Cyprus parliament leaders meet to discuss committee appointments

Party leaders and representatives in the Cypriot Parliament held their first meeting on June 9, 2026, under the chairmanship of Speaker Annita Demetriou to discuss the formation of the Selection Committee. This eight-member body, which will be ratified by the Plenary on Thursday, is responsible for allocating chairmanships and staffing the 16 parliamentary committees. While DISY and AKEL aim to retain their previous committee chairmanships, conflicts have arisen regarding the proposed restructuring of committees. Specifically, ELAM proposed reducing the number of committees to 14, including a merger of the Agriculture and Environment committees, a move which faces opposition from AKEL. Additionally, there is competition between DIKO and ELAM for the leadership of the Defense, Education, and Finance committees. Reports suggest that minor parties, such as Alma and Direct Democracy, may not receive committee chairmanships due to their size, and there is speculation that no Ad Hoc committees will be formed this term. A new meeting is scheduled for Thursday before the Plenary session to finalize these arrangements.