Direct Democracy plans annual membership fees of €60 to €70

Nicosia, Cyprus. Direct Democracy announced on Tuesday that it intends to set yearly membership charges at €60 to €70, at least three times the €20 paid by members of Cyprus’ two biggest parties.

Membership requirements and funding

Speaking at an online meeting of the party, leader Fidias Panayiotou said registration would begin shortly. He acknowledged that the proposed charge would exceed the fees levied by most other parties.

According to Panayiotou, the additional revenue would finance activities for members, ranging from events and trips to dinners and cruises. He also said prospective members would need to complete a personal interview with him before they could join.

The proposed fee is substantially higher than those elsewhere: Disy and Akel charge €20 annually, compared with €24 at Volt and €10 at each of Diko, Dipa and Edek. Elam’s statutes specify €1, while Alma does not require a fee and is considering an online platform for voluntary contributions.

Changes to internal decision-making

Panayiotou said the movement was considering amendments to its constitution and internal procedures, with the goal of giving members greater influence and bringing decision-making closer to the principles of direct democracy.

At its founding, the party said decisions would be made through Agora, its online platform, and that members would be consulted about policies and forthcoming votes. Agora was recently fined by the data protection commission.

Electricity price protest

Much of the meeting was devoted to a demonstration against electricity prices scheduled for October 17. The protest is due to start at Nicosia’s Eleftheria Square and finish outside the presidential palace.