Members of Parliament from all parties on the Finance Committee agreed on Friday that there is an urgent need to construct a new building for the House of Representatives, noting that, beyond the issue of respect for democracy, there are daily concerns regarding functionality, safety, and health.
Members of Parliament were discussing the House of Representatives’ budget for 2027, with Deputy Director General Andreas Christodoulou, noting that it accounts for only 0.31% of the total national budget.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The House of Representatives’ expenditures for the coming year amount to €36.9 million and the medium-term framework for the period 2028–2029 is €38.2 million per year.
More specifically, personnel expenses total €18.5 million and include Members of Parliament’s salaries and allowances (6.9 million), operating expenses total €5.3 million, transfers—which include funding for political parties—amount to €12.4 million, while €0.63 million is allocated for fixed assets and projects under construction.
“Our vision is to enhance the image of Parliament in all the activities it carries out,” said Mr. Christodoulou, adding that “we want a Parliament that is more outward-looking toward citizens, more open, as befits a modern Parliament.”
Parliament’s planned actions for the coming year also include funding for the recording, classification, digitizing, and documenting the Parliament’s archives for the period 1960–1980, which will subsequently be accessible via a web application, Mr. Christodoulou noted.
At the same time, the digital transition is being promoted through the digitization of archives and the recording of proceedings using advanced artificial intelligence tools, while the technical infrastructure is also being planned to enable the live streaming of parliamentary committee meetings.
Increase in Questions and Legislative Proposals Due to AI Use
Referring to a “sharp increase” in the workload that the House of Representatives’ services are called upon to handle, Mr. Christodoulou noted that the use of artificial intelligence has led to a significant increase in both the questions and the bills submitted by Members of Parliament, noting, on the one hand, that they require extensive legislative drafting by the Parliament’s services and, on the other hand, that he receives complaints from the ministries regarding the large volume of questions, which they are unable to respond to in a timely manner.
He noted that the Parliament does not conduct a quantitative assessment of Members of Parliament’s work, clarifying that the tools available for this purpose do not belong to Parliament. He clarified that he is not trying to prevent any Member of Parliament from exercising their constitutionally guaranteed rights, but called for greater emphasis to be placed on the quality of the work produced rather than on quantity.
Need to Renovate the Building
The House of Representatives’ plans for the new year include a provision of €30,000 to update the architectural plans for the House of Representatives building. Mr. Christodoulou stated that the construction of a new building is a matter of political decision, noting that “it is not just a matter of image, but also of functionality,” and adding that a building befitting the stature of the institution is appropriate.
He also noted that the existing building has many problems and will pose health and safety issues in the future, while noting that €200,000 was spent on repairs last year alone.
All Members of Parliament present agreed on the necessity of constructing the new building.
“We must unanimously dare to move forward,” said the Committee Chair, DIKO Member of Parliament Chrysis Pantelides, adding that “we must overcome the fear that we will be criticized.” He noted that in all capital cities, the most impressive buildings are the parliaments.
DISY Member of Parliament, Dimitris Dimitriou said, in turn, that Parliament must “gain the necessary confidence and make the decision to proceed with the construction of the building,” noting that everyone can see the shortcomings and operational problems of the existing building.
DISY MP Savia Orfanidou added that the construction of the building is a “political decision that must be made.” As she said, Cyprus has an important role to play as a European state and in the Eastern Mediterranean, noting that the House of Representatives hosts important foreign leaders.
AKEL MP Aristos Damianou, said that the House of Representatives must become more assertive toward the executive branch, also referring to the very small percentage of the total state budget allocated to the House. He pointed out the building’s operational shortcomings, such as committee rooms that cannot accommodate all invited guests, noting that the decision to construct a new building must be made collectively and carried out in the coming years. “It is a sign of civilization and respect for democracy. The House of Representatives is the temple of democracy,” he said, referring to “backward populism.”
ELAM MP Marios Pelekanos noted that the building will remain for future generations, pointing out that it is a symbol of the institution. “We agree that we need to figure out how to move forward on the issue of the building,” he said, and asked about health and safety concerns regarding the existing building.
The leader of the Alma Movement, Odysseas Michaelides, briefly referred to the history of the construction of a new Parliament building, noting that the initial plans were drawn up in 1995 and have since been updated several times, but to date “there has been no willingness on the part of the Ministry of Transportation.” He called for a joint request from all parliamentary parties to ensure the project moves forward. “Let’s all take this on and push it forward,” he said, adding that the existing building could be put to use by a public agency.
Yiannis Laouris, a member of parliament for Direct Democracy, referred to the new Archaeological Museum building, which is shaped like a ship. “I would like the Parliament to be a spaceship, to show that we are thinking about the future,” he said, noting that “it’s a shame to spend €150 million on a building based on designs from 1995.”
Mr. Laouris also called for greater digitization, the use of artificial intelligence, and accountability from Parliament’s services.
Establishment of a Parliamentary Legal Service
Furthermore, Mr. Michaelides requested that the issue of establishing a Parliamentary Legal Service be examined, to which Members of Parliament and political parties could turn for legal advice. He noted that this is already done to some extent by the Parliament’s services, but he emphasized the need for a more coordinated approach.
Mr. Christodoulou replied that an attempt had been made in the past to establish a legal service, but it was abandoned. He noted that there is also the issue of the House’s representation before the Supreme Constitutional Court regarding challenges to laws filed by the executive branch.
Furthermore, Members of Parliament Dimitris Dimitriou, Aristos Damianos, and Odysseas Michaelides called for greater transparency regarding staffing plans for the House of Representatives’ personnel.
