Venice Commission - Report on Bicameralism

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Cyprus

1.Has the country ever had a bicameral parliamentary (or congressional) system in the past? If so, in which period? Why was it decided to change into a unicameral system? Is there a public debate about changing to a bicameral system? What are the terms of the debate?

In Cyprus Republic we have a Unicameral – House of Representatives (80, but only 56 are currently engaged)
· The Republic of Cyprus is a presidential representative democratic republic. According to its Constitution, Cyprus is a unitary state with a presidential system of government.

· In terms of decentralization, Cyprus does have some limited forms of regional government. The country is divided into six districts, each with its own district administration, which is responsible for local government functions such as town planning, public health, and public works.

· The president is the head of state and government in Cyprus. The president is elected directly by the people for a term of five years and is eligible for re-election for one additional term. The executive power is vested in the president, who is assisted by a council of ministers appointed by him/her.

· The legislative branch of the government is a unicameral parliament called the House of Representatives. Members are elected for a term of five years through a proportional representation system.

2.What is the population of the country? What is its size?

The current population of Republic of Cyprus is 1,232,360 people. The size of the country is 9 251 km².

3.What form of state and form of government has the country? Please provide details with reference to relevant constitutional provisions. a) Unitarian or federal/regional/other form of decentralization; b) Parliamentary, presidential, semi-presidential or mixed

The Republic of Cyprus is a unitary presidential representative republic, whereby the President of Cyprus is both head of state and head of government.

4.How many members are in the lower house?

There are 80 members, but only 56 are currently engaged.