Filenews 17 January 2025
The right to vote at the age of 17, party funding, control of election expenses and postal voting are among the issues that the House Standing Committee on Internal Affairs will begin discussing on February 6, examining more than 30 bills and bills relating to electoral issues, electoral laws and electoral procedures, with the intention that the changes will be voted on in time to take effect for the Parliamentary Elections in 2026.
According to the Chairman of the Interior Committee, Aristos Damianou, in the context of planning for the first half of 2025, the Interior Committee decided to start a major discussion and examination of more than 30 law proposals and bills concerning electoral issues, electoral laws and electoral procedures as of February 6.
"It will be an ambitious effort because legislation will have to be grouped together, issues will have to be prioritised, but the aim is to conclude the discussion by May 2025 at the latest," Damianou said.
He noted that at least one year before the next elections – which are set exactly at the end of May 2026 – there should be a shaped electoral landscape, the institutional framework for reasons of legal certainty and, of course, the quality of democracy.
"There are too many issues that will be addressed," Damianou said. He said that among other things, the right to vote at the age of 17, party funding, control of election expenditure, postal voting, the closure of electoral rolls and automatic registration in the electoral rolls will be discussed.
Asked if the issue of horizontal voting might be discussed, Damianou replied that there are various proposals, so all issues will be put on the table and those that form majorities will be led to the Plenary of the Parliament.
Asked if the number of seats of MPs per province might change, Damianou said that "we will have to see where we are on this issue because perhaps the last elections have changed the proportions and distribution of seats and these are issues that we will see with the Ministry of Interior."
He added that the Commission's intention is for the changes to be voted on in time to take effect for the 2026 Parliamentary Elections.
