A matter of ethics and mutual respect among members of parliament, prompted by a video from Direct Democracy published following a previous session of the Human Rights Committee on neurotechnology, was raised during the Committee’s session on Monday, with its Chair, Christos Christofides, condemning the remarks which, as he said, were derogatory and mocking, while the Direct Democracy MPs denied that they had violated the code of ethics.
The issue concerned a video posted by Direct Democracy on social media, following the Committee’s discussion on neurotechnology, in which—according to remarks made during today’s session—reference was made to the Committee members’ level of understanding of the issue.
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The 2027 state budget before the Finance Committee
The Committee Chair and AKEL MP, Christos Christofides, noted that meaningful dialogue requires mutual respect, evidence-based arguments, and responsibility in public statements. He also referred to the Code of Principles and Rules of Conduct, which supplements the House Rules and provides, among other things, respect for members of Parliament and their staff, as well as the avoidance of offensive behavior. In this context, he described the comments as “unacceptable” and condemned them.
For his part, the member of parliament from Direct Democracy, Yiannis Laouris, stated that if the post was interpreted as belittling the intelligence of his colleagues, the party apologizes, adding that “we must not destroy Cyprus over petty political squabbles.”
A member of parliament from the same party, Diana Konstantinidou, denied that there had been a violation of the code of ethics, stating that “we categorically deny that we violated any code of ethics,” while adding that they have the right to engage in politics in the way they deem appropriate.
After the session ended, DISY MP Dimos Georgiadis expressed concern about the way the issue was handled, noting that it cannot be assumed that the members of parliament were unaware of or did not understand the agenda of the previous session. “This is something that saddened us, since the cohesion of this particular committee is admittedly strong, and it is not appropriate, for specific purposes, to use populist tactics at the expense of our colleagues,” he added.
Alma MP Litsa Drousiotou, who described the content of the video as unethical, noting that it undermines the Committee’s work and exposes its members. As she said, it is unthinkable to publicly suggest that the members of parliament were unaware of the subject they were discussing, while she recalled that scientists, doctors, and academics participated in the session. “This is considered unethical, and it is unthinkable to release such videos to the public, undermining the work of the Parliament,” he added.
Alma Takes a Stand on the Proposal to Establish a Committee on Artificial Intelligence and Digital Governance
During the session, Alma, through MP Irini Charalambidou, submitted a letter to the Committee Chair outlining its positions on Direct Democracy’s proposal to establish an ad hoc parliamentary committee on Artificial Intelligence and Digital Governancegovernment. In the letter, the party expresses the view that the relevant issues can be examined by existing parliamentary committees, with appropriate coordination and the necessary scientific support, without the need to establish a new committee; it was also noted that the letter is being brought to the attention of the meeting of party leaders.
Source: CNA
