Cyprus House of Representatives to elect new speaker under revised procedures

The newly elected Cyprus House of Representatives holds its first session today following the May 24 elections. The 56 MPs and representatives of religious groups will be sworn in before commencing the election for the House Speaker. This session introduces a revised electronic voting procedure chaired by the oldest MP, Zacharias Koulias. To win, a candidate must secure an absolute majority of 29 votes in the first round. If no candidate reaches this threshold, a second round will occur between the top two contenders, with a potential public draw in the event of a tie. Nominees include AKEL's Stefanos Stefanou, supported by the Alma movement, and incumbent Annita Demetriou of DISY, with DIKO's position remaining uncertain. The session also addresses the future election of a deputy president and a deputy of the deputy.