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Speech by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mrs. Anita Demetriou at the 2022-2023 Progress Report, Wednesday 22/11/23, Ammochosto Hall, House of Representatives, Nicosia
Dear party leaders,
Dear colleagues - colleagues, members of parliament,
Dear Director General,
Honourable and honourable Directors of Services of the House of Representatives,
Representatives of the Media,
Ladies and Gentlemen, Friends,
I am pleased to welcome you to the House of Representatives for the presentation of the Report and the Report of the Second Session of the Twelfth Parliamentary Term. A period in which, despite the difficulties and challenges, the House managed to develop rich and varied activities and, of course, very important and beneficial legislative work for society. The legislative function of the House of Representatives consists of establishing, amending or repealing rules of law and is its top constitutional responsibility. In exercising our responsibilities as a House, we place the changing needs of society and the state at the top of our priorities. It is for this reason that we place special emphasis on our two-way communication with both the Executive and Judicial branches of government, as well as with organized groups carrying input from the business community, academia, labor unions and many special interest organizations. At the same time, we are fully aware of the benefits and obligations arising from the Republic of Cyprus' status as a member state of the European Union and other international organisations, especially at a time of global upheaval, developments and uncertainty caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the dramatic developments in Gaza.
Before we move on to the results of the work of the House of Representatives, let me thank all of you for the excellent cooperation we have had for another year. I would like to express my sincere thanks to my fellow Members of Parliament, the staff of the House of Representatives and parliamentary assistants and associates for the professionalism and dedication they have shown during our cooperation and their positive contribution to the achievement of our objectives.
And of course to all of you, the representatives of the media, for supporting and highlighting issues that concern us all. Without the media, the work produced in Parliament could not be communicated, externalized and reached to the people, so that we have informed citizens and consequently a more complete, democratic functioning in our country.
COMMITTEE MEETINGS - BILLS - PROPOSALSLEGISLATION - REGULATIONS - VOTES
During the Second Session of the Twelfth Parliamentary Session, parliamentary committees in the course of their legislative work and exercise of parliamentary control held a total of six hundred and ten (610) meetings.
Two hundred and twenty-seven (227) bills, forty-six (46) proposed laws and sixty-nine (69) regulations were passed into law. In addition, three (3) bills, one (1) proposed law and one (1) regulation were passed under the urgency procedure.
During this session, seven (7) resolutions and one (1) statement were tabled and voted on in plenary, including on solidarity and support for the women of Iran, on preserving the memory of Tasos Isaac and Solomos Solomos, on the humanitarian consequences of the blockade of the Armenian civilian population in Nagorno Karabakh and on condemning the opening of the enclosed area of the city of Famagusta.
Thirty-five (35) plenary sittings of the House were held, of which thirty (30) were regular, two (2) were extraordinary and the remaining three (3) were special.
REFORMS / LEGISLATIVE REFORMS
We now proceed to list some of the most important legislative reforms of the past Session. And these are:
- Adoption of the Regulations on the Establishment and Operation of the Independent Anti-Corruption Authority and on Transparency in Public Decision-Making Processes with a view to enhancing Transparency and Accountability and Fighting Corruption
- Compliance of the Republic of Cyprus with its obligations towards the European Union (EU) under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRP)
- Pension benefits for public and wider public sector employees
- Imposition of a reduced rate of Value Added Tax (VAT) on the purchase and construction of housing
- Change in the system of assessment of pupils in secondary education
- Balancing work and family life of parents and persons providing care for their relatives as carers.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
During the Second Session of the Twelfth Parliamentary Session, the 18th amendment to the Constitution was passed, which concerns Family Law, so that the grounds for divorce provided for in the Church's Charter would be defined by law and the powers of the family courts would be extended. Particularly important for the resolution of family disputes was the adoption of regulations to regulate matters relating to mediation in family disputes.
SPECIAL ISSUES
Special issues were also discussed before the committees during the period under review, with undiminished interest. For example, the need to support children or adults with disabilities, the phenomenon of aggressive abusive and intimidating behaviour with perpetrators and victims being minors (known as "bullying"), and the prevention of and fight against violence against women were discussed in detail.
Noteworthy for the protection of the rights of all citizens is the introduction of the offence of prohibiting the use of a practice and/or technique or the provision of a service for the purpose of altering, suppressing or eliminating the sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression of another person.
EUROPEAN ISSUES
The range of the Parliament's activities in European affairs included work and activities related to the harmonisation of domestic legislation with the European acquis, the monitoring of the decision-making process within the EU and the general study of documents originating from the EU institutions and the participation of the Parliament in conferences organised at the EU level.
- We actively participate in conferences on the future of Europe, interparliamentary committees, briefings, training seminars
- We exchange knowledge, experiences, proposals to strengthen our role in the EU with representatives of other countries' parliaments, committees and friendship groups
- We cooperate closely with our Cypriot MEPs, whose presence is of outstanding importance for our country in international fora
- We stress the importance of greater representation of women in EU decision-making centres
- We organised on 9 May, Europe Day, a round table discussion entitled "The future of the European Union. Protecting EU principles and values and the active participation of citizens", with the participation, among others, of Cypriot MEPs, ambassadors and the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety
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- We held a special event on the EU legislative package "Fit for 55%" ("Fit for 55")
PARLIAMENTARY DEVELOPMENT
Through an outward-looking and multi-dimensional approach, the House of Representatives developed significant bilateral action, regional, European and multilateral levels. It has sought further networking with other parliaments and parliamentary organisations, as well as with other international actors, aiming to develop effective partnerships and to highlight the added value of parliamentary diplomacy. In light of the ongoing war in Ukraine, the House of Representatives:
- Condemned at every opportunity the Russian invasion and criticized countries which, while claiming a role of mediator between Russia and Ukraine,
- Pointed out the obvious similarities between the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and the detrimental to peace logic of two measures and two stations on the part of the international community
- Stressed that the same firmness towards Turkey in relation to Cyprus as that shown towards Russia is expected
- Put all critical issues and challenges on the table
- Raised all critical issues and challenges, such as the aggravation of the migration crisis and the particularly difficult situation facing Cyprus due to Turkey's instrumentalization of the migration issue, the energy, environmental and humanitarian crisis, as well as the gender equality
- Condemned at every opportunity in international parliamentary organizations and other fora and in the context of bilateral contacts the usurpation of the properties of Greek Cypriot refugees in the occupied territories and the intensifying provocations and illegal actions by Turkey against the sovereignty and sovereign rights of the RoC on the territory, in and around the Dead Zone and more recently in the enclosed area of Famagusta and in the Cypriot exclusive economic zone in violation of international law, including the Law of the Sea and relevant UN resolutions.
OFFICIAL INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPATIONS
In the framework of the official representation of the Republic of Cyprus at the level of Speakers of Parliaments, we participated and were actively present at the Conferences:
- Speakers of Parliaments of EU Member States
- Women Speakers of Parliaments of EU Member States
- The International Platform on Crimea
In addition, an official visit to Berlin took place, Dublin and London at the invitation of the Speakers of the respective national parliaments and a meeting was held with the Japanese Speaker of the House of Representatives as part of our presence in the country.
The House of Representatives also developed important activities at regional, European and multilateral level. The primary objectives of parliamentary diplomacy always remain the promotion of the rights of the Cypriot people with regard to the Cyprus problem and the emergence of Cyprus, as a result of its geopolitical position and EU membership, as a pillar of security and stability and a bridge of dialogue in the wider unstable region of the Eastern Mediterranean.
It is worth mentioning that at the 30th Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, among the nine Vice-Presidents of the Assembly, a second member of the Cypriot delegation was elected for a three-year term of office, in addition to the head, which was particularly noted in the Assembly as recognition of the active and substantial participation of the three-member Cypriot delegation in the Assembly.
VISITS OF DIGNITARIES
The House of Representatives was graced by the presence of important personalities such as the President of the European Parliament, Ms Roberta Metsola, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Mr Tiny Kox, and the President of the Polish Sejm, Ms Elżbieta Witek, who addressed the plenary session. We also welcomed the Greek Prime Minister Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the President of the Republic of Portugal Mr. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the Deputy Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament Mr. Elias Abu Saab and the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the US Senate Mr. Robert Menendez, as well as the Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the European Way of Life Mr. Margaritis Schinas, the Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Democracy and Demography Ms. Dubravka Suica, the Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Ms. Stella Kyriakidou and the Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakidou and the Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders.
SESSIONS, EVENTS
During this Session, and following the two previous sessions, the events of which were significantly affected by the restrictive measures in place to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, the Parliament reverted to a more expanded programme of events, activities and conferences, whose constant aim is to make Parliament accessible to citizens, touching on key and sensitive aspects of the social life of the country. Among others, the following events were held: A stamp for the refugees of Cyprus, the history of a symbol"
- Charity Art Exhibition "When the sun..." in support of the Association for the Welfare of People with Intellectual Disabilities
- Conference "Gender and Education: Theory, Policy, Practice" in cooperation with the Cyprus Pedagogical Institute
- Training seminar on "The Gender Dimension in Public Policies" for Members of Parliament and Parliament staff
- Production and Europe-wide promotion of audiovisual material for International Women's Day, which was embraced by our female counterparts in the EU, who participated with their own message
- In addition, the action "In the footsteps of a female councillor" took place for the second consecutive time. Forty-two schoolgirls and students from all the provinces of Cyprus participated and visited the Parliament,
- European Mobility Week - cycling tours in all cities
- Charity event on the theme "make a heart - water and body"
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- European Mobility Week - cycling tours in all cities
- Charity event on the theme "make a heart - water and body"
- Participation of the House of Representatives in book and contemporary art exhibitions
- Event on "The internal functioning of the European Court of Human Rights" with the Cypriot judge Dr Georgios Sergides.
PUBLICATIONS - RESEARCH
We cannot fail to mention the publishing activity of the House of Representatives, which includes, among others, the following:
- Tenth and eleventh volumes of the Cyprus Envelope, carried out in cooperation with the Greek Parliament
- Second, Cypriot, edition of the volume Agia Sophia: The Temples of the Wisdom of God around the World
- Refugee Sign: A stamp for the refugees of Cyprus, the story of a symbol.
In terms of conducting studies and research, briefing notes, analyses, surveys and studies on various issues were prepared.
INITIATIVES AND ACTIONS
Putting into practice our philosophy of continuous contact with civil society, this year we undertook initiatives and actions aimed at active citizenship at as many levels as possible. Among other things, we carried out:
- The 9th Session of the Civil Society
- The 24th Session of the House of Elders
- Actions to promote ecological awareness and environmental protection
- Installation of contemporary art works by Cypriot artists in the corridors of the building,
VISITS BY STUDENTS
During the session under review, the Parliament hosted a large number of schoolchildren, schoolgirls, students and female students to whom officials presented the role and responsibilities, as well as the organization and functioning of the Cypriot Parliament. Visits to the Parliament by the schools during the session under review showed a significant increase compared to previous years. Specifically, during the Review Session, two thousand four hundred and one (2,401) teachers, pupils and students from seventy-four (74) educational institutions visited Parliament. It is worth noting that there is also an increasing interest for educational visits from other institutions/groups from Cyprus and abroad, such as from the "Erasmus+" programme, training centres, officials of the European Commission, etc.
PRACTICAL TRAINING IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
In addition, the programme "Practical Training in the House of Representatives" was implemented for the second year with great success, following our initiative last year, following the model of foreign parliaments and other EU institutions. The aim is to familiarize young people with the work of the legislative body, to broaden their knowledge of the parliamentary life and the values of democracy, in order to become active citizens and to strengthen their skills. The programme lasted two months and was attended by undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students. The interest was high, the feedback was positive and the feedback from participants was very encouraging.
FOUNDATION FOR PARLIAMENTARISM AND PARTICIPATIVE DEMOCRACY
With regard to our announced intention to proceed with the establishment of the Foundation for Parliamentarism and Participatory Democracy, it is noted that the Founding Act was filed and approved by the Registrar of Associations and Foundations last November. The establishment of the Scientific Committee will soon be completed. The aim of the Foundation is to promote the principles of parliamentarianism, to strengthen the relationship between the Parliament and civil society and to foster participatory democracy. To achieve this objective, the Foundation will undertake a series of actions, programmes and projects, events, conferences, symposia, workshops, exhibitions, publications, etc.
MINUTES OF THE Plenary and their editing
In the area of the linguistic and editorial editing of the minutes of plenary sittings, a deadline for the preparation of the texts was observed, as in every session, in accordance with the Rules of Procedure of the House of Representatives, and they were made available in good time to all Members for the purpose of checking their speeches.
It should be pointed out that, in the context of financial savings and the ecological sensitivity shown by the Parliament, these texts are now available to Members only in electronic form via the internal network of the Parliament. The plenary minutes of each current session are posted on the Parliament's website as soon as they have been checked and edited. The session-by-session consolidation of the minutes of plenary sittings and their inclusion in PDF format on the website also continued in order to make it easier to search and locate any issue.
STRATEGIC PLANNING AND OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS
In the context of further modernising and upgrading the House of Representatives to meet the new challenges of the current era as well as the requirements of the EU, the Office of Budget and Human Resources Management has been established as of 1 March 2023, which is to be renamed the Office of Strategic Planning, Budget, Administrative Reorganisation and Human Resources.
In this context, the House of Representatives prepared for the first time the Strategic Plan 2023-2025, with a view to linking it to the State Budget, which records the mission, vision, values, strategic objectives, goals and activities of the Parliament. The objectives and activities are evaluated by performance and performance measurement indicators. It is noted that the link between the strategic plan and the state budget will be established when the executive prepares the relevant computerised system, which will be able to support the budget on an activity basis.
COMMON EVALUATION FRAMEWORK
The implementation of the Common Evaluation Framework was completed in cooperation with the Cyprus Academy of Public Administration in order to highlight the strengths and improve the weaknesses of the organisation. The Common Evaluation Framework is an important management tool and an important tool for improving the efficiency of the Parliament's staff, focusing on issues of leadership, strategy, partnership planning and resource management.
INTERNAL AUDIT UNIT
Particular importance is given to the Internal Audit Unit, which the Parliament has established as of June 1, 2023.
Internal audit is an independent, objective and consultative activity designed to add value, improve our processes and help us complete our objectives with the greatest possible awareness of risks.
BUILDING FACILITIES RENOVATION
We have also completed work to upgrade the House of Commons atrium and catering facilities so that they reflect the needs and image appropriate to Parliament. At the same time, we are carrying out extensions and improvements to office space and have installed a modern videoconferencing system in the Kyrenia hall.
COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION
To improve the information provided and assist the work of press representatives,
- We proceeded to upgrade the press room
- We continued last year's initiative with the drafting and sending of press releases by the committees
- We operated and established official accounts of the Parliament on Social Media
- We further improved the Parliament's website
- We put special emphasis on direct, The Office of the Speaker of the Parliament's Office has a special focus on direct, open and daily communication with Parliamentary Editors and Editors.
IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES
We have before us the State Budget debate, which is the top legislative act. The debate is scheduled for December 18, 19, 20.
In addition, important pieces of legislation are pending such as.000.
- Establishment of a Deputy Ministry of Immigration and Asylum to develop and implement an integrated strategy on migration and asylum. Including the appointment of the Deputy Minister of State for European Affairs.
- Establishment of the specific offence of school bullying, known as "bullying", as well as workplace bullying, known as "mobbing", and bullying in the military and in sport.
- Amendment of the Insurance and Reinsurance Operations and Other Related Matters Law to ensure the right to be forgotten.
- Legislation to implement the obligations of the Republic of Cyprus in relation to the establishment, operation and use of the Schengen Information System (SIS).
- Legislative regulation of the procedure for recording and monitoring the retail prices of consumer products (known as e-kalathi).
- Amendment of the Minimum Guaranteed Income Law so that the right of a person with a disability whose disability is certified by the Department of Social Integration of Persons with Disabilities to receive a minimum guaranteed income is not dependent on the income of his/her family unit.
- Amend the Due Diligence Act to streamline the existing legal framework and fill gaps and remedy other dysfunctions observed during its implementation.
- Proposed legislation to redefine annual corporate tax.
- Bill to remove the problems of stranded buyers.
In conclusion, I would like to point out that in addition to the overall revitalization of the work of the Parliament internally and our presence at the domestic level, our primary objective remains our commitment to the goal of a just, viable and workable solution to the Cyprus Problem based on the UN resolutions, the reunification and liberation of our homeland and the emergence of Cyprus as a pillar of peace, security and stability in the wider region. And to these we remain committed and committed.
In closing, I would like to refer to another issue, that of protecting the institutions and the Republic itself. In these days when everything is being shaken and challenged, we have an obligation through the institutions themselves to secure rights, to secure a perspective. In the face of a climate of toxicity and cannibalism that in most cases does not even respond to the real needs of citizens. But it breeds misinformation and populism. And herein lies our responsibility to respond with more democracy as our only choice and direction.
Thank you.
(Text as sent from the House of Representatives)
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