ELAM candidate’s proposal to monitor political rivals sparks controversy

Phoivos Kyprianou, an ELAM parliamentary candidate in the Famagusta district, deleted a social media post that suggested the creation of an independent authority to monitor political parties and organizations. In his original proposal, he advocated for a 'Law on the Protection of the Constitution and National Sovereignty of 2026,' modeled after Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV). He explicitly named AKEL, Volt, and Fidias Panagiotou as targets for potential monitoring or banning if they were deemed a threat to the survival of Hellenism in Cyprus. This proposal drew sharp criticism from AKEL and Volt, with both parties accusing ELAM of holding authoritarian views and threatening democracy. AKEL further criticized other political forces like DISY and Nikolas Papadopoulos for not ruling out future cooperation with ELAM. In response to the backlash, ELAM reportedly distanced itself from the candidate’s specific proposal and indicated that an official party statement would follow. The controversy ignited heated debates across social media, with critics labeling the proposed measures as fascist in nature.