| Parliament name (generic / translated) |
Vouli Antiprosopon / House of Representatives |
| Structure of parliament |
Unicameral |
| NATURE |
| Nature of the mandate |
· Free representation |
| Start of the mandate |
· When the MPs take the oath (see Art. 69 of the Constitution of 16.08.1960, as amended up to and including 21.11.1996). Proce-dure (Art. 69 of the Constitution, Rule 5 of the Rules of Procedure). |
| Validation of mandates |
· Validation by the Supreme Constitutional Court only in case of challenge (Art. 85 and 145 of the Constitution)
· Procedure: |
| End of the mandate |
· On the day when newly elected Representatives take the oath (Art. 65 (2) and 67 (2) of the Constitution; but see, for the power of the House after the end of the term of office or after dissolution, Art. 68 and 143 (1) of the Constitution) (for early dissolution, see Art. 67 of the Constitution) |
| Can MPs resign? |
Yes |
· Of their own free will (see Art. 71 (b) of the Constitution)
· Procedure (see Art. 71 (b) of the Constitution): submission of the written resignation to the President of the House
· Authority competent to accept the resignation: the resignation does not need to be accepted |
| Can MPs lose their mandate? |
Yes |
(a) Loss of mandate for loss of eligibility (Art. 71 (c) in connection with Art. 64 (a), (c), and (d) of the Constitution)
(b) Loss of mandate for incompatibilities (Art. 71 (d) in connection with Art. 70 of the Constitution)
(c) Death (Art. 71 (a) of the Constitution) |
| STATUS OF MEMBERS |
| Rank in hierarchy |
· Within Parliament:
1. The President
2. The Party Leaders, according to the number of seats held by the party
3. The Party Parliamentary Spokesmen
4. The Chairmen of Parliamentary Committees
5. The other MPs, according to the length of their term of office in the House
· Outside Parliament (Official Protocol of the Republic): the official order of precedence ranks the President of the House of Represen-tatives in the 3rd position, the Leaders or Representatives of politi-cal parties represented in the House in the 4th position, Party Par-liamentary Spokesmen in the 9th position, former Presidents of the House in the 10th position, and the other MPs in the 11th position. |
| Indemnities, facilities and services |
· Diplomatic passport for members of the House Standing Commit-tee on Foreign Affairs and Representatives attending regularly meetings of international parliamentary organisations
Basic salary (see Art. 84 of the Constitution): CYP 1,000 per month + Representation Allowance: CYP 600 per month
· Total exemption from tax
· Pension scheme (Pensions (President and Vice-President of the Republic, President and Vice-President of the House of Represen-tatives, Ministers and Members of the House of Representatives) Law of 1980)
· Other facilities:
(a) Secretariat: Secretariat Allowance: CYP 300 per month
(b) Assistants (Art. 72 (4) of the Constitution, Rules 7, 9, and 10 of the Rules of Procedure)
(c) Security guards for the President of the House and the Party Leaders, in special cases also for other MPs if circumstances make them necessary
(d) Travel and transport |
| Obligation to declare personal assets |
No |
|
| Parliamentary immunity - parliamentary non-accountability |
· The concept does exist (Art. 83 (1) of the Constitution).
· Parliamentary non-accountability is limited to words spoken or written by MPs and votes cast within Parliament.
· Derogations: matters sub judice (Rule 28 of the Rules of Proce-dure), re-examination of any matter on which the House expressed an opinion during the current session (Rule 29 of the Rules of Pro-cedure), offence or insult (Art. 73 (9) of the Constitution, Rule 36 (c), in connection with Rule 8 (2) (b), and Rule 58 of the Rules of Procedure, see Discipline)
· Non-accountability takes effect on the day when the mandate be-gins and offers, after the expiry of the mandate, protection against prosecution for opinions expressed during the exercise of the man-date. |
| Parliamentary immunity - parliamentary inviolability |
· The concept does exist (Art. 83 (2) of the Constitution).
· It applies to criminal and civil proceedings, covers all offences and protects MPs from arrest and from being held in preventive cus-tody, from the opening of judicial proceedings against them and from their homes being searched.
· Derogations: in cases of flagrante delicto, when the MP is taken in committing an offence punishable with death or imprisonment for five years or more, the MP can be arrested. Procedure (Art. 83 (2) of the Constitution).
· Parliamentary inviolability does not prevent MPs from being called as witnesses before a judge or tribunal.
· Parliamentary immunity (inviolability) can be lifted (Art. 83 (2) of the Constitution):
- Competent authority: the High Court
- Procedure (Art. 83 (3) and (4) of the Constitution). In this case, MPs need not be heard. They do have means of appeal.
· Parliament cannot subject the prosecution and/or detention to cer-tain conditions.
· Parliament cannot suspend the prosecution and/or detention of one of its members. |
| EXERCISE OF THE MANDATE |
| Training |
· There is no training/initiation process on parliamentary practices and procedures for MPs.
· Handbook of parliamentary procedure:
- Rules of Procedure of the House of Representatives of the Repub-lic of Cyprus |
| Participation in the work of the Parliament |
· It is compulsory for MPs to be present at plenary sittings and committee meetings (Rule 13 of the Rules of Procedure).
· Penalties foreseen in case of failure to fulfil this obligation (Rules 15 and 19 of the Rules of Procedure): forfeiture of the right to re-ceive (the whole/half of the/a third of the) monthly Representation Allowance
· Body competent to judge such cases/to impose penalties (Rules 16 to 18 of the Rules of Procedure): the Rules Observing Committee |
| Discipline |
· The rules governing discipline within Parliament are contained in Art. 73 (9) of the Constitution, and Rules 8 (2) (a) and (b), 10, 27, 36 (c), and 58 of the Rules of Procedure.
· Disciplinary measures foreseen:
- Warning for irrelevance (Rule 8 (2) (b) and 27 of the Rules of Procedure)
- Call to order (Rule 8 (2) (b) of the Rules of Procedure)
· Specific cases:
- Offence or insult (Art. 73 (9) of the Constitution, Rule 36 (c) in connection with Rule 8 (2) (b), and Rule 58 of the Rules of Proce-dure): call to order, refusal to allow the expounding of proposals framed with improper expressions, refusal to put those proposals to the vote
· Competent body to judge such cases/to impose penalties (Rule 8 (2) (a) and 10 of the Rules of Procedure):
- Warning for irrelevance, call to order (Rule 8 (2) (b) of the Rules of Procedure): the President
- Offence or insult: the President, the House of Representatives
The administrative clerks see that all directions of the President are carried out.
· Procedure:
- Warning for irrelevance (Rule 8 (2) (b) and 27 of the Rules of Procedure)
- Call to order (Rule 8 (2) (b) of the Rules of Procedure)
- Offence or insult (Art. 73 (9) of the Constitution, Rule 36 (c) in connection with Rule 8 (2) (b), and Rule 58 of the Rules of Proce-dure) |
| Code (rules) of conduct |
· This concept does not exist in the country's juridical system but there are some relevant provisions (Art. 71 (d) in connection with Art. 70 of the Constitution).
· Penalties foreseen for violation of the rules of conduct: loss of mandate (Art. 71 (d) in connection with Art. 70 of the Constitution; incompatibilities)
· Competent body to judge such cases/to impose penalties:
· Procedure |
| Relations between MPs and pressure group |
· There are no legal provisions in this field. |
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Mandate module
