The House Finance Committee has approved the release of €595,000 for the purchase of a new armoured limousine for the President of the Republic, allowing the Department of Electromechanical Services to begin negotiations with vehicle suppliers in Cyprus.
The funding was approved with the support of DISY, AKEL, DIKO, ELAM and Democratic Alignment, while ALMA, through its leader Odysseas Michaelides, was the only party to openly oppose the release of the funds.
Existing vehicles to remain in service
During the closed-door committee meeting, MPs were told that the armoured limousine purchased in 2010 during the Christofias administration for €291,000 plus VAT will be retired.
The armoured vehicle currently used by President Nikos Christodoulides, purchased in 2019 during the Anastasiades administration for €258,000 plus VAT, will remain in service as a backup vehicle once the new limousine is delivered.
Procurement process
A restricted procedure will be followed for the purchase, with selected vehicle dealerships in Cyprus invited to submit offers for an armoured vehicle.
The same procurement method was used for previous presidential limousines.
Officials from the Department of Electromechanical Services told MPs that the decision to seek a replacement was based on the age of the current vehicle and the fact that it has covered approximately 200,000 kilometres.
Government clarifies President's remarks
Meanwhile, the government sought to clarify President Christodoulides' statement on Saturday that he was unaware of the Cabinet decision taken on 16 July 2026 approving the purchase of a new armoured limousine.
Speaking on Omega TV, Deputy Government Spokesman Yiannis Antoniou described the President's remarks as, effectively, an imprecise formulation.
Antoniou said Christodoulides was aware of the recommendation from the relevant services but not of the technical details of the purchase.
"We must be fair and honest and acknowledge mistakes when they occur," Antoniou said.
According to the deputy spokesman, the President knew of the proposal submitted by the competent security and government departments but was not familiar with the vehicle's specifications, procurement timetable or technical requirements.
"Every decision that goes before the Council of Ministers is known to all members. The President was aware of the proposal and recommendation of the competent services but not the specifications or the details of the purchase. That is not his role," Antoniou said.
Asked whether the phrase "I did not know" amounted to a mistake in wording, he replied:
"You could say that, yes."
What the €595,000 includes
Antoniou said the €595,000 allocation formed part of the proposal presented to Cabinet.
He explained that the amount includes room for negotiation, as well as spare parts and additional equipment.
The deputy spokesman stressed that the vehicle is being purchased for the institution of the Presidency rather than for Christodoulides personally.
He added that it would also be used to transport visiting foreign leaders during official visits to Cyprus.
DIKO MP questions leak claims
DIKO MP Chryses Pantelides described the President's comments regarding the alleged leaking of information from parliament as premature and misplaced.
Speaking on SPOR FM, Pantelides noted that the relevant correspondence had also been sent to the Ministry of Transport and the Department of Electromechanical Services.
He said that while the author of a document has the right to classify it as confidential, proper procedures had not been followed in this case.
According to Pantelides, confidential documents should be clearly marked with prominent and repeated indications of their status.
"All MPs were surprised when they were told that the document was confidential, because you really had to look closely to find the small reference stating that it was confidential," he said.
