Cypriot political parties initiate consultations for electoral reform

Five political parties in Cyprus have launched formal consultations to discuss comprehensive reforms of the country’s electoral system. Initiated by the Ecologists' Movement – Citizens' Cooperation, the effort aims to address distortions identified since the 2015 legislative amendments. The movement, following a letter sent on August 6, 2026, by former leader Stavros Papadouris, officially opened the dialogue on September 29, 2026.

The core proposals include the introduction of horizontal voting and the restoration of proportional representation for the second and third allocation of parliamentary seats. The latter measure is intended to ensure fairer representation for smaller parties, as the current system often limits entry to the legislature. Parties that have responded positively to the invitation include ALMA, Direct Democracy, EDEK, and DIKO (Democratic Alignment).

Recent high-level meetings have occurred between the Ecologists' Movement and leadership from EDEK, led by Sofia Christodoulou Makri, as well as with the Democratic Alignment (DEPA), led by Marios Garoyian. These discussions focused on aligning positions and identifying areas for political consensus to improve institutional transparency and voter choice. The involved parties have agreed to continue the dialogue in the coming weeks to finalize structural proposals, with a shared commitment to fostering a more participatory democratic framework.