Cyprus parliament limits benefits for former presidents

On Thursday, the Cyprus House of Representatives unanimously approved legislation to restrict benefits provided to former Presidents of the Republic and former Presidents of the House. The bill was consolidated from proposals submitted between 2021 and 2024 by Stavros Papadouris, Alexandra Attalidou, and Annita Demetriou. Under the new law, a state vehicle will be provided to former officials for a period of five years following their departure from office. Lifetime secretarial support will continue to be provided, but it is now strictly limited to duties related to their previous official capacity, and the option to choose a public servant for this role has been abolished. During the session, the House rejected amendments proposed by Eirini Charalambidou and Alexandra Attalidou, which sought to apply these changes to current officials. An amendment by AKEL was passed, while the House President abstained from the vote due to a conflict of interest. These new provisions will apply exclusively to individuals elected to these offices for the first time after the law comes into effect.