Annita Demetriou re-elected House president as new parliament convenes

Nicosia, Cyprus. Disy leader Annita Demetriou was on Thursday elected House president for a second time, winning 29 of the 56 votes in the new parliament as it convened for the first time after last month’s election.

Under the new simplified rules, Demetriou needed only a simple majority in the second round and was re-elected without the support of more than half of all sitting MPs.

Second-round result

Demetriou faced Akel leader Stefanos Stefanou in the second round. She received support from her own party, Diko, and Direct Democracy Cyprus, for a total of 29 votes.

Stefanou received the backing of his own party and Alma, winning 19 votes in the second round.

Elam abstained in the second round. Newly elected MP Marios Pelekanos had said before parliament opened that his party would support its leader Christos Christou in the first round and would not support Demetriou or any Akel candidate in the second round.

First-round voting

In the first round, Demetriou, Stefanou, Christou, and Diko leader Nicholas Papadopoulos stood as candidates, with only the two highest-scoring candidates advancing to the second round.

Demetriou won 21 votes in the first round and Stefanou won 19. Christou and Papadopoulos each received eight votes.

Alma’s four MPs all backed Stefanou in the first round, while Direct Democracy Cyprus’ MPs voted for Demetriou.

Diko position

Diko had announced before Thursday’s vote that it would support Demetriou if Papadopoulos did not advance to the second round.