Cyprus
Parliamentary Elections
Electoral system
- Unicameral parliament
- Parliament name: House of Representatives (Vouli Antiprosopon)
- Members: 56
- Term: 5 years
- Constituencies: 6 multi-member constituencies (seats allotted in proportion to population).
- Voting system: Proportional: Direct election with party-list proportional representation (open list) and preferential system. Voters first select the list of a single party (or coalition of parties or a single independent candidate) and then, within the list, can mark one preference for every four seats to be filled in their constituency. In the case of constituencies having fewer than three seats, only one preference can be marked. Party leaders or other candidates heading coalitions do not require a preference mark to be elected. Seats are distributed among lists within each constituency by dividing the total number of votes cast for each list by the electoral quota (the largest remainder method using Hare quota). The remaining seats are distributed among the parties or coalitions of parties that won at least one seat in any constituency pursuant to the first distribution or, for single parties, at least 1.8 per cent of all valid votes cast throughout the island (for coalitions of 2 or more parties, the applicable figures are 10 and 20 per cent, respectively). Notwithstanding the above, 3.6 per cent of the total number of votes cast are required for lists of single parties participating in the second distribution to be entitled to a second seat.
- Voter requirements: 18 years of age; Cyprus citizenship, including naturalized citizens; residence in the country for at least six months prior to the elections; citizens overseas cannot vote.
- Voting is compulsory; unjustified failure to vote is punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment.
Latest elections
Election results 1991-2011, main parties
Parliamentary elections
Sources
Faustmann, H. & Kaymak, E. 2007. Cyprus. European Journal of Political Research, Volume 46(7-8): 916-928.
Ministry of the Interior, Electoral Service: Election results, 2011
Inter-Parliamentary Union, PARLINE database on national parliaments
Government (Cyprus), in Europa World online. London, Routledge. University of Bergen. Retrieved 02 November 2009 from http://www.europaworld.com/entry/cy.is.53
