ensure this in the rural areas of the Lemesos and Lefkosia Districts, and mainly in the mountain areas of Pitsilia and Marathassa, the road maintenance crews of the Lemesos and Lefkosia Districts made sure that roads were opened».

He added that “salt was placed on specific parts of the road network, where problems occurred due to frost, so as to enable employees to reach the polling stations unhindered, and also enable the public to move without any problems”.