Cyprus parliament begins negotiations on committee leadership and structure

On Tuesday, June 9, at 12:00, party leaders in the newly elected Cyprus House of Representatives held a meeting presided over by Speaker Annita Demetriou to discuss the formation of the eight-member Selection Committee. This committee is tasked with organizing the 16 parliamentary committees and determining their leadership, with an official vote scheduled for Thursday's plenary session. A primary point of debate is whether to merge certain committees, such as Agriculture and Environment, which has drawn opposition from AKEL due to concerns over potential chair distribution. While major parties like DISY and AKEL aim to retain their previous chairmanships, ELAM and DIKO are actively pursuing leadership positions in key areas such as Defense, Education, and Finance. There is also a dispute between larger parliamentary groups and smaller parties regarding the entitlement to committee chairs, with smaller factions citing past precedents. Reports suggest that ad hoc committees, including one for artificial intelligence, may not be established this term. The total number of committees could potentially be reduced from 16 to 14 if restructuring proposals are accepted.