A recent event involving Nikos Sykas, a deputy, has started a discussion about parliamentary immunity in Cyprus. People are talking again about the special rights elected officials have. Many now want changes to the current system.
For many years, the parliament has tried to balance protecting MPs' work with making sure everyone is treated equally by the law. The constitution gives deputies strong protection. This means they cannot be prosecuted for things they say or votes they make in parliament. However, to take legal action against an MP, the Supreme Court must agree. This makes it hard to get justice quickly.
Right now, the attorney-general needs the Supreme Court's permission just to ask an MP questions. This makes the legal process slow and complicated. People are frustrated by this. They feel that some people might be above the law. In the past, deputies have used their immunity to avoid problems for things like unpaid fines or bribery. This has made people more worried and increased the need for change.
It has been difficult to change this issue. In 2012, there was an attempt to review MPs' immunity. Later, in 2016, a proposal was made to limit immunity to only parliamentary work. Even after changes in 2021, these reform ideas have not passed.
Now, committees are discussing different ways to change the rules. They are looking at how other countries handle this. However, the biggest problem is that changing the constitution needs agreement from many politicians. This agreement has been hard to find.
Not changing this issue for a long time has damaged public trust in parliament. People feel that MPs are not treated the same as ordinary citizens. This can harm democracy. As the current parliament continues, there is more pressure to solve this problem. Many want the constitution changed to make clear what parliamentary privilege means and to ensure everyone is accountable.