Cyprus parliament plenary finalizes selection committee amid deadlock over chairmanships

The Parliament of Cyprus has confirmed the composition of the Selection Committee following a plenary session, which also appointed new secretaries and a quaestor. The committee is tasked with distributing the presidencies of parliamentary committees, but parties remain in deadlock after failing to reach an agreement during a two-and-a-half-hour meeting. Controversy persists regarding which parties qualify for committee chairmanships, as regulations currently restrict this to parties with at least seven deputies. This rule excludes the 'Alma' movement, led by Odysseas Michaelides, which argues it is entitled to a presidency based on legal counsel and has threatened to take the matter to the Supreme Court. Furthermore, disagreements exist over the total number of parliamentary committees, with proposals ranging from 11 to 16, including potential mergers like Human Rights with the Institutions Committee. A specific point of tension is the Environment Committee, which is currently claimed by both AKEL and ELAM. The Selection Committee is scheduled to meet again tomorrow at 10:00 to continue negotiations. The committee includes members from DISY, AKEL, DIKO, and ELAM, alongside the President of the House, Annita Demetriou.