AKEL party expels former MP Kostas Kostas indefinitely

The AKEL party has officially confirmed the indefinite expulsion of former Member of Parliament Kostas Kostas. Charis Polykarpou, the party's press spokesperson, stated that the Limassol District Committee reached a unanimous decision following an evaluation of several incidents characterized as "anti-party behavior.

Among the contributing factors to this decision was the failure of Kostas to contribute a portion of his parliamentary severance pay to the party. According to AKEL's internal statutes, outgoing MPs are expected to donate 85% of their severance pay—which in Kostas's case amounted to approximately 250,000 euros—to a party fund supporting elderly members. Reports indicate that Kostas retained the full amount, withholding the 212,500 euros due to the party. While the party official initially treated the matter as an internal issue, he later confirmed the financial dispute was a significant factor in the disciplinary process.

This incident is not unprecedented within the party; in 2006, former MP Doros Christodoulidis similarly refused to transfer his severance pay to AKEL, leading to a public controversy. The party has maintained that the current expulsion is a consequence of persistent behaviors that violate party discipline.