Cyprus government seeks to reduce number of deputy mayors

Cyprus Interior Minister Konstantinos Ioannou has announced an initiative to review and potentially reduce the current number of 93 deputy mayors across the country. This effort, slated for the upcoming autumn, involves consultations with the Union of Municipalities and parliamentary parties to address systemic inefficiencies and administrative costs.

The current structure has led to significant operational dysfunction in several municipalities, most notably in Polis Chrysochous, where the presence of 13 deputy mayors has resulted in frequent conflicts and governance gridlock. Critics highlight that these internal power struggles often impede hiring processes and general decision-making, placing an unnecessary financial burden on taxpayers. While a reduction to one deputy mayor per municipality is considered ideal, officials suggest an intermediate target of 35 to 45 positions is more realistic for the current political landscape.