Following the recent Parliamentary Elections, the first plenary session of the new House of Representatives will take place on Thursday, 4 June, during which the new procedure for electing the President of the House will take place for the first time.
Responding to CNA questions, Deputy Director General of the House of Representatives, Andreas Christodoulou, said that the agenda of the first Plenary Session initially includes the swearing-in of the Members of Parliament, based on the Constitution, so that they can officially assume their duties.
The election of the President of the House of Representatives will follow.
For the first round, a majority of 29 votes out of a total of 56 Members of Parliament is required, that is, half plus one vote. In the event that no candidate secures the required majority, the two candidates who will receive the most votes will proceed to a second round, where the one who receives the most votes will be elected.
In the event of a tie in the first round between candidates claiming a place in the second round, a repeat vote will be held between them. If the tie remains in the final round, a public draw will be held under the responsibility of the Chairman of the plenary.
Christodoulou said that the session will be chaired by the oldest MP, unless he is a candidate for the Presidency of the Parliament, in which case the second oldest MP will assume the duty.
"This is provided for by the regulations and it is considered that the framework has been modernised. This was the will of the legislature during the previous parliamentary term and we will proceed with these procedures," he said.
Moreover, Christodoulou told CNA that a week later, a Selection Committee will be formed, that will determine the composition of the parliamentary committees. Following the composition of the Committees, the Parliament will proceed with the composition of the delegations that will represent the Parliament in European, regional and international organisations.
Based on the election results, DISY secured 17 seats, AKEL 15, ELAM eight, DIKO eight, Alma – Citizens for Cyprus four and Direct Democracy four seats.
(Source: CNA)
