With the first sitting of the new House scheduled for 4 July and the election of a new Speaker approaching, party leaderships are already engaged in intense consultations and behind‑the‑scenes manoeuvring.
The leader of the ALMA movement, Odysseas Michaelides, set out the party’s position on Wednesday morning, indicating that it is prepared to engage with a wide range of parties, including some previously outside consideration.
Michaelides described the House Presidency as a “highly political position,” making clear that for ALMA it is not enough to consider only the personal suitability of a candidate, but also their political background.
“We are not appointing a Director General of the House. We are electing a President of the House. It is a highly political post,” he said, stressing that both personal suitability and political affiliation must be taken into account.
According to Michaelides, ALMA has decided to open contacts with all parties that have not officially declared a candidate, noting that a meeting with DIKO leader Nikolas Papadopoulos has already been arranged.
“The only party that has formally announced its candidate is DISY. We therefore see no reason to meet Anita Demetriou or DISY. We will seek meetings with all other parties,” he said.
He added that the movement will also request meetings with Fidias Panayiotou and ELAM, suggesting that discussions are under way on the possibility of a broader understanding.
“We want to understand their intentions as well, because there may be a solution that could serve as common ground for several parties under the circumstances,” he said.
Asked whether this reflects a shift from initial exclusions regarding cooperation, Michaelides avoided a direct answer, but acknowledged that different scenarios are being considered that could lead to a parliamentary majority.
At the same time, he sent a message regarding the distribution of committee chairmanships, arguing that smaller parties should not be treated as politically secondary.
“The Constitution is clear. It does not state that parties with more than seven members must exclusively chair committees, nor does it provide for the exclusion of smaller parties,” he said.
Michaelides stressed that the 22,000 voters who supported ALMA in the parliamentary elections cannot be treated as second‑class citizens, nor should the movement’s MPs be excluded from roles and positions in the new House.
