Disy fails to convince Akel on voting reform

AKEL AND Disy yesterday agreed to disagree on Disy’s proposal for changes in parliamentary election laws, with Akel insisting that the system should remain as it is.

Statements after the parties’ leaders met at Akel headquarters showed they had reached agreement only on the provision of expert staff to advise deputies on specialised issues and help lighten their workload.

While the proposal is to be put before Akel’s executive committee for a final position to be taken, the party’s secretary-general Demetris Christofias yesterday said that his party did not agree with Disy’s suggestions.

These include raising the percentage threshold required by a party to obtain parliamentary representation from 1.7 per cent of the vote to 3.4 per cent – a proposal which has infuriated smaller parties likely to be frozen out of parliament by such a move.

Christofias also said Akel did not agree with suggestions to raise the number of deputies from 56 to 60 and to introduce a further 10 deputies who would represent all of Cyprus and not just a specific district.

Akel also opposed the introduction of horizontal voting, where voters could cast preference votes across party lines, Christofias said.

Disy president Nicos Anastassiades said after yesterday’s meeting he hoped Akel’s executive committee review of the proposal would lead to more common ground being found and that his party’s aim was for changes to be made wherever there was consensus.

He then met with Social Democratic Movement leader Vassos Lyssarides, who said he would not take a stand on the proposal until it was reviewed by his party’s executive committee.

Anastassiades and Disy vice-president Panayiotis Demetriou carried out yesterday’s meetings as part of a campaign to seek consensus on their proposal.

Disy formulated its reform plan after 14 deputies from a range of parties prepared a proposal suggesting the introduction of a horizontal voting system.

Under the current system, voters chose a party list. Though they can cast a preference vote, they are only allowed to do so within the list off the party they voted for.

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