Parliament upholds presidential veto on school supervision law

The Cyprus House of Representatives voted 34-16 with one abstention to uphold the President's veto of a law regarding student supervision. The legislation would have mandated the Ministry of Education to oversee students before and after school hours starting in the 2026-2027 academic year. The President argued the law violated the separation of powers by encroaching on executive authority and cited the lack of budgetary provisions as a key practical barrier. DISY and AKEL, along with several independent MPs, voted to support the veto, while DIKO, ELAM, EDEK, and the Greens opposed it. MP Kostis Efstathiou abstained from the vote. Proponents of the original bill, including Alekos Tryfonidis, expressed disappointment, stating that the issue of student safety during pick-up hours remains unresolved. The law was initially passed on March 26 and subsequently referred back to Parliament on April 9, 2026.