The discussion on introducing the people’s legislative initiative has been postponed for three weeks. The issue is currently before Parliament through two parallel proposals: a private member’s bill submitted by Democratic Party (DIKO) MP Christiana Erotokritou, and a draft bill introduced by the Ministry of Finance.

As Offsite News reports, Erotokritou’s proposal seeks to establish a legal framework allowing citizens to propose legislation, provided it is supported by at least 5,000 signatures.

>>Bill to Let Cypriots Propose Laws Returns to Parliamentary Committee<<

The postponement was due to a request from the Legal Service for an official opinion regarding the constitutional implications of introducing such legislation. MP Erotokritou, who is spearheading the bill, remains determined to see it passed before the end of the current parliamentary term.

The Ministry of Finance has submitted a parallel bill addressing the same issue. Under the proposed mechanism, once 5,000 signatures are collected in support of a citizen-led proposal, the idea would be reviewed by parliamentary services to assess its constitutionality and legality. If it passes this screening, it would then be forwarded to a political party or MP and subsequently discussed by the relevant parliamentary committee.

The citizens themselves would be the official origin of the legislative proposal. Notably, Erotokritou originally introduced the initiative in 2016.