Direct Democracy party proposes electoral reforms in Cyprus

On October 9, 2026, members of the Direct Democracy party, Dimitris Souglis and Yiannis Laouris, formally submitted legislative proposals aimed at reforming the electoral process in Cyprus for parliamentary and European elections. The primary objective of these initiatives is the institutionalization of horizontal voting, which would allow citizens to select candidates across different party lists without being tethered to a single party preference, thereby preventing such ballots from being declared invalid.

Beyond horizontal voting, the proposals address the methodology for electing party leaders and advocate for the participation of independent candidate groups in the second round of seat distribution. This legislative effort follows recent consultations between the Green Party, DIPA, EDEK, the Direct Democracy movement, and ALMA. The proponents argue that these changes are necessary to modernize the electoral system, enhance democratic participation, and increase transparency within the candidate selection process. As of now, the proposals are being promoted as a core component of the party's platform to ensure voters who do not support a specific party can still actively participate in the democratic process.