Nicosia, Cyprus. President Nikos Christodoulides announced that children of mothers registered as displaced persons will be allowed to vote for local representatives-in-exile in the areas where their mothers are registered at the 2029 local elections.
Cabinet proposal and timeline
Christodoulides said the change would align matrilineal descendants with those already covered through patrilineal descent. The proposal was submitted to cabinet by Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou and, if passed into law, is set to take effect in 2028, in time for the 2029 elections.
How registration and voting would work
Under the proposal, descendants of displaced persons would be able to vote both in their place of residence and in the locality from which their parents are registered as displaced. If both parents are registered as displaced, voters would initially be registered in their father’s locality but could apply to choose their mother’s locality instead.
No extension to parliamentary elections
The bill does not extend similar rights to parliamentary elections, where children of displaced fathers can already vote for MPs-in-exile. Concerns have been expressed about potential effects on electoral balances if the same right were granted to children of displaced mothers.
Politis reported that the interior ministry warned that allowing children of displaced mothers to vote for MPs-in-exile could have “unforeseen consequences” for the distribution of parliamentary seats across districts.
Digital platform and next steps
The bill also provides for a digital platform enabling voters to check their registration status and voting rights after automatic electoral registration begins on July 1 next year. Following cabinet approval, the bill will be submitted to parliament.
Separate bill frozen in committee
A separate bill before the House internal affairs committee, which would grant children of displaced mothers the right to vote in all elections based on displacement, has been frozen since February last year. Committee members decided by majority not to advance changes ahead of the next parliamentary elections.
How do you think the proposed changes will affect voter participation in the 2029 local elections?
