Cyprus’ new House of Representatives began taking official form on Monday, as the 56 newly elected MPs arrived at the Nicosia Municipal Theatre for their proclamation ceremony following Sunday’s parliamentary elections.
The ceremony began at 12:00, bringing together elected representatives, party officials, relatives and supporters for the first formal moment of the post-election period. Around the theatre, the atmosphere mixed celebration with political uncertainty, as the result of the vote continued to dominate conversations.
The arrivals offered the first visual picture of the new parliamentary landscape. There were handshakes, embraces and informal conversations between newly elected MPs, with several political figures also making statements to the media before the formal process began.
Before the formal proclamation began, DISY leader Annita Demetriou said the party had not yet decided whether she would seek re-election as House President.
Asked if she intended to run again for the post, Demetriou said the matter had not yet been discussed within DISY and that decisions would be taken in the coming days.
“We have not discussed anything yet. We will deal with it in the coming days,” she said, adding that she would not prejudge the party’s position.
Demetriou described the election result as a message in favour of stability and responsibility, saying voters had rejected “populism and toxicity”. She said DISY’s priority was now to maintain a strong and effective parliamentary group.
Fidias Panayiotou also left open the possibility that Direct Democracy could play a decisive role in the election of the next House President.
“The House presidency is coming up and I think they may need us for a president to be elected,” he said, adding that the party would discuss the matter with its elected MPs before deciding its position.
Panayiotou said Direct Democracy wanted to work with all political forces, saying its aim was for the House to become one of “national unity”. He also said the party would seek direct engagement with citizens, with some decisions to be taken by the public and others by its MPs.
Responding to criticism over the party’s limited communication on election night, he said there had been no intention to disregard the media, but acknowledged that coordination could have been better.
By the time the ceremony was about to begin, the hall was packed, with elected MPs, party officials, relatives, supporters and members of the media filling the Nicosia Municipal Theatre.
The proclamation concerns the 56 MPs elected in Sunday’s vote, as well as the representative of the Maronite religious group. The process marks the official start of the new parliamentary period, with the first plenary sitting of the new House scheduled for Thursday, 4 June, at 16:00. During that sitting, MPs will give their formal affirmation and the new President of the House will be elected.
The ceremony came after an election that changed the composition of the House. DISY, AKEL, ELAM, DIKO, ALMA and Direct Democracy entered parliament, while EDEK and the Greens were left outside, underlining the scale of the political shift produced by the vote.
Beyond the formal procedure, the day was shaped by the surprises of election night. New formations entered the House, traditional parties lost ground, and the balance between old and new political forces became one of the main talking points.
One of the clearest changes was the entry of ALMA and Direct Democracy into parliament, giving the new House a different political texture from the previous term. At the same time, the absence of EDEK and the Greens marked a major break with past parliamentary line-ups.
The proclamation ceremony concluded after the names of the newly elected MPs were officially announced, marking the formal start of the new parliamentary period.
The new House will meet for the first time on Thursday, 4 June, at 16:00, when MPs will give their formal affirmation and proceed with the election of the new House President.
