Cypriot parliament begins process for committee leadership appointments

On June 9, 2026, party leaders met at the House of Representatives in Nicosia under the presidency of Annita Demetriou to discuss the formation of the eight-member Selection Committee. This committee is tasked with determining the composition and the 16 chairmanships of the parliamentary committees. A plenary session is scheduled for Thursday to finalize the selection of the committee's eight members, which are expected to include three members from the Democratic Rally (DISY) and AKEL, one from ELAM, and one from the Democratic Party (DIKO). The distribution of these chairs has triggered internal disagreement among parties. Larger parties with at least eight MPs argue that committee presidencies should be allocated to them based on constitutional and regulatory provisions. Conversely, smaller parties with four MPs cite past precedents where non-parliamentary group members also held leadership roles. The outcome of these discussions will reflect the new political correlations of the legislative term, particularly following the exclusion of parties like EDEK, DIPA, and the Ecologists from the current parliament. Key vacant positions resulting from these changes include the Committees on Defense, Environment, and Transport.