ALMA, through its leader Odysseas Michaelides, proposes its MP Eirini Charalambidou as committee chair, who has the required experience and expertise and also served as chair of the House Human Rights Committee. Fidias Panayiotou, on the other hand, referred to committee chairmanships in statements before the swearing‑in ceremony of MPs on Monday, without revealing his intentions.
However, the leaders of the major parties, DISY, AKEL, ELAM and DIKO, who together with the new Speaker of the House will allocate the committee chairmanships, do not currently appear to favour granting a chairmanship to the two new parties.
The Selection Committee
On 4 June, the plenary of the House will convene for the first time under its new composition. The 56 MPs, after taking the formal oath, will proceed to elect the new Speaker.
The following day, the Selection Committee is expected to convene, as provided by the Constitution. The Committee consists of the Speaker of the House and eight MPs from the major parties, DISY, AKEL, ELAM and DIKO. The Selection Committee is responsible for forming the standing parliamentary committees and appointing the chairpersons and members of each committee.
Who is entitled to chairmanships
Under the House rules, committee chairmanships are allocated to parties that have a parliamentary group. A parliamentary group is defined as a party represented in the House by at least 12 per cent of its total members, that is seven MPs. Therefore, only DISY, AKEL, ELAM and DIKO meet this criterion and are entitled to claim committee chairmanships.
The exception for smaller parties
According to the established practice applied in the outgoing House, one committee chairmanship is also granted to smaller parties that do not form a parliamentary group.
16 plus 3 chairmanships and the contenders
There are currently 19 parliamentary committees, of which three are chaired by the Speaker of the House. Therefore, the available committee chairmanships amount to 16 and are distributed as follows:
- Foreign and European Affairs Committee. The chairmanship was held by DISY with Harris Georgiades, who did not stand again.
- Finance and Budget Committee. The chairmanship was held by DIKO with Christiana Erotokritou, who is expected to retain it.
- Interior Committee. The chairmanship was held by AKEL with Aristos Damianou, who is expected to remain.
- Defence Committee. Following EDEK’s failure to elect an MP, the chairmanship is expected to be contested by DISY and ELAM.
- Education Committee. The chairmanship was held by DIKO with Pavlos Mylonas.
- Transport Committee. The chairmanship is vacant.
- Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism Committee. Previously held by DISY.
- Agriculture Committee. Held by AKEL with Yiannakis Gavriel, expected to continue.
- Labour Committee. Previously under AKEL.
- Legal Affairs Committee. Previously chaired by DISY.
- Health Committee. Previously chaired by DISY.
- Audit Committee. Held by DIKO with Zacharias Koulias.
- Refugees Committee. Held by AKEL with Nikos Kettirous.
- Environment Committee. Now vacant.
- Human Rights Committee. Previously chaired by AKEL with Eirini Charalambidou.
- Institutions Committee. Held by DISY with Dimitris Demetriou.
- Ad hoc Committee on the Demographic Issue. Held by ELAM with Linos Papagiannis.
ELAM chairmanships and AKEL reaction
In the outgoing House, AKEL MPs did not participate in sessions chaired by ELAM MP Linos Papagiannis. The question now is what AKEL will do, given that ELAM is expected to hold more chairmanships after doubling its seats.
