FOLLOWING a rollercoaster all-day session at the House plenum, politicians yesterday failed to deliver two major items of legislation but decided to give it another go next week.
Parliament was supposed to dissolve after yesterday’s session ahead of the May 22 parliamentary elections, and politicians were scrambling to table to the plenum the government bills on gambling and on multiple pensions.
When it became apparent that there was not enough time, deputies agreed to reconvene the body one more time next Thursday to put to the vote the bill on multiple pensions. To that end, the House Finance Committee will be meeting on Tuesday to take another look at the bill.
The gambling item was not so lucky, and will likely be revisited when the House reconvenes after the elections.
Already swamped with dozens of items, yesterday’s session of the House was delayed by almost three hours while the parties debated over whether to table the pensions bill.
The agenda included 65 items, of which 25 were withdrawn and a number deferred to the next session of the House post-May 22.
As it stands, the multiple pensions bill does away with the practice of former state and semi-government officials who have held more than one public position receiving a pension for each. It also abolishes provisions allowing retired officials who are appointed to public office to receive a salary and a pension at the same time. The bill affects the pensions of current MPs. It’s understood that it does not retroactive effect – meaning that current public officials will continue to receive multiple pensions.
If approved, the move is expected to save the state some one million euros per year.
Yesterday’s session at the House started off with a minute’s silence in honour of the late Akis Cleanthous, DIKO member and former Education Minister, who passed away earlier in the week.
House Speaker Marios Garoyian submitted a last-minute legislative proposal to alter the parliamentary election law in a way that would allow for number 9 – the position held by Cleanthous on DIKO’s voting slip for the forthcoming elections – to be left blank as a show of respect.
Prior to the plenum, the party leaders had met to discuss whether to table the multiple pensions bill, as well as the much-debated gambling bill, for the vote yesterday, even though there were MPs who said they weren’t ready to offer a final position
As MPs finally arrived for the session at a little after noon – it had been scheduled to start at 10 am – it appeared the parties were still in disagreement over whether to discuss the bill that aims to put an end to state officials receiving multiple perks and pensions.
