House of Representatives
The country’s main lawmaking body and a frequent exam question
The story
The House of Representatives is the single-chamber parliament of the Republic of Cyprus; its members are elected by direct universal vote for five years. Under the 1960 Constitution the House had 50 seats, and in 1985 this rose to 80. The ratio stayed the same, 70 to 30: 56 seats for Greek Cypriots and 24 for Turkish Cypriots. After the intercommunal clashes of December 1963, the Turkish Cypriot members left the House, and their seats have stayed empty ever since. The Armenians, Maronites and Latins each have one elected representative, who takes part in sessions but does not vote. In 2021 a woman led the House for the first time: Annita Demetriou.
The parliament has one chamber, with elections every five years; 80 seats, 56 for Greek Cypriots and 24 for Turkish Cypriots; the Turkish Cypriot seats have been empty since the events of December 1963. The President of the House is Annita Demetriou, the first woman in this post (elected in 2021, re-elected in 2026); the President of the House stands in for the President of the Republic during a temporary absence.
Visiting
For the find, it is enough to walk up to the building from outside (1 Nehru Avenue). Plenary sessions are open to the public: during the session they are usually held on Thursdays at 16:00. Request a pass in advance from the parliament’s secretariat by sending a form at least three days ahead; an ID card or passport is checked at the entrance.
On the way
Sources
- House of Representatives — Historical review (parliament.cy)
- House of Representatives — Election, composition and dissolution of the House (parliament.cy)
- Οι Πρόεδροι της Βουλής των Αντιπροσώπων από το 1960 έως σήμερα (parliament.cy)
- Παρακολούθηση συνεδριάσεων ολομέλειας της Βουλής από πολίτες (parliament.cy)
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