A new report shows candidates in Cyprus spent too much money. This happened during past elections. The country is getting ready for important elections in May. The report makes people worry about fair elections. It says many candidates did not follow the rules for campaign money.
The report looked at mayoral elections from two years ago. It found that winning candidates spent more than allowed. The new mayor of Limassol, Yiannis Armeftis, spent 105% more than the limit. He had a limit of €30,000. The mayor of Amathounta, Kyriakos Xydias, spent 48% more than his €20,000 limit. Four other mayors also spent too much money.
Candidates used smart ways to spend more money. They did not always report all their expenses. For example, friends paid for big events. This hid the costs. Sometimes, other people paid for advertisements. This was to avoid the rules. Cash payments and gifts that cannot be traced were also used.
Candidates want to win and get more attention. The current laws are not strong enough. The laws only look at advertising costs. They do not include other expenses. This means many campaign costs are not checked.
These problems are important for the upcoming elections. Candidates will likely spend too much again. The reports come out late, so they do not help much. The fines for breaking the rules are small. Therefore, candidates do not have a big reason to follow the law. The next elections will show if campaign money rules can change.